Richard Leonhardt "Dick" Engel

1938 - 2022

Richard "Dick" L. Engel was born July 5, 1938, in Philadelphia, and passed away one day shy of his 84th birthday on July 4, 2022, at home with his loving wife, Jimmy D., by his side.

Dick was a gifted track and field athlete and set records at the Penn Relays in Philadelphia (many unbroken for many years) before receiving an athletic scholarship to Roanoke University. Upon graduating with a degree in Education in 1960, Dick began his lifelong career of educating and coaching the future stars of tomorrow at Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Va. Dick stayed at Forked Union for three years and then relocated to Charlottesville, Va., where he remained for the rest of his life.

He was a physical education and health teacher for many years at Buford Middle School, as well as being the coach for many sports, including golf, soccer, lacrosse and field hockey. Dick was also the official score keeper for the University of Virginia Basketball Team for many years. He and Jimmy D. were devout fans of UVA athletics and were football season ticket holders many years. Dick was awarded The Andrew M. Kirkpatrick Memorial Award from the United States Lacrosse Coaches Association for twenty years of service to the game of lacrosse as an official.

Dick was very well-known all-around Charlottesville and everywhere he went he would encounter students and colleagues alike who would always call him “Coach”. One of Dick’s proudest honors was being inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at Roanoke University for his Outstanding Contributions to Athletics.

Throughout his teaching and coaching career, as well as after his retirement, Dick continued to receive honors and commendations for his unwavering and exemplary service and dedication to enriching the lives of young athletes.

Some of these honors included the Hall of Fame Award from the Virginia Intercollegiate Soccer Officials Association, Special Recognition for forty years of service from the US Lacrosse Men’s Division Officials Council , Special Service Award from the Charlottesville Chapter of The Lacrosse Foundation in appreciation of his long dedicated leadership to the Invitational Lacrosse Tournament, Citation presented to Dick Engel as the President of the VISOA from 1980-1987, and as the winning Coach of the 2012 Jefferson District Varsity Golf Championship Team.

Coaching and officiating sports were always at the center of Dick and Jimmy D’s married life, and as Jimmy tells it “Whenever I would ask him if we could go somewhere or do something on a certain date, he would always answer without flinching, I have to check my schedule.”

Not one to sit still, Dick kept actively involved in athletics in one fashion or another and continued keeping busy almost right up to the end when his physical limitations finally got the best of him.

Dick was predeceased by his parents, Hans and Margaret Engel and his sister, Nancy Evans. He is survived by his loving wife of 53 years, Jimmy D.; and his daughter, Susan DiFabio and her husband, Phil, of Haverford, Pa.

Funeral arrangements were held privately.