A small group of family and friends gathered in the gym at Clara Brownell Middle School in Umatilla on Saturday to remember a man who spent a good deal of time in that very spot coaching basketball.
“This gym is a place where his spirit absolutely lives on,” said Umatilla School Superintendent Heidi Sipe during a ceremony in which the gym was renamed the Pat Lafferty Gymnasium. Lafferty, who served as the town’s mayor since 2011, lost his battle with leukemia in April at the age of 57.
(UMATILLA SEEKS LOCAL SOLUTION TO PORT DISPUTE)
“He spent many hours in here as a player and a coach making sure kids had a safe place to be,” said Sipe.
Lafferty graduated from Umatilla High School and later went to work with Union Pacific. He became involved with the schools and youth sports programs before taking a spot on the Umatilla School Board in the late 1990s.
Lafferty coached youth basketball for many years. On Saturday, Sipe recalled how Lafferty could be regularly seen driving around town, picking up kids and taking them to the gym to play basketball. He also served on the Community Accountability Board in a desire to help rehabilitate youth.
“It’s a pretty amazing legacy when I think about Pat. He really was a rock,” Sipe said after his passing in April. “He’s been very focused on making sure kids have opportunities and felt safe and happy.”
The mayor was instrumental in the district’s anti-bullying program and policy. He came up with the student tip line, where students can call and bring up any concerns they don’t want their name connected to. He worked to decrease youth violence, gang activity, and alcohol and drug use, never shying away from any topic.
Following Saturday’s ceremony, a shadow box was placed on the gym wall with a plaque and photo of Lafferty.
More Stories from Northeast Oregon Now:
Local Chamber Execs Visit China
