John Raffel
Sports Scene
The sports community in Saranac will never be the same. That’s because it will be without Otto Laabs, who was involved in Redskin athletics as a coach and statistician for 52 years, and who was a teacher for 45 years at Saranac Community Schools.
In early December, Laabs died at Spectrum Butterworth Hospital at the age of 75.
Laabs was born and raised in South Haven, and he became an active part of the Saranac school system and the sports community.
After teaching in Vermontville for two years, Laabs went to Saranac, where he spent the last 45 years of his career. During his 52 years involved in Redskin athletics, he coached the golf team for 37 years.
Chuck Weston, former Chippewa Hills golf coach, knew Laabs very well.
“Him and I met over 40 years ago in a golf tournament our kids were playing at, and we became friends at that point,” Weston said. “I served on the executive board for the high school golf coaches with Otto. We played golf together all over the United States, the two of us.”
During the girls’ basketball games that were played the Tuesday night following his death, flowers were placed on the scorer’s table in front of the scorer’s seat. The seat was unoccupied,as it will be for the boys’ basketball opening game on Monday.
Laabs taught until he was 70.
“He was at the state finals every year in golf,” Weston said.
Another person who knew Laabs very well was Jason Smith, who is currently the Saranac Elementary school principal. He’s also a former coach and athletic director at Saranac.
“I’ve known Otto all my life,” he said. “He was my teacher. He was my mom and dad’s teacher. Our family has known him forever.”
For his first 35 years, Labbs taught business and typing at the high school . The last 10 years, he was the middle school teacher in technology.
“He was at Saranac 45 years as a teacher,” Smith noted. “He was here 37 years as a golf coach. He did our football and boys’ and girls’ basketball stats for 52 years.”
“The first e-mail that came out of the athletic office three or four weeks ago noted they were looking for someone to do the book for basketball,” Smith said. “We all sort of came together and said we were wondering if we could get someone to do it the next 52 years. You just don’t find people that dedicated to your school or to the community.”
Laabs was a member of the Michigan Sports Sages.
“He fitted into our community so well and was a part of so many families,” Smith said. “He became an icon. He became Saranac athletics. He was the face of our athletic program for so many years. He was such a positive influence. The No. 1 thing he stressed and taught was sportsmanship. People latched on to that. People latched on to his longevity and his dedication.
“When you’re part of that and you saw him and all of those games for that many years, he had an impact.”
To honor Laabs’ 45 years as a teacher in Saranac, the school has retired the jersey No. 45.
One of Laabs’ Saranac golf teams was a state runner-up. Laabs regularly attended the state finals in football and basketball, Smith said, adding that he became friends with former Michigan basketball coach Steve Fisher, who is now at San Diego State University. Fisher, Smith said, conveyed his condolences to the