Celebrating the life of Lee Insko
By Paul Hall on Tuesday, November 30th, 2021 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
LA GRANDE – (Information from EOU) It is with a heavy heart that Eastern Oregon University Athletics acknowledges the passing of former Mountaineers Coach Lee Insko.
Dedicated, passionate, and filled with great love for EOU are just some ways people have described Lee Insko. Insko joined EOU as a professor and football coach in 1968. His leadership made an immediate impact in the community as he had a great desire for helping students succeed both in the field of competition and in the classroom.
Insko’s career at Eastern spanned 25 years. He coached football at EOU from 1968-77, winning 34 games. Following his tenure on the sideline of the gridiron, Insko moved to the hardwood and coached basketball from 1978-82. He totaled 56 wins in four seasons leading the Mountaineers. He was inducted into the EOU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994.
“Lee Insko’s passing will leave a void that can never be filled. Coach Insko cared deeply for his former players and built relationships with them that still continue. He was a coach, and lifelong mentor to those who ever played for him. The relationships he built had a foundation of mutual trust and respect. Above all he was committed to all student-athletes and the success of EOU,” Director of Athletics Anji Weissenfluh said. “Lee continued to be a presence on Eastern’s campus and played a role on a number of committees. He had an extraordinary ability to listen, share his thoughts and opinions, and still show support even if he disagreed. Though he is no longer with us, the impact he has will live on.
He was inducted into the Springfield High School Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019. Even more impactful than Insko’s coaching expertise was his genuine devotion to each player and their personal development. He deeply believed in the power of athletics to form lifelong strength of character. He later stepped down from coaching to watch his four kids play high school and collegiate athletics.
Insko taught health education as a member of EOU’s faculty for 14 years, and then became Dean of Continuing Education from 1986 until his retirement in 1994. EOU’s Distance Learning program was nationally recognized and innovatively served the geographically dispersed communities of rural Oregon. He also served as director of EOU’s Micronesia project, living for a time with his family in Truk Lagoon (Chuuk). From 1994-1996, he directed Lewis-Clark State College’s Division of Extended Programs, expanding educational technology in north central Idaho.
“Coach Insko made a big impact on my life, not just as a coach but as a person. He taught us many life lessons, most of which we didn’t realize until we got jobs and were starting families,” former EOU Football player (1970-73) and Hall of Famer Greg Oveson said. “While I am sad that I can’t sit and visit with him anymore, I have nothing but good memories of him, as a coach but more importantly as a friend. He will be missed by many. Go Mounties!”
He was born in Soda Springs, Idaho on March 30, 1935, to Tom and Ella (Seitz) Insko of Cokeville, Wyo. After playing basketball for two years at North Idaho Junior College in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Idaho.
“Lee Insko was always one of my favorite coaches because every one of his players really mattered to him and it always showed. Lee didn’t care if you were the star or the last man on a roster, you were going to be coached hard and taught the game,” former EOU Football player (1973-76), coach and Hall of Famer Gary Vaugh said. “His humor, decency and kindness was always on display. When I coached for him, he expected the same from his assistants, how we all treated and cared for each other was very important to him. He became family and your players were like family.”
On April 4, 1965, Insko married Elizabeth Ann Stromberger of Ritzville, Wash. Daughters Lisa and Lori were born in Springfield, followed by sons Tom and Matt after the move to Eastern Oregon College (now Eastern Oregon University) in La Grande, Ore., in 1968.
Insko is survived by his wife of 56 years, Beth, and their four children, Lisa (David) Kaplan of Las Vegas, Nevada (Adam, Ashley, Kyle, Cassie); Lori (Kirk) Jameson of Walla Walla, Wash. (Kyle, Sarah, Evan, Joel); Tom (Emily) Insko of La Grande, Ore. (Melia, Lara); and Matt (Melanie) Insko of La Grande, Ore. (Austin, Isaac, Noah, Ella). He was blessed with 10 great-grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at Quinn Coliseum on the EOU campus in La Grande, Ore., at 10 a.m. on Saturday, December 4. Livestream access will be available at LovelandEvents.com. Those wishing may donate to the EOU Foundation Lee and Beth Insko Scholarship Fund or the Eastern Oregon Youth for Christ.
