GARY R. BENDER

Mr. Bender was my 7th grade track coach at Portage Middle School. He was a genuinely kind man who had a way of pushing his athletes while sharing supportive words of wisdom and always demonstrating that he cared. Even when I run today, over 40 years later, I remember Coach Bender´s advice to keep my hands loose and arms relaxed. Such a genuinely good person. He made a positive impact on so many.

Hi Family. This is Hal Rohrer - I was Gary's roommate during our Junior and Senior years at the Purdue Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house. Gary's obituary has been shared via email with several fraternity brothers and many have commented - "Gary was one of the Good Guys". And, he was. We remember Gary majoring in education with an emphasis in PE and coaching. He was taking courses in golf, tennis, bowling, etc. while we were doing courses in engineering and math. We were envious of Gary and his studies. Reading the obituary, it is great that he lived a life teaching and coaching - doing the things he loved. May your tears of sorrow and grief be soon replaced by fond, happy memories of Gary. He was indeed one of the "Good Guys".

I enjoyed playing volleyball for Coach Bender as he was a great coach that was tough at times, but that´s when we learned the most. After playing volleyball for 35+ years, his is a name I will never forget. Thank you for all the volleyball wisdom, knowledge, and skill you shared with your teams over the years.
Thoughts and prayers to the family.

My daughter had a lot of coaches in many sports during her childhood; volleyball, softball, basketball, track, and soccer. I can think of no coach that was a better coach for the kids in terms of knowing how to coach, treating the kids with respect, and just generally being a nice person and great role model. Mr. Bender touched many young girls lives in a very positive way. Wynn and Brad very closely followed in their father's footsteps. May the family's grief be tempered by knowing they shared the bulk of a life well lived by an outstanding individual, in and out of the sports arena.