Jay Thomas Anderson
September 4, 1956 ~ April 10, 2018
Jay Thomas Anderson, was born September 4, 1956 in Indianapolis to Billie Lucille (McClure) and Rodney Cubberley Anderson who in addition to his older brother, Rodney William Anderson, all preceded him in death. Jay leaves behind three children – Hali, Nolan, Emma Anderson, and a sister Connie (Slater) as well as a niece and two nephews. His wonderful humor, love of his family, children, youth, swimming, baseball, beaches, and travel will be greatly missed.
Jay grew up with his family a few doors down from the Butler University campus and attended IPS #86 during his elementary years. He joined the Riviera Swim Team when he was 8 years old spending all of his free time and summers growing up at the club. He swam for Brebeuf High School and later as a scholarship athlete for Denison University. After graduating from Indiana University, he started his swim coaching career at the Riviera Swim Club as an Assistant then Head Coach for many years. Jay taught and coached swimming throughout his adult life, finishing his career as the Lebanon Swim Club and High School Swimming coach.
A memorial service will be held on Saturday, April 14th, at 2pm, at The Northwood Christian Church located at 4550 Central Ave, Indianapolis, IN 46205. A reception will follow immediately afterwards. There will not be a burial service, and we ask please that instead of flowers, donations can be made to the Riviera Swim Team Fund (501c3), located at 5640 North Illinois 46208 in care of Therese Love.
We will also be hosting a Memorial Gathering on June 30, 2018 from 2-4pm at the Riviera Swim Club Ballroom located at 5640 North Illinois. We ask current and past swimmers and colleagues to search for pictures, stories or testimonials for the gathering in June. We will provide information on where to send at a later date.
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One of my favorite memories with Jay is when we made it to state. I say we because I could not be where I am today without his gigantic dedication to my swimming career.
Coach Jay will be so missed by the Howard family! Paige, my oldest daughter, loved having Jay as a coach. She would complain about how hard she was being pushed but was then so proud of what she could accomplish. I loved the banter back and forth with Annie, my middle daughter. Always entertaining. She would sometimes do what he said but always at her own pace. My youngest, Chelsea, had just graduated from his lessons program a few months prior and was just getting started in her swim ‘career.’
Jay had such a good sense of humor and was so dedicated to his swim kids. I’m fortunate that all 3 of mine had the privilege to swim for Coach Jay and only wish we had more time with him. The time and dedication he put into our Lebanon Swim Club was remarkable. He’s quite simply, irreplaceable.
I’m so sorry to his family, friends, colleagues, fellow coaches both former and current and his athletes. He has made quite an impact on the lives of so many.
We will miss him so very much.
One of my favorite memories of jay are all of the stories he would tell me and the long talks that we would have. Every day he would have something new to tell me, whether it was one of his corny jokes or life stories. He taught me everything I know about swimming and taught me so much about life in general. So blessed to have had him as my coach my whole life. -Cayleigh Dial
One of my favorite memories of jay was when I went to state. I was all alone…and scared to death. Jay sat by me the whole time, making sure I was ok…and he calmed me down. He told me to not worry about anything for I had already made it. At that meet, I ended up getting zone. Without jay, that would of never happened. -Cora❤️
Words cannot express how much Coach Jay meant to our family! We had the privilege to have had him in our lives since our children were the wee age of 4&5. He was not only an awesome coach and mentor, he was a part of our family. When your children see their coach daily, sometimes two times a day, year after year: he becomes family to them.
He was there at every swim meet, every practice, every state meet made. His corky personality and dry sense of humor will always be remembered. You could tell he loved swimming, loved coaching and most importantly, loved the kiddos he taught. My children respected him, looked up to him and wanted to become better swimmers, because of who he was! He helped my children develop a love for swimming beyond the actual sport! For this, we are forever grateful for Coach Jay! He will be greatly missed by us all!ߙϢݤ️ Becky Dial
Thank you Jay!ߒ– I don’t know how u would have gone though swim with out you.. you were the best coach. You will be missed my everyone at swim..thank you!ߒœ
From Jay 'Swim your butts over'ߑ
Jay was my swim coach for several years. I know me and my two best friends in the club annoyed the heck out of him and he called us “Jay’s Devils”. He was a close mentor of mine growing up and I’m shocked to learn about his passing. I know he’ll forever be in my heart and the hearts of all his swim team.
