LANSING, Ill. (December 22, 2023) – The TF South community is mourning the loss of Julie (Tovey) Laschober, a longtime teacher, coach, and supporter of sports at the school.
Laschober died after a long illness on Dec. 20, according to an online obituary. She was 52.
A successful athlete in her own right, Laschober was a softball standout at Reavis High School and the University of St. Francis.
At TF South, she taught math for 27 years and served as head softball coach and assistant tennis coach early in her tenure. She also was a fixture at basketball games, keeping the scorebook for boys and girls games for around 20 years.
Ellie Belli, a TF South graduate who returned to the school as a math teacher and head girls track and field coach, recalled the way she was welcomed back by Laschober.
“She would always make sure I had anything I needed from the second I got there,” Belli said, whether it was a cup of coffee or a three-hole punch.
If Belli was working through lunch, Laschober would persuade her to come to the math office to share a quick meal.
That concern for others extended to her students, according to Belli and athletic director Marc Brewe.
“She could reach every student, even the ones who did not want to work,” Belli said.
“She was dedicated to the kids and wasn’t going to give them a free pass,” Brewe said. “She was going to push them to be their best, she was willing to work with them.”
Brewe appreciated Laschober’s perspective as an accomplished athlete. “She was a sounding board for me,” he said.
“She definitely left a mark at the school,” Brewe added. “There’s a lot of people in all subject areas who were really touched by her in their lives.”
Laschober’s survivors include her husband William and sons Patrick and Michael.
Visitation is being held 4-8 p.m. Friday at Burns-Kish in Munster. The funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Thomas More in Munster.
