Gift idea for park district would pay tribute to Winnetka father and youth-sports coach

The family of a Winnetka man who died in 2023 and is hailed as a “hero” is offering to donate a scoreboard to a local park where he coached youth sports.

The Winnetka Park Board voiced unanimous support for the idea during its meeting on Dec. 19.

Luke Laidley, 43, of Winnetka, drowned in Lake Michigan on July 4, 2023, after diving off a boat to help children who had fallen into the water while tubing, The Record previously reported.

Laidley’s wife, Lauren Laidley, shared her donation idea to the park commissioners on Dec. 19, saying that she and her husband moved to Winnetka five and a half years ago and “immediately immersed ourselves in all that Winnetka has to offer, especially all the amazing events and programs run by the park district.”

She said her husband’s biggest passion, “aside from being the ultimate family man, was coaching.”

In addition to serving as a volunteer football coach for Loyola Academy, Luke Laidley also coached his oldest son, Lucas, in flag football at Skokie Playfield in Winnetka, said Lauren Laidley.

“Luke really wanted to make a difference and become part of something bigger than himself,” she said. “That was his life’s mission. He felt he could make a difference by mentoring and teaching children to love a sport, to be a contributor to a team and to work hard to accomplish your goals and dreams.”

After her husband’s death 17 months ago, Lauren Laidley said the community united to support her family. This included the flag football team he coached adding his initials, “L.L.,” to all of the players’ jerseys.

She also said The School of Saints Faith Hope and Charity, which her children attend, honored Luke Laidley during one of their football games at Skokie Playfield.

“It was that night that I first thought of the idea of trying to get a scoreboard in Luke’s honor at the playfields,” Lauren Laidley said, adding that she and her family’s foundation would like to fund the scoreboard, the installation and any matters involving permits.

“My ask of you all tonight is to consider working with me to get a multi-sport outdoor scoreboard on the Skokie Playfields in Luke’s honor,” she said, calling it “the perfect way to honor my husband, his love of Winnetka, his love of coaching, and his desire to make a difference.”

Commissioner Eric Lussen called the Laidley family’s proposal a “wonderful idea.”

“Luke was a friend of mine and we all miss him dearly,” Lussen said. “And on any given day, you’d see Luke Laidley standing on Skokie Playfield and he’d be coaching your kids in whatever sport was in season.”

According to Lussen, the most common question anybody asks at Skokie Playfield is, “What is the score?”

“And I guarantee you that if Luke was standing with us today, he would know the score of every single sport that’s going on out there,” he said. “He was that kind of guy.”

Lussen said he hoped his colleagues and park district staff would support the Laidley family’s proposal.

“The idea that we can honor and remember Luke through the installation and dedication of a permanent multi-sport scoreboard is incredibly meaningful and, more so, appropriate,” he said. “With the support of the board, the staff and the Laidley and Damico (Luke Laidley’s in-laws) families, I’d strongly urge the Winnetka Park District to continue to work with Lauren and support this initiative.”

With every other commissioner voicing support, staff said they will start the process of working with Luke Laidley’s family.

“We’ll work closely with the Laidley family to make sure that we look at the type of scoreboards that would be feasible for the location that meets the needs of the family, and then look at the requirements of permitting so we can then bring that back to the Park Board for approval,” Executive Director Shannon Nazzal said.

Board President Christina Codo thanked Lauren Laidley “for allowing us to share this legacy with you. We’re honored and delighted.”

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