Jay, you were with me from the beginning. I have too many memories with you, and I cannot single one out. Words cannot describe how blessed and thankful I was to have you apart of my life, not just as a coach, but as a best friend. You had so much faith in me and believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself. You motivated me, encouraged me, and never doubted my ability. You were my role model, the person I always looked up to. I always knew no matter how upset you were, I could always force a smile out of you, and you always made sure no matter how upset I was, that you made me smile. You were more than a Coach. You were family. You cared about not only me, but everyone. You made sure I kept up with my school work, you always checked in with me about my family, and you never shut me out when I came to you about a problem. It hurts me so much, knowing I’ll never stand next to you on the pool deck, hear you make fun of how awful my breaststroke is and never letting me forget my pity 200 fly. I’ll never see you throw your arms in the air again, I’ll never see that blue Casey’s 60 ounce cup, I’ll never hear your Abraham Lincoln stories, or see you play animal farm on your phone ever again, or hear the radio blasting from your car as you pull up to practice. You changed my life so much, and you were my hero. You transformed the Lebanon swim program, and the people involved, into something magnificent. Your legacy will be remembered and your name will never be forgotten.
My favorite memory of Jay is when I had just learned that I was doing my first 100 fly as an event. Jay could tell that I was not to confident in myself and that I was scared. He kept telling me I would do great but I was still worried. Then he sat down with me and told me about his first butterfly event. I will never forget how afterwords I stood on that block happy and confident. I may not of been first but I was not last either. Ever since then Jay would remind me that I was going to do great at every meet. Jay was kind, had a good sense of humor, and devoted his life to swimming. Not just to swimming, but to being a great coach. My family will always remember him. – Paige❤
The swim club and swim team, the pool will never be the same without the liveliness of Coach Jay. Through the effort of this wonderful efforts of this man, the team prospered. He is why the record board at the Tigersharks’ pool is as impressive as it is. When we swim in club and as a team, he will be on our hearts and we will swim in his memory. I wanted to swim his practices to the end and get in the fast lanes. There is no doubt that he can ever be replaced. The Tigersharks are stripped of a true leader. Lebanon Middle thanks Coach Jay Anderson for his time, effort, and his caring nature.
Putting all my feeling into words is so hard to do. As soon as I heard the news yesterday I immediately started crying and couldn’t stop. It’s such a cliche but you truly never know what you had until it’s gone. I graduated high school 5 years ago and sadly, haven’t had much interaction with Jay since then, but this news still hit me so hard. It goes to show just how big of an impact Jay had on my life in the 9 years that he was my coach. At first it was hard for me to see everyone else grieving over this loss. I was thinking “he’s MY coach, I’M sad, he meant everything to ME,” but now I can see how big of an impact he had, not only on me, and not only on everyone he coached, but on all of their parents as well.
For me, Jay was someone I could trust, and someone I could talk to for hours at a club meet. Someone who would give up their Friday nights to go to a club meet when only 1 or 2 of his swimmers signed up. Someone who spent 4 days in Bloomington when I was the only one from Lebanon signed up and I had 4 state cuts that all happened to be on different days of the meet. Someone who knew exactly what I needed to hear before and after a race, whether it was being pushed, or given space. Someone who put up with my bullshit (I know I was not the easiest person to coach.) I’m sure he was annoyed at times, and angry at others, but he never lost his temper or quit caring about me personally, or my swimming career.
For other swimmers, Jay was a great coach. A coach who cared equally about good swimmers he’s known for years, and other swimmers who just started their career and could barely make it down the pool. A coach that knew everyone’s best times, in every event, and always knew we were capable of more than we thought. A coach who was never harsh, but was also well respected because he was someone you never wanted want to disappoint.
For parents, Jay was someone who spent just as much time with their kids as they did. Someone who was a positive influence on their kid’s swimming career and their everyday lives. Someone they could trust to treat their kids with fairness and respect.
I will never forget Coach Jay. Whenever I think back on my swimming career, it will be of fond memories of him. He will forever be at a swim meet, sitting in his folding chair, reading an old paperback book. Lebanon swimming will never be the same.
To Jay’s family:
We are so sorry for your loss. We hope that you find comfort in all the loving tributes and memories of Jay. He was such a good guy. Our son was looking forward to swimming for him at the gold level and in high school. Whenever Jay subbed for the other coaches, our son would come home exhausted, but eager to swim a tough, Coach Jay practice again. As parents, we appreciated his expertise, time, and dedication. His facial expressions spoke volumes and made us chuckle! Truly, though, Jay was a fixture to Lebanon swimming. We will miss him immensely.
I worked with Jay for several years at the Five Seasons. He was an exceptional coach and he balanced my personality so well. He was kind and patient and such a good listener. Emma, Hailey and Nolan your dad was one of the good guys. And I know he loved you so much. Even back then when you guys were younger, you were his greatest accomplishment! I am sure that holds truer than ever today! I believe he will always be with each of you! May peace find each of you during this difficult time!
