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‘Great man, great coach’: Ed Myers remembered in Whalley for his nearly 40 years in baseball

Interviewed in 2015, Myers said he loved when his many former players said hello to their old coach
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Ed Myers in 2015 at Whalley Athletic Park, where he volunteered his time with Whalley Little League for close to 40 years. (File photo: Beau Simpson)

Surrey’s baseball community is mourning Ed Myers, a longtime coach and volunteer with Whalley Little League.

Myers died Jan. 28 at his Fleetwood-area home surrounded by family. Aged 69, Myers would have celebrated his 70th birthday a week later, on Feb. 4.

“Ed dedicated his life to his family and Little League Baseball,” an obituary notes. “He was a pillar within the Whalley organization for almost 40 years.”

Myers is remembered as “a pillar of Whalley’s way of doing things” by Mark Deshane, vice-president of Whalley Little League.

“He was the champion of keeping things at a high level and he had his heart in it, was always on the diamond and coached for so many years,” Deshane said Tuesday (Feb. 8).

Myers had retired a few years ago, Deshane said, and battled cancer over the past year or so.

“Ed coached his sons, both them, Mike and Calvin, through the league, and when they aged out, he stayed on and coached and was also an administrator,” Deshane explained. “He was president of the league at one point in time, and for the last many years he’d been in charge of the equipment and was the Major division manager.

“His son brought Ed’s grandson back to the league and he was involved until the son (Colten Myers) was 12, and they all went to the (Little League) World Series representing Whalley, in 2018, the most recent time, which was great to see.”

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A Celebration of Life will be held for Myers at Whalley’s ball park this spring.

Deshane said the baseball club “will do everything it can to see that he’s recognized, and his family also. It wasn’t just Ed, because his wife Doreen was also involved. The Myers family has been a big part of our league for a long time.”

• RELATED STORY, from 2015: Whalley Little League gears up to celebrate 60 years.

(STORY CONTINUES BELOW)

Interviewed in 2015, Myers said he loved when his many former players, now men with families of their own, said hello to their old coach.

“It’s really nice to know those kids did not forget you,” Myers said. “Those are things these kids will never forget, playing in an organization that teaches you to be disciplined – and then they get to go back with their own kids. I think it’s something you never forget.”

On Facebook, tributes to Myers fill a Whalley Little League post.

“Ed was a great man and a great coach,” Josh Win wrote. “Our hearts are heavy today.”

Doug Wong posted that he was lucky enough to run into Ed and Doreen a few times this past summer, to reminisce.

“Ed was a great coach and volunteer but more importantly a great person and role model for so many kids at Whalley.”



Tom Zillich

About the Author: Tom Zillich

I cover entertainment, sports and news stories for the Surrey Now-Leader, where I've worked for more than half of my 30-plus years in the newspaper business.
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