Joseph Charles "coach Iron" Epple Obituary

Joseph Charles "coach Iron" Epple attended Mt Pleasant High School in Mt. Pleasant, MI. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Joseph Charles "coach Iron" Epple.

Graduation Year	Faculty
Date of Passing	Oct 09, 2009
About	Dec. 13, 1935-Oct. 9, 2009 Joseph "Iron" Epple, 73, of Leaton, passed away at his home Friday, October 9, 2009, surrounded by his loving family, after a courageous three year battle with multiple myeloma. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Monday, Oct. 12 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church with Fr. Tom McNamara presiding and Fr. Don Henkes concelebrating. Burial will be in St. Henry Cemetery in Rosebush immediately following the luncheon at Sacred Heart Parish Hall. The family will receive friends at the Charles R. Lux Family Funeral Home on Saturday from 6-9 p.m. and Sunday from 3-9 p.m. There will be a vigil service at 7 p.m. Sunday. Visitation continues at the church on Monday one hour prior to Mass. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Henry/St. Charles Parish, Woodland Hospice, or to the charity established, in Joe's name, through the Mt. Pleasant Community Foundation. Envelopes are available at the funeral home. Joe was born Dec. 13, 1935, in Leaton, the son of Charles Joseph and Minnie Leone (Prout) Epple. A graduate of Mt. Pleasant High School in 1954, Joe received both his Bachelor's and Master's degree from Central Michigan University in 1958 and 1966 respectively. He married Jeanne Hoose on Aug. 29, 1959, at St. Joseph Church in Owosso. He taught at Mt. Pleasant Public Schools for 34 years including Mt. Pleasant High School, Pullen Elementary, and West Intermediate. In 1971 he received the honor of outstanding young educator in Isabella County and, in 1987, received the award for excellence in teaching. Joe has been a coaching icon in the area with a combined 60 seasons as a coach at various school levels including 12 years as a High School Varsity Football Assistant, 24 years coaching eighth grade basketball, 10 years as Junior Varsity Baseball coach and 24 years as the head coach of the Varsity Baseball Team. Over the years, he has amassed a number of accolades including Class B Coach of the Year in 1975, Michigan High School Hall of Fame inductee in 1987, and Class A Coach of the Year in 1990. In 1995 he was inducted into both the Mt. Pleasant High School and CMU Athletic Halls of Fame. As a member of St. Henry/St. Charles Parish, he was very involved as a leader in church activities serving as Eucharistic Minister, Lector and Usher, Past President Parish Education Commission, and Religious Education Teacher. His love for his faith and church was second only to the love for his family. Joe leaves behind his wife of 50 years, Jeanne; five children Luke and Susan Epple of Leaton and their children, Katelynn, Luke, Sydney, and Alexis, Lucinda "Cindy" and Dan Capozzi of Mesa, AZ and their sons, Nicholas and Sean Smith, Helen and Robert Lee of Mt. Pleasant and their sons, Donny, Mark, and Dustin, Kristine and Kristopher "Kip" Weis of Mt. Pleasant and their children, Andrew, Allison, and Charlotte, and Mark Epple of Mt. Pleasant and his children, Jocelyn, Joshua, and Raegen; and Mark's fiancÃ©, Wendy Higgins and her sons, Brandon and Blake. Joe is also survived by four great-grandchildren; a brother, William T. Epple of Mt. Pleasant; and sister, Rita Epple of Leaton. He was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Mark E. Epple. Joe dedicated his life to teaching. He was a coach to youth, a mentor to many, and a role model to all. To send a condolence to the family, please visit www.charlesrlux.com The Morning Sun http://www.themorningsun.com/articles/2009/10/10/obituaries/doc4acfba009f4a8011985236.txt