My deepest sympathy to Jay’s family, especially his children. He was a wonderful coach to two of our daughters, in club, LMS, and LHS. His expertise, kindness, sense of humor, and commitment to coaching were so remarkable. We trusted our children with him for years, and he richly deserved that trust. Our daughters benefited both as athletes and as people. God bless you Jay, and thank you for all you did for Lebanon swimming.
I want to thank everyone for sharing their kind words, memories and sympathies about my dad. He would be so touched to know how much everyone loved about him and cherished him. My family and I appreciate all of the love and support you all have given us during this trying time.
I am so so sad to hear this news. I coached in Indiana for 26 years so I was around Jay many times at meets, camps and events. I was always amazed and impressed when watching & listening to Jay talk to and coach his athletes. They hung on his every word. I loved talking to him about coaching & swimming and laughing with him about life. Jay was such an incredible coach and more importantly a wonderful man & friend. You will be missed. Love and Prayers from Dave & Jennifer. God bless.
Jay was my swim coach at Riviera back when I was young. He was a wonderful coach and mentor to me. He helped me in so many ways during my young adolescence that went beyond swimming. He was a source of support and comfort. I always remembered Jay as one of my favorite coaches. I will miss him and my heart aches learning of his passing.
I am so sad to hear the news of Jay’s passing. He was my coach at Rivi for many years. When I think about my childhood I think of my time swimming for Rivi and all the time I spent at practice and at swim meets. Jay was so much more than a coach to me. He helped me grow both in and out of the water and encouraged me to go after my dream of swimming in college He was the definition of a mentor and I think of him often as I watch my own child learn to love the world of swimming.
Jay, I have so many great memories with you, one of the last and best was less then a month ago before our state meet that I barely got into, I asked if you could coach me the week before and we only got one practice in, and you made me promise to put in the touch pads for you before the middle school meet haha, anyways I waited for you to get there and I only did a descending set before I tried to distract you so you would tell me one of your great stories, eventually you made me keep swimming and I did a 6×100 on 1:10 and you wanted me to desend them and I didn’t believe I could do it, but I did and I was so happy, it gave me hope for the state meet that weekend. Then we started talking more as I helped you put in the touch pads about the swim team next year and how we were going to be so amazing and how Gaberil Goff was going to get so much faster then me by the end of it, and we talked about the state meet, and we joked about how I hardly swam for a year, and then you made me do this god awful kick set then I still never want to do again, but I’ll proabbly end up having to do anyways. The state meet came that weekend and after it was all done I just came up to you and said that I was so disappointed in myself for the 100th time that day and asked you why I sucked and you just laughed and said “you’ll never be happy with any of your swims, aren’t you?” And I said of course not because I know I can go faster, you then told me how we were going to work on my stroke this summer to make me faster and so many other things that I just can’t remeber Jay…you’re the reason why I came back to swim and all I wanted to do was make you proud. I honestly can’t thank you enough for all the opportunities that you have given me. I told you before we left that meet that I was going to win state, and I will for you Jay. You have given me so much and I just don’t have the words to describe how much you meant to me. Swimming won’t ever be the same. Thank you Jay. For everything
What a tremendous loss for our swim community. You were not just a swim coach to our kids, but a mentor, a voice of encouragement, a friend. When all others turned Hannah away because of her disabilities, you were able to see her abilities, welcomed her with open arms, and greatly, positively impacted her life from then on. You always had a smile on your face, even when you were tired and weary and the kids tested your patience. You had an enormous amount of patience. I am forever grateful for all you did and will never forget you. Rest In Peace and smile on, Jay.
I am truly sad and will miss what I know of Jay. He was my coach in age group and then again during college summers at Rivi. I have always held a special place for him as a coach and as a person. He guided my swimming to success and was a positive role model from when I was 9 to 14 years of age. I would show up thirty minutes early for practice during school because I found a bus (and bus driver) that would drop me off in front of the Rivi entrance. Jay would listen to my problems, talk about life and sometimes be a therapist during a rough time in my childhood. I often look back at that time of my life and wonder how I survived it, and he was part of it in a positive way. The funny thing is he was a new coach and very young then (1978-79?), and he gets this energetic, quirky, troubled 9 year old asking him questions non-stop every day before practice. As an adult, father, and youth coach, I truly appreciate his patience and responsibility he took to help me. I will miss him and pray that he is resting in peace.
