Coupeville Sports

Kim Meche

Kim Meche never lost.

Whether her volleyball teams were victorious or not, she always had a smile on her face after matches.

She led by example, and the young women who played for her were graced to have a coach who was not only a leader and a teacher, but their friend and mentor, as well.

A standout athlete and Oak Harbor High School graduate who would go on to coach at two Whidbey Island schools before departing to go into school administration elsewhere, she touched many lives.

And, while her physical body finally gave out this week, after long, arduous battles with cancer, her spirit lives on.

It lives on in the young women who played for her who are now adults, many with their own children.

There will be a time in their lives when they tell their daughters and sons about this woman who meant so much to them, who taught them a game and so much more, and Kim will live on through a new generation.

It lives on in the coaches, teachers and administrators she worked with, both in Coupeville and far beyond.

It lives on in her family, in her friends, in those she knew for a lifetime or touched for a mere moment.

Kim approached life with a smile, whether times were good or bad.

She fought with grace, she lived with love in her heart, she gave of herself to so many who will continue to branch out, each flower coming from her tree spreading out and causing multitudes of joy as the years play out.

Right now, there is pain and sorrow and anger. Some of that will never go away, but love and hope can beat back the darkness.

Remember what Kim stood for, how she chose to live her life, and honor her memory by trying to do the same.

We have lost her too soon, but we do not have to say goodbye, ever. She will live on in our words and actions, in our deeds and how we treat others around us.

Make her proud.