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Michael Frederick Wolf, 56
Michael Frederick Wolf (Coach Mike) passed away Sept. 16, 2017. He was born on Sept. 24, 1960, in Lansing, Mich., to Robert and Eleanor Wolf.
In 1963, his family relocated to Denver, Colo., which eventually led them to Montana. Michael attended school in Kila, Thompson Falls and graduated from Corvallis High School. He was active in sports particularly in basketball and track.
In 1986, he married Karen Kearns. He was employed in the automobile repair industry for most of his career, moving numerous times. The family landed in Post Falls in 2000 where he became an independent contractor delivering newspapers for the Coeur d’Alene Press for the next 17 years. Michael was very active in coaching and mentoring children in the Post Falls area and eventually worked part time for the Parks and Recreation Department. He was also selected as “Head Start Father of the Year” for 2004-2005.
Family was everything to Michael. His children and grandchildren (grand angels to him) were the light of his life, and he loved spending every moment possible with them. Family camping trips with parents, brothers and families always included fishing, bonfires and sharing stories. One of his favorite spots for fishing was on the Little North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River. The Wolf cabin on the Swan River in Montana had many great weekends of family gathering, where Michael directed the young ones in fishing adventures.
Michael loved coaching kids, it did not matter their age or ability. Winning or losing did not matter, everyone got to play. His main goal was to ensure everyone got to play. He worked well with the kids and parents alike, setting sportsmanship standards for all. He was always proud of the fact his teams won the Sportsmanship Award every year. Coach Mike coached basketball, baseball, spring and fall soccer.
Because of his willingness to make sure that every youngster was treated equally and his mentoring of many, he received the first “Coach of the Year” award from the Post Falls Parks and Recreation Department in 2008. Coach Mike included all children, spending time researching to find the best way to make them successful. Many kids could be heard yelling “hi, Coach Mike” around town years after they stopped playing.
Michael is survived by his children, Zachary, Michael and Cassidy Wolf; grand angels Kyler and Samantha; his father, Robert; brothers Robert (Chris) and Thomas (Patti); numerous nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins; and extended friends he considered family. Michael was preceded in death by his mother, Eleanor and nephew James R. Wolf.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations to be made to the Post Falls Parks and Recreation Department for a scholarship in his name. Donations can be sent to Post Falls Parks and Recreation, 408 N. Spokane St., C/O Michael Wolf Scholarship Fund, Post Falls, ID 83854.
A celebration of life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, 2017, at Q’emiln Park Pavilion in Post Falls, with a reception to follow. The family will be present all day, so please feel free to come and share stories of Coach Mike.