-Fritz Prine
Jay was the best coach I could have ever hoped for. He was there for me when I a little 8 yr old to when I hung up my goggles at 14. Those six years went fast but were some of the best. I can remember me bugging him throughout meets and how just put up with me somehow. I can still picture him reading Catcher in the Rye at the Avon meet when I had my first sub-30 50yd free. He was just as happy as I was. That is what I will remember him most by, his undeniable love for swimming and more importantly the kids including me he coached. His smile was contagious and I worked everyday to see it. It was the biggest motivator for me to see him proud. Jay was like a second dad to me being there in my best and worst times. I wish could just tell him thank you one more time for helping me become the person I am today and I hope he knows what he did for me that’s all I hope for.
Our deepest sympathies go out to Jay’s family at this impossible time.
My family is very saddened, but also extremely thankful for having had coach Jay in our lives. We are thankful for his endless knowledge of all things swimming and ability to teach it well. Thankful for his unimaginable patience for our teenage swimmers and their clueless parents. Thankful for his unwavering encouragement and confidence in our kids. Thankful to him for his ability to teach our kids what greatness is and how they can achieve it. Thankful that our kids were able to have an excellent role model, mentor, and great man to look up to. Thankful for knowing, watching and learning from the best around…
I still can’t wrap my brain around the fact that Jay won’t be at the pool every day. After coaching my girls for 14 years, he was an integral part of our lives. Always a steady, dependable presence – there was never a time there was a complaint , a grumble or a concern about Coach Jay and that’s rare indeed. Both girls always sought his opinion and guidance after races on what details they could tweak to go faster. I’ll always remember the conversations we would have after practice and the head shakes we would share when I was there to pick up and the kids were being especially exasperating – he would announce a set, then have to repeat it again and maybe even again for one last person. The kids would finally take off swimming and he’d shake his head or shrug his shoulders, and then do it all again. It takes a special person to coach kids and teenagers and do it patiently and to earn their respect. I never came across any kids that didn’t respect Jay. And he never failed to help any swimmer that asked for his guidance. He spent more time with my kids than any other adult and shaped them into the young women they are today. His presence will be missed beyond what can be expressed in words. Jennifer Stogsdill
I remember how proud he was when you won Age Group State. I think it was the 200 fly? He always had a soft spot for the 200 fly!
When I think about my swimming career, Jay played a huge role in it. The minute I came back to Lebanon Swim Club, I knew Jay was in it with me for the long run. Jay always was someone that I could talk to about anything; my family, how school was going, and why the heck I still was swing breathing in and out of turns. Jay was there when I got my first senior state cut, always there to help laugh off a bad race or practice, he was always there. I can’t imagine what my swim career would’ve been like without you in it, but I can promise you that I would not have been half the swimmer or person I am if you weren’t. Jay, you were more than just a coach; you were a role model, a friend. I still can’t believe you are gone, but you will forever be in my heart at a swim meet, wearing that big smile with a clipboard in hand. Lebanon swimming has been forever changed.
On behalf of all the Coronado Family, we’d like to give Jay’s family our deepest condolences. Jay touched our lives for about 16 years. We were very lucky to have had ALL 3 of our daughter’s coached by such a talented swim coach. He will be missed by many people. He knew exactly how, when and what to say to his swimmers ( even if he didn’t say it all, you knew what he meant thru that look he gave above his glasses and half smile he’d give when he wasn’t happy with something). It breaks our heart that he won’t be with us in this life, but we know you will continue to watch over everyone whose life you touched … Thank you for everything Jayߒհߒհߒ•.
He was a great coach and I’m glad I was able to swim under his guidance. He helped me not only swim my events better but also taught me how to swim fly in two days for conference. Those four days are some of the best and worst memories I have of swimming and I know I’ll never forget them. The community and especially the present, past, and future swim teams will miss you. Rest in piece jay, you’ve done your part.
Jay Anderson was a special part of my life for many years as an amazing coach, mentor, inspiration, and friend. He was almost a father figure to me growing up, always giving me advice, making fun of me, and coaching me in and out of the pool. I can’t even begin to count how many times he told me to kick faster because he saw the potential in me and knew that I was capable of more. He saw potential in everyone who set foot in the pool, even the kids who hid from him in the bathroom. Other coaches were impressed by him and aspired to teach like he did. Jay was the reason I always found myself back in the water and I never ever thought I would live to see a day without him anytime soon.
The biggest lesson Jay ever taught me in life, probably without even realizing the impact it had on me, was that it doesn’t matter what place you are in. There will always be someone better than you. However, you first have to focus on the improvement you can make alone and just keep swimming. But I couldn’t have done any of it without him. Swimming is mostly a mental sport. You have to believe you can do it to achieve anything. That’s where Jay was the best at coaching.
