By Sean Duncan

Phil Lawler, one of the great ambassadors for Illinois high school baseball and truly one of the finest men I’ve ever met, passed away late Friday night following a long battle with cancer. Lawler was 60 years old.

Lawler served as the pitching coach at Naperville Central since 1982, where he and head coach Bill Seiple built one of the state’s top programs over the decades. Inducted into the Illinois High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1997, Lawler’s baseball knowledge, passion for the game, genuine care for helping young men achieve their athletic dreams, and overall affable personality have made Lawler one of greatest baseball men to impact Illinois high school baseball.

Even when Lawler was enduring often energy-depleting treatment for cancer over the years, he always remained upbeat and eternally optimistic. I’ve had extensive conversations over the years with Lawler about trying to help players whom he didn’t even know.  That’s the type of person Phil was.

Visitation for Lawler will be on Thursday, April 29 from 3 pm-8 pm at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church in Naperville (2220 Lisson Road, Naperville). Mass will be held on Friday at 10 a.m. at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church.

For an incredibly written story that puts all of Lawler’s accomplishments into perspective, please read Kevin Schmitt of the Daily Herald’s story at the below link:

http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=375906