Jeff Churchill, who worked in the special education
department and was the varsity boys basketball coach
at the high school, died suddenly Sunday. He was 31.
An autopsy was performed Monday and the official cause
of death was not yet known.
Churchill was a native of Altoona and attended St.
Francis University in Loretto, Pa. He came to
Lancaster County when he accepted a job at Penn Manor
prior to the 2003-04 school year.
"He worked with students who had significant
challenges at the school," said Penn Manor
superintendent Don Stewart. "He always was willing to
give a kid another chance. His passing was entirely a
surprise. There was no indication this was coming. Our
whole school district grieves his loss."
Churchill felt ill while coaching at Penn Manor's
summer basketball camp last week. He experienced
headaches and vomiting. The symptoms were thought to
be a migraine. A doctor ran tests on Churchill and saw
no cause for concern. He died three days later.
In his short time in Millersville, Churchill made a
strong impact at Penn Manor High. He originally
interviewed for a position as a biology teacher.
Although he wasn't hired for that job, he impressed
Stewart greatly.
"We've got to find a way to get this guy into our
district," Stewart recalled thinking to himself. "We
knew Jeff was the type of role model we wanted for our
kids."
Penn Manor hired Churchill as a special education
teacher in the emotional support classroom even though
he had yet to earn his certification in that
specialty. He worked in that job for five years.
Churchill was a basketball star at Altoona Area High
School and landed a scholarship at Division I St.
Francis, where he earned a bachelor of sciences degree
in biology in 1999.
He took over Penn Manor's boys basketball program
prior to the start of the 2004-05 season after serving
as an assistant under John Erisman.
Under Churchill's guidance, the Comets qualified for
the Quad-A state playoffs in back-to-back years - a
school first. They advanced to the District 3
championship game in 2007.
Because of his western Pennsylvania roots, Churchill
was a newcomer to the Lancaster-Lebanon League scene.
Basketball was one of his strongest passions. He loved
to talk hoops and big man play in particular.
Churchill's 6-foot-9 frame cast a giant shadow on the
bench. He stood above even his tallest players. He was
fiercely competitive and seemed to have a good rapport
with his teams.
"As a head coach, you have to be the guy that lays
down the law and have to make sure the team respects
you," Stewart said. "In addition to respecting him,
the guys had an affection for Jeff. They knew he was
on their side, not just on the court but anywhere they
were in a jam. He was there to help them out in any
way. That's how he related to students whether they
were on the basketball team or not."
Churchill is survived by his wife, Jackie, and the
couple's 1-year-old daughter, Kaitlin.
A funeral service will be held at St. Mary's Church on
Prince Street in Lancaster on Thursday at 10 a.m.
Staff writer Jason Guarente can be reached at
jguarente@LNPnews.com or 291-8777.