Jay only told me he loved me directly once, but it so obvious how much all of us swimmers meant to him even though he didn’t say it often. I hope he knew how much he meant to all of us. He devoted much of his life to helping us grow as people, not just in the pool, but in life. He helped me to not only be a better swimmer, but a far better person and he will forever be in my heart.
I want to thank him for always showing us we can do better than we think and putting us through the painful times to show us how much of a benefit it would make in the end. I want to thank him for being so inspiring, devoted, patient, and always there for me through it all. Thank you for making me fall in love with this sport and giving me so many unforgettable memories, even though I thought there would be more.
My heart has never dropped so fast when I heard he wasn’t here anymore. I’ve never been so scared as a ran through the hallway to see if it was actually true. I’ve never been so heartbroken while I cried with the amazing team that he built. And I haven’t ever cried so many tears.
When you are with someone everyday more than you are at your own home, they become part of your family. Jay gave me the most amazing family that I could ever ask for. You won’t find a team with more love than the one that Jay made me a part of. I’m so happy we could give him a great last season and I don’t know what I’m going to do without him, but I know he is in a better place. Lebanon Swimming will never be the same and neither will my life. In one word Jay was simply irreplaceable.
I love you Jay Anderson and I promise I will kick faster.
Mary Brown, Lebanon High School Swim Team 2017-2018
My daughter Jenna didn’t start swimming with you until she was in high school. We made the trip to Lebanon and back every day and even twice a day in the summer as we live in the Tri-West area. Jenna made amazing growth with you as her coach. You were the perfect person to help her make these gains. She enjoyed learning from you and always worked hard because she wanted to make you proud. Even though she swam for a different school, you always made her feel just as important as the Lebanon kids. You are irreplaceable and swimming won’t be the same without you. Thanks for everything you did for Jenna, and I only wish she could’ve finished her high school swim career with you coaching, supporting, and mentoring her.
Jay was a great coach, I never realized how much he meant to me and how big a part of my life he was. I never thought any of us would experience this, and I wish I could go back to all the times I skipped practice or something swim related and attend them. Jay made everything easy for a lot of people rather helping people that were nervous or just being there for them to talk to. I was one of those kids that would mess around and hide in the bathroom and jay still saw the potential in me. The best times with him we’re seeing him laugh or coming back from a swim and him congratulating me even if it was just a “not bad of a swim” it meant a lot to me. I’ll miss you Jay
It’s difficult to share a single memory with Coach Jay. There were many swim meets where he and I were the only two from Lebanon at the pool, or else there was a small crowd. These were always my favorite meets to go to, regardless of how early they were and how far the drive was. As others have mentioned, Jay’s presence was such a dependable force in many lives. During those meets, and sometimes at smaller practices, I remember asking Jay for guidance for life outside the pool. He always encouraged me to follow my passions in a sensible way and to set realistic goals, follow through, and always think about how one day’s actions would affect the future. He was never stern (great for coaching and mentoring teenagers), but rather helped people find their own reasons to continue giving their best. “Never, ever skip yards,” I remember him saying. Thinking back, that’s a lot of what he told me regarding the rest of life. From Jay I learned that in life, we should fully control what we can control and accept what we can’t. Without his counsel I would not be who I am today. It takes a village to raise a child, and Jay made my village a great place to be raised.
I have so many fond memories of Coach Jay growing up at Rivi in the 80s. Honestly, I couldn’t have been more fortunate. Yes, he was a great swimming coach, but little did I know at the time that he was really teaching us about life…
I recently rediscovered my love for swimming, and not a day goes by that I don’t hear Jay’s voice in my head pushing me to go the distance, that the harder path is worth the extra effort.
Thank you, Jay!
Memory eternal Coach Jay. You were a role model that inspired me to always strive to beat my own best, not the other swimmers. You will always be in my heart.
I was a Rivi teammate with Jay up until high school graduation. We both swam butterfly and he helped push me to become a better swimmer. Everyone liked Jay, he was easygoing and had a solid character. He was someone you could count on. I lost track of Jay as I stayed in Texas after college, but I knew that he had become a swim coach, like me. I am so impressed with all the amazing comments that have been made by Jay’s swimmers. It takes a special person to be able to be a mentor and father figure to so many young people. I hope that Jay’s family can be comforted by knowing that he touched many lives and will have an enduring legacy in their hearts. A short life, but such a meaningful one. Rest in peace, Jay. Kris Wingenroth
Well put Dave. Jay did have full attention from his swimmers on deck at meets. Jay will be missed . Jim Voss