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Area Aquatic Pioneer Rob Lindgren Dies


Hersey and Prospect boys and girls water polo teams joined together to help one of their own as they honored Rob Lindgren’s fight with pancreatic cancer Monday, April 23, 2018 at Prospect High School. Lindgren (center) was handed signed balls by both boys and girls teams from both schools as he shows them off to the crowd with Hersey girls coach Megan Brownley (left) and Prospect girls coach Tori Hansen (right) behind him. (Journal photo)

Area aquatics pioneer Robert “Rob” Lindgren died Sunday, July 15 after battling pancreatic cancer since last November.

Lindgren started Hersey High School’s boys and girls water polo teams in 1998 and coached the girls team until 2008. For the last few years, he served as the Wheeling girls swimming head coach and was the Wildcats’ boys diving coach. He also served as the Hersey boys athletic director until 2009, when he took a position as a department head at Buffalo Grove High School. Lindgren also served as girls swimming coach at Hersey for a number of years, producing some great swimmers along the way.

Lindgren previously served as director of the WHAM Aquatics swim team for District 214 athletes.

To put it simply, if there was water, Lindgren would be there coaching in the Northwest suburbs.

“Rob was always there with a big smile and a hug,” Prospect girls water polo head coach Tori Hansen said. “He was a great guy and huge purveyor of the sport. Thanks to him, our district’s water polo program has grown tremendously, and because of him, I got my start in water polo. He gave me my starting point in the sport 11 years ago when I tried DUWP for the first time and was always pushing for me and my husband to get involved with Illinois water polo when we would run into him refereeing masters tournaments. Because of him so many people are involved in this wonderful sport and his vision and dedication will continue on through others.”

His daughters, Katie and Annie, played as two of the top water polo athletes for Hersey this past spring, leading them to their best season in program history. Hersey girls water polo coach Megan Brownley had a great relationship with Lindgren and will deeply miss him.

“Rob has touched so many lives in the aquatics community, locally and around the state,” Brownley said. “If you grew up swimming in Arlington Heights, you know Rob. He had a passion for teaching, coaching, his family and God. He traveled around the world with his family and was always busy. Rob led a full life and to know Rob was to love him. He got me into coaching, which changed my life. I have many fond memories of him and I feel blessed that I got to know him as well as I did. I had the best mentor you could ask for.”

Lindgren served on the IHSA advisory committee for girls water polo. His term wasn’t set to expire until 2020. He was also a longtime official for the IHSA.

Prospect boys and girls swimming coach Alfonso Lopez called Lindgren an amazing coach and friend who will be missed.

He is survived by wife Jennifer (nee Bleers), daughter’s Kathryn (“Katie”) and Annette (“Annie”), son Robert (“Buzz”) and extended family. Funeral services have yet to be announced.

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