A man who is remembered by those whose life he touched as an icon of the local sports community died today and people who knew Dan Gilbert say he will be missed.
Gilbert, a Little League and softball coach who coached Oakfield-Alabama to Section V titles in baseball, succumbed to cancer more than 18 months after beginning treatment.
"He was one of those types of people who is a pillar in the community," said Oakfield resident Jeremy Yasses. "He built programs for sports for the school and the community. He touched a lot of lives, not only because he won, but because he was a class act on the field and off the field. He taught a lot of kids life lessons."
Yasses said Gilbert, who was also a physical ed teacher at O-A, spent a lot of selfless hours coaching kids and helping them succeed not just in competition on the field but at life.
Parents and students were notified by the school district by phone this morning of Gilbert's passing.
Oakfield-Alabama Social Studies teacher and Athletic Director Jeff Schlagenhauf said Gilbert was his good friend for 30 years and described him not only as a stalwart member of the community but a dedicated family man.
"He was a mentor to a lot of kids," Schlagenhauf said. "He was just a great teacher. The community lost a really good person today."
News partner WBTA contributed to this story.
