Lou Brunswick, 92, of Coldwater, passed peacefully surrounded by his family on Friday, September 30, 2022, at St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo.
He was born December 12, 1929 in Wendelin, to the late Lawrence & Stella (Reichert) Brunswick. On October 4, 1950, he married his high school sweetheart Ann (Bernard), and she survives in Coldwater.
He is also survived by seven children, Jane (Dan) Diller of Celina, Mary Peitsmeyer of Bellefontaine, Tom (Peg) Brunswick of Coldwater, Carol (Doug) Fisher of Troy, Mark (Gay) Brunswick of Bellefontaine, Jeff (Sandy) Brunswick of Grand Rapids, OH and Amy (John) Shaw of Defiance; grandchildren: Lindsey (Sid) Bartos, Melissa (Ryan) Rammel, Justin Diller, Nicole Diller, Brian (Bailey) Brunswick, Brad Brunswick, Leslie (Brian) Regula, Aaron Peitsmeyer, Kelli (Ryan) Patterson, Tony Fisher, Kaitlyn Fisher, MacKenzie (Drew) Crabtree, Benjamin Brunswick, Badyn Shaw, Cody Shaw and Sophia Shaw; great-grandchildren: Ayla, Gavin & Jace Rammel, Max Brunswick, Cason & Mia Regula and Louis Wells Crabtree; siblings and in-laws, Shirley Brunswick, Irma (Urban) Arling, Janet Brunswick, Florence Ferris, Peggy Wolf, Joan Hausfeld and Jane (Walter) Uhlenhake.
He is preceded in death by son-in-law Greg Peitsmeyer; siblings and in-laws, Adele (Norbert) Stelzer, Rita Brunswick, Marie Broerman-Uhlenhake, Leo Broerman, Tom Uhlenhake, Cletus Brunswick, Paul Brunswick, Charlie Brunswick, Urban (Lillian) Bernard, Ella (Tony) Gaier, Wilma (Arthur) Gels, Ruth (Robert) Seitz, James Bernard, Elmer (Mary) Bernard, William Ferris, William Wolf and Greg Hausfeld.
Lou was a member of Holy Trinity Church of Coldwater. He was a member of the Coldwater Eagles, Coldwater Knights of Columbus, Coldwater Kiwanis, Coldwater V.F.W. and Coldwater American Legion. He served in the US Army during the Korean War. Lou had a long baseball career, he played for St. Henry’s 1945-1946 state tournament teams. He played professional baseball for the Chicago Cubs under Tony Lucadello and was a retired scout for the Minnesota Twins.
He had a 35-year teaching/coaching career at Coldwater High School from 1959-1993 with a 750-166 career spring record. They won 20 Midwest Athletic Conference Championships and five State Titles (1983, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1992) under his tutelage. He took 10 teams to the state tournament (61, 72, 77, 83, 84, 87, 90, 91, 92, 93). He had teams voted #1 ten straight years from 1983-1992 by OHSBCA. He accumulated 1500 total wins through spring, summer ACME and legion teams with 24 district finals, and 17 regional finals. Awards Lou received in 1975 he was a OHSBCA Hall of Fame inductee, the 1993 BCA National coach of the year, 1995 Mac Morrison Lifetime Service Award, 1996 Wally Post Pro-am Award and was on the 1960 ACME board of directors.
Lou was a loving father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, who loved the Lord and his family with all his heart, he also had a passion for the Coldwater community, he loved life and never met a stranger and he loved to share stories with others.
Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, October 6, at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Coldwater. Burial with military rites will follow in St. Elizabeth Cemetery, Coldwater. Friends may call from 2 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, October 5, and 9 to 10 a.m. Thursday at the Hogenkamp Funeral Home in Coldwater. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Lou Brunswick Scholarship fund. Condolences may be left at hogenkampfh.com.