On Behalf of the Lansing Soccer Club and its families we are very saddened by his death. Tony helped LSC find a home field and provided the club with supplies and most importantly with his support. We will miss him.
Sports mentor Noyola dies at 52
Man remembered as 'ambassador' for Lansing sports
Ethan Conley
Lansing State Journal
Tony Noyola worked tirelessly to keep community sports running in Lansing. Noyola died of a heart attack at age 52 Wednesday in the press box at Ranney Park in Lansing. Born
Juan Antonio, Noyola went to high school at Lansing Eastern, and served
as supervisor for 15 years of Lansing's Lifetime Sports, a community
sports program.
"He'd be up at 8 in the morning, and he'd be out at the fields until
8 or 9 at night," said Tom Smith of DeWitt, Noyola's high school
friend. "That's just the way he was. He'd take an hour break, and he'd
go play basketball. I played with him every Monday, Wednesday, and
Friday." Murdock Jemerson, director of the city's Parks and Recreation Department, said Noyola was "an ambassador for Lansing sports." Noyola made it a priority to ensure that every young person who wanted to participate in sports got the chance. "He
never turned down kids who wanted to play, even if the teams were set
and the schedule was out," said Walt Kepler, who preceded Noyola at
Lifetime Sports. "He said, 'I don't want to hurt the kids. It's OK for
the coaches to be hurt (by late entries), but not the kids.' " When
he wasn't organizing community sports leagues in Lansing, Noyola also
officiated high school volleyball and coached several sports, including
his children's soccer teams. "Everything he did was for people,"
Kepler said. "We were talking about him the other night, about how he
went and put a roof on a pole barn for someone." Noyola's funeral arrangements are being handled by Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes, 900 E. Michigan. He is survived by his wife, Nancy, two sons, and two daughters. "The
city lost a hell of a guy, his wife lost a hell of a guy, and his kids
lost a hell of a guy," said Fred Whitten, who worked with Noyola. "It's
a great loss."
Noyola left his mark in Lansing
Tim Staudt
For the Lansing State Journal
The scene at Lansing's Kircher/Municipal Park on Tuesday morning should be unique in the long history of that facility. Friends
of Tony Noyola will gather at 10 a.m. for a picnic, sponsored by the
Lansing Parks and Recreation Department. It is intended to be much more
than just a service in memory of the 52-year old employee, who spent 27
years with the department and who died suddenly Wednesday. Noyola's
efforts to help thousands of recreational athletes, coaches and
officials over the years have been deeply appreciated by many. We
should all have such tributes passed our way as I've heard about Tony
from many of his colleagues in the past few days. The family will also
host a visitation from 2-8 p.m. Monday at the Lansing Center.
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