Jack Lee Bloxom, 80

Jack Lee Bloxom, age 80, went to be with the Lord on May 14, 2019. Jack was born Aug. 4, 1938, to Clair Orville and Dorothy Mae Bloxom in Sandpoint, Idaho. Growing up in Sandpoint, he played all sports and enjoyed fishing and hunting. He served as student body president his senior year, set a state record in basketball scoring 37 points in the state tournament, and graduated from Sandpoint High School in 1956.

While attending the University of Idaho, Jack received a bachelor’s degree in 1960, a master’s degree in education in 1963, and lettered three years in baseball.

Jack taught and coached at Sandpoint Junior High from 1960 to 1962. He then taught and coached in Goldendale, Wash., from 1963 to 1967, where he met and married Melissa Beeks of Goldendale, in 1967. They had one daughter, Michal.

He taught physical education and developed the baseball program at North Idaho College, where he was head baseball coach for 30 years. Jack also served as assistant basketball coach for 17 of those years.

He played on three state championship teams and one regional championship slowpitch softball team. He was selected to the Inland Empire Softball Hall of Fame in 1993, the Sandpoint High School Hall of Fame in 2004 and the North Idaho College Hall of Fame in 2010. Jack was chosen to be the head coach of the West Baseball Team at the 1987 Olympic Festival, at Chapel Hill, N.C.

He married Zella L. Cottier on Dec. 29, 1976. He is survived by his daughter, Michal (Tom) Stewart; stepson, Terry (Debbie) Cottier and stepson, Gordon (Sheila) Cottier; five grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. Preceding him in death were his parents; wife, Zella; brothers, Bob, Joe, Bill and Tom; and sister, Patsy.

Jack enjoyed their home on Coeur d’Alene Lake, hunting and fishing, woodworking, golfing, golf ball collecting and working in the yard. Jack was always happy to help a neighbor.

The funeral service will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 18, 2019, at Yates Funeral Home – Coeur d’ Alene Chapel, 744 N. Fourth St., Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, with burial to follow at Riverview Cemetery in Coeur d’Alene.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the North Idaho College Foundation Scholarship Fund. You may visit Jack’s online memorial and sign his guest book at www.yatesfuneralhomes.com