Calvin Lane

Calvin Lane, former Head Football Coach at Neosho High School, passed away Saturday morning, Oct. 22, 2011, at the age of 87, following a short illness. Coach Lane was born Sept. 5, 1924, in Dierks, Ark., to Fred and Betty (Moore) Lane. After graduating from Dierks High school, he attended the University of Arkansas on a football scholarship, where he was a member of the Razorback football team and was a starting quarterback his freshman and sophomore years. While at U of A, he met and married the love of his life, Mary Beth Dorsey Lane, June 29, 1946. She survives. After graduation from the University of Arkansas, Calvin had the opportunity to apprentice at North Little Rock, Ark., under his former high school coach, Sam Cook. He was subsequently offered the position of Head Football Coach at Neosho, a position he held for 23 years. During that time, his team won 10 Conference Championships, including five undefeated seasons. He had the most wins of football in Neosho history. He was also track and field coach at Neosho High School for several years. Because of his distinguished career with the Neosho football program, he was often referred to as "The Dean of Southwest Missouri Football." In 1992, he became a charter inductee into the Missouri High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, which was later incorporated into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mo. The Neosho football field house was named after him. In addition to his wife, Mary Beth, Coach Lane is survived by two children, Betsy King, and her husband, Lee, of Arkadelphia, Ark., Jim "Bud" Lane and his wife, Dianna, of Neosho; his sister, Tonier Clevenger and family, of Doris, Calif.; his sister, Bonnie Grenache and family of Rhonert Park, Calif.; his brother, Jerry Lane, and family of Clackamas, Ore.; six grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Coach Lane was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Pascal and Bob Lane. Services will be held at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 25, at the Neosho United Methodist Church, with Rev. Dr. Sara Chaney officiating. A private graveside interment will be held prior to the service. Honorary pallbearers will be grandsons, James Lane, Cal Lane and Austin King, and husbands of granddaughters, Kevin Robinson, Shawn Kinsch and Derek Moore. Also serving as honorary pallbearers will be George Olive, Paul Anderson, Bob Stults, Bob Johnson, Roy Cochran and all former football players. Friends may call at Clark Funeral Home, Neosho, from 9 a.m.-8 p.m., Monday, where the family will receive friends from 6-8 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to the Neosho Booster Club for football programs, or The Razorback Foundation, in honor of Calvin Lane, c/o Clark Funeral Home, PO Box 66, Neosho, Mo. 64850. Arrangements are under the direction of Clark Funeral Home, Neosho, Mo. Online condolences may be posted at www.clarkfuneralhomes.com.