David Stookey (September 16, 1942 – June 24, 2022) was a longtime, well-loved cross country and track coach at Wawasee High School. In fact, Stookey spent almost 60 of his 79 years coaching. He was widely considered to be legendary, a little old-school, and very passionate about his job.
“His personal interest in kids kept him coaching,” said Linda Stookey, David Stookey’s widow. “He lived and breathed coaching, but it went beyond that. He called kids to see how they were doing, especially if they were injured. Most of his wardrobe was green and gold, and that hat was always on his head,” she added.
David Stookey was born in Portland, Ind. He graduated from Ball State University with a bachelor’s degree, followed by a master’s from Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind. In 1964, he married Linda, and together they raised two children in the Leesburg/North Webster area. There, Stookey spent 58 years teaching and coaching in the Wawasee School Corporation.
To perpetuate his legacy, Linda Stookey and their children, Eric Stookey and Lisa Stookey McAdam, established the Coach David Stookey Memorial Scholarship Fund at the Kosciusko County Community Foundation. The fund provides educational scholarships for Wawasee High School graduates. Now, generations of students will feel the support and encouragement of Coach Stookey.