Jan Lee Wall

Jan Lee Wall, beloved educator, coach, and athlete, passed away peacefully at home in Loveland, Colorado, on May 31, 2025. He was 85.

Born on January 24, 1940, in West Point, Nebraska, Jan was the son of Harvey and Gladys (Lanning) Wall. He grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and graduated from Lincoln Northeast High School in 1958, where he began building a legacy in athletics that would span decades. Jan is survived by his two beloved sisters, Vicki Stephenson (Dick) and Marcia Motz, and four nephews and extended families all from the Lincoln, Nebraska area. 

A gifted athlete from a young age, Jan’s love for baseball and basketball propelled him to statewide recognition. He earned all-state honors in both sports, playing on the 1956 Nebraska state runner-up basketball team, the 1957 state champion baseball team, and the 1958 runner-up baseball team. In 1958 Jan was named Nebraska High School athlete of the year in the Lincoln Journal Star newspaper.

Jan accepted a full athletic scholarship to the University of Nebraska, where he continued to compete in both baseball and basketball. Though recruited by ten major league teams in 1958, he chose to pursue his college career, later signing with the expansion New York Mets in 1963. He pitched in the minor leagues until a knee injury ended his playing career. Jan completed his bachelor’s degree in physical education and pursued graduate studies at the University of Nebraska.

He went on to inspire countless students as a teacher and coach in Humboldt and Scottsbluff, Nebraska, and later in the Littleton Public Schools system. His coaching career was driven by a belief in encouragement, positivity, and helping young people grow through sport.

On April 21, 1962, Jan married Mary Kay Fosnaugh. They raised four children together: Cindy Cousins (Mark) of Greeley, Colorado; Anthony Wall of Panama City Beach, Florida; Reginald Wall (Carolyn) of Grand Junction, Colorado; and Ricky Wall of Miami, Florida. Jan was a proud grandfather to Nicole Cousins, Kelsey Cousins, Rachel Wall, and Jesslyn Wall. Though Jan and Mary Kay divorced in 1986, they remained committed co-parents.

Coaching his sons’ baseball teams was one of Jan’s greatest joys. Year-round, he supported his children in their many athletic pursuits, always encouraging them with warmth and optimism.

In June 1988, while coaching a summer baseball team for Arapahoe High School, Jan met Sue Ellen Purifoy (Tuell). The two were married exactly one year later, on June 17, 1989, in Loveland. Jan warmly welcomed Sue’s children—Kimberly Tuell Folkestad (Mark) of Loveland and Jeffrey Tuell of Denver—into his life, along with grandchildren Alicia Dixon, Lexington Tuell, Kensington Tuell, and Zack Folkestad, and great-granddaughter Hadley Dixon.

After retiring from teaching, Jan turned his focus to golf, coaching boys' and girls' teams in the Thompson School District from 1991 to 2014. He launched the inaugural Loveland Sweetheart City Girls’ Golf Team in 1991 and led the Thompson Valley High School golf teams with passion and dedication. His achievements were honored with the school’s Golden Eagle Award and Hall of Fame induction in 2014. That same year, he was named Northern Colorado Conference Coach of the Year.

Jan was also inducted into several prestigious halls of fame: Lincoln Northeast High School Athletic Hall of Fame, the Nebraska State High School Sports Hall of Fame, and the Nebraska Baseball Hall of Fame.

Jan loved the sun and the fun, and his favorite destination was Mexico, where he and Sue enjoyed many memorable trips with cherished friends and family.

A celebration of Jan’s life will be held on Saturday, June 21, at 10:00 a.m. at the Sue E. Wall Auditorium, Mountain View High School, in Loveland, Colorado. A reception will follow at Marianna Butte Golf Course.

Memorial contributions may be made to Pathways Hospice, the Lincoln Northeast Athletic Hall of Fame, the Thompson Valley High School golf program, or a charity of your choice.