Gwen "Coach" Whildin, 66, died in her home in Pompano Beach, Florida on January 21, 2019 of complications from diabetes and ESRD. Daughter of Lois and Lew, both deceased. Formerly of Bearsden in Germansville, Gwen graduated from Parkland High, Lock Haven University, and did graduate work at the University of Montana and East Stroudsburg University. She taught and coached swimming at Panther Valley School District for four years, and Northampton Area School District for 32 years, retiring as coordinator of the district health and physical education program. She also coached the girls swim team at Emmaus High during the 2006-07 perfect season when they won district and state championships, with six state champions. At Northampton High, she had 72 state finalists, 18 state champions, 8 Mountain Valley Conference titles, the 1993 PIAA boys's state championship team, and several other titles, including Coach of the Year in 1993, and Express Times 2014 Swim Coach of the Year. She was inducted into the Northampton High School Hall of Fame in 2010. She also founded and coached the KIDS US swim club, her swimmers would win numerous awards including five US Swimming All-Americans, and a 2000 Paralympic World Champion. As a letter writer to the Morning Call noted on her retirement, "Coach Whildin leaves behind hundreds of swimmers who are better people because she was part of their lives." She is celebrated by these former students, numerous colleagues and friends, her partner Woody and her sister Sara. Services are private. Please support organ donation programs.
Raymond Geiger (1970)
Gwen "Coach" Whildin, 66, died in her home in Pompano Beach, Florida on January 21, 2019 of complications from diabetes and ESRD. Daughter of Lois and Lew, both deceased. Formerly of Bearsden in Germansville, Gwen graduated from Parkland High, Lock Haven University, and did graduate work at the University of Montana and East Stroudsburg University. She taught and coached swimming at Panther Valley School District for four years, and Northampton Area School District for 32 years, retiring as coordinator of the district health and physical education program. She also coached the girls swim team at Emmaus High during the 2006-07 perfect season when they won district and state championships, with six state champions. At Northampton High, she had 72 state finalists, 18 state champions, 8 Mountain Valley Conference titles, the 1993 PIAA boys's state championship team, and several other titles, including Coach of the Year in 1993, and Express Times 2014 Swim Coach of the Year. She was inducted into the Northampton High School Hall of Fame in 2010. She also founded and coached the KIDS US swim club, her swimmers would win numerous awards including five US Swimming All-Americans, and a 2000 Paralympic World Champion. As a letter writer to the Morning Call noted on her retirement, "Coach Whildin leaves behind hundreds of swimmers who are better people because she was part of their lives." She is celebrated by these former students, numerous colleagues and friends, her partner Woody and her sister Sara. Services are private. Please support organ donation programs.
Published in Morning Call on Jan. 24, 2019