Greg Lee: Schwenke wouldn’t change a thing

If Larry Schwenke could go back to the future, he would live life the same way.

His lone regret is he’s a little more than two months away from walking into official retirement after spending 35 years wearing numerous hats at Coeur d’Alene High, the last 14 as activities director.

Schwenke, who will turn 60 in June, leaves on his terms. First-year Coeur d’Alene High principal Randy Russell wouldn’t allow Schwenke to leave quietly, though. Russell called a news conference last Friday, essentially forcing Schwenke to formally announce what he had shared in his letter of resignation two days earlier.

“I would have preferred to just slip away in June and let it be unnoticed,” said Schwenke, who took a few minutes Tuesday to reflect on his career.

One thing I’ve learned in the 23 years I’ve been here is Schwenke is genuine when he talks about his appreciation for athletes, coaches and his peers. But he stumbles and trips talking about himself. At least about his accomplishments, and those have been numerous the past 35 years.

Schwenke was eligible for retirement two years ago. But former principal Steve Casey talked him into going at least one more year before he retired. Schwenke then felt obligated to help make the transition for Russell as smooth as possible this year.

He could continue. His energy and passion haven’t waned.

“I still love coming to work every day,” he said. “I always told myself that I didn’t want to get to a point where I dreaded going to work, and I don’t.”

So why retire now? Especially since his wife, Laurie, a registered nurse, plans to work probably another four or five years before retiring from the health care profession.

“It’s a good question,” Schwenke said. “I think it’s just time.”

Schwenke doesn’t have any immediate plans – other than spending time chasing around his grandchildren, golfing as much as possible, visiting his mother frequently in his native Whitefish, Mont., or fishing with Dave Fealko, former CdA and Lake City girls basketball coach. But he suspects another venture eventually will occupy some time.

He doesn’t plan to get too far away from CdA athletics.

“I think I’ve only missed about three or four football games in 35 years,” Schwenke said.

He will purposely stay behind the scenes for a while, though, so his successor will have time to put his or her handprints on Vikings activities.

Schwenke marvels that his first year in Coeur d’Alene in 1972 ended up stretching across three decades. Fresh out of graduate school at the University of North Dakota, he and Laurie arrived in CdA thinking it would be just a brief stop on their way to their future.

“We thought we’d be in Coeur d’Alene for a year and we’d see what happened after that,” Schwenke said.

“It went just like that it seems,” he said, snapping his fingers for emphasis.

The Schwenkes raised three daughters, and each walked the halls and played sports at CdA. The oldest daughters, Ann and Keri, are married and live in CdA. They’ve accounted for four grandchildren. Andrea, the youngest, is married and lives in the Seattle area. She was due to deliver her first child this week. Her sisters and mother were en route Tuesday, and Grandpa will go see the newest grandchild later in the week.

Before taking over as athletic director in 1993, Schwenke was an assistant football coach for five head coaches and was head coach himself for four years when the Vikings were state finalists in back-to-back seasons. He founded the slowpitch softball program and coached the Vikings to 12 straight state titles. He spearheaded the switch from slowpitch to fastpitch and lobbied to get the state activities association to sponsor state tournaments for the sport.

“I wouldn’t trade any of my experiences as a coach or athletic director for anything,” Schwenke said. “I’m fortunate that my family has been able to enjoy everything with me. I can’t thank my family enough.”

Although he knew it was coming sooner than later, Schwenke said the decision to retire was difficult.

“There’s a separation anxiety that you have,” he said. “So it is emotional. I feel so enriched to have worked with so many good people here over the years – and been around so many good kids. With everything in life there are ups and downs and peaks and valleys. There have been lots of peaks.

“I know I’m not a native, but Coeur d’Alene High School is deeply imbedded in me and will always be.”