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MARILYN HIGGINS

Marilyn Higgins was a teacher in every sense of the word.

Higgins taught in the Belchertown school system for over 25 years, and coached at the high school for over 40 seasons and she impacted the lives around her daily.

"She was a life coach. She would teach life to kids just by being that positive role model, that listener," said Matt Baker, who was an intern under Higgins as a college student in 2007 and worked with her full time from September 2008 through December 2011, when Higgins went on leave due to her ongoing battle with plasma cell leukemia.

Higgins, 57, died at home Tuesday due to complications from the illness.

Higgins taught physical education at Swift River Elementary School and coached high school boys tennis, girls soccer and softball at various times. Recently, she was the varsity boys tennis coach and junior varsity girls soccer coach.

She was awarded the school district's Pioneer in Women's Sports Award and won both sportsmanship and professional contributor of the game honors from the Connecticut Valley Soccer officials.

"It's a really sad day for Belchertown," said John Skorupski, the school's athletic director until this year. "She was a fantastic coach. She was one of the nicest people I've ever met and a consummate professional. I enjoyed working with her as a coach because if you needed something she was always there to help."

Higgins is survived by her husband of almost 37 years, Christopher, and their two children Katharine Higgins-Shea and her husband Christopher Shea of Belchertown, and son Christopher Higgins of Northampton.

Higgins was also survived by many who considered her a second mother.

"I always joked that she was my Massachusetts mom," said Baker, who is from Connecticut. "I have wonderful, loving parents, but she was my Massachusetts mom."

Higgins developed that bond with the countless teaching interns she took under her wing, including Chris Mogavero, now a physical education teacher at Chestnut Hill School in Belchertown.

"She was a mentor, a friend, a mom away from home," said Mogavero, who has also coached the Belchertown girls varsity soccer team for 12 seasons. Higgins was the junior varsity girls coach for 10 years before taking last fall off as she underwent continued treatments.

"She was very instrumental in helping us build our program" into what it has become, said Mogavero, whose Orioles have won back-to-back Western Massachusetts Division 2 Tournament titles and a total of four since 2003. "The girls loved playing for her, they worked hard for her and they came to the varsity program ready to play.

"Even this past year, when she was sick, she would come to the home games," he added. "She still cared about the girls even though she wasn't feeling her best."

After 10 years as the boys varsity tennis coach, Higgins took the 2010 season off to focus on her recovery and returned for the 2011 season.

That year the team enjoyed a dream season, posting a 20-2 record and winning its first-ever Western Massachusetts Division 3 tournament championship.

The title contest came down to the first doubles match between Jason Wu and Jack Davis and Lee's Alex Lindsey and Jack Harding.

"We were behind and about to lose," Wu remembered Thursday night. "We talked to Mrs. Higgins about what we could do and that's the moment that she touched us. She was very patient, very calm about the situation and that made us feel calm. She talked about the basic skills that we worked on every day in practice.

"We ended up doing very well, coming back and winning. That was all because of Mrs. Higgins. That's where (the comeback) came from."

After hearing of Higgins' death, Wu, a senior at Belchertown, and other members of the team changed their Facebook profile pictures to a photo of the team and Higgins holding the sectional trophy.

"I was very close to her," Wu said. "I was heartbroken the moment I heard the news. She was dedicated to everything, tennis, teaching, everything. She was just such a nice lady."

Girls tennis coach Jackie Kowal is another in the long list of those mentored by Higgins. For Kowal, it began in 1999 when they took over the boys program as co-coaches.

"I had never been a coach before and she basically showed me the way. Five years later, I started coaching the girls," Kowal said. "We hit it off right away. Our children have grown up together. She was a great coach and she really showed me a lot about coaching. I knew a lot about tennis, but not about coaching."

Kowal said the 2010 season was difficult without Higgins around, and made it that much sweeter to witness the boys team's run to the sectional title.

"That was just a wonderful feather in her cap. We just thought she'd be back for a real long time," Kowal said. "It's going to be hard, but it's really going to sink in when the season starts. She'll be there in spirit, I'm sure, but we are sure going to miss her. It's not going to be the same."

Visiting hours are today from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Beers & Story Belchertown Funeral Home, 10 Maple St. The funeral will be at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Francis Church on Jabish Street in Belchertown.

Jim Pignatiello can be reached at jpignatiello@gazettenet.com.