A Tribute to Joan Fidler

By Jim Kerkvliet

Racine Park Girls Basketball, Retired

When a person retires from an occupation, they relax and enjoy other things. Joan Fidler retired from her occupation and her life on earth in the same season. In basketball, we think of a period of time that starts in the fall and ends in the spring as a season.

I got to know Joan Fidler when I got to know her son Jeff. When Racine Park Basketball made a big State Tournament run in the early 1990's, a lot of people got involved. Many parents got involved. We did a lot of fundraising which involved working bingo at a bingo hall in West Allis. Jeff Fidler had the dual role of being a new parent in the Racine Park program and being a new coach in the program. We always needed help at the bingo sessions. Jeff somehow had convinced many of his relatives that working bingo was a lot of fun. His mother Joan actually did think it was a lot of fun. She frequently would come with Jeff and help out as needed and then would sneak in a couple of games when she could.

Other than bingo, Joan was a part of the program as a grandmother, following two of her granddaughters, Allison and Miranda Joan "Mandy". Ally and Mandy were players during the 1990's. Both of her granddaughters played in State Tournaments in Madison. Mandy was on the 1997 State Championship Team.

Joan only had three children. But somehow, she inherited a very large family, as was witnessed at her funeral service. All of the rooms were full. Part of her family was Racine Park Girls Basketball. She was at most of the games which her granddaughters played in. She was also at most of the basketball gatherings which took place at the Fidler household, where the team often got together to socialize. Grandma Joan also got to know the other players on the teams and they got to know some of her bakery items.

The fondest memories of coaching at Racine Park were getting to know some of the families. There were many occasions of hanging out at the Fidler house. Most of the time, I would also see Joan there. She touched a lot of lives. I listened to some very touching eulogies at her funeral service. She was a very loyal Park Girls Basketball fan, both in the stands and anywhere else she was needed. She will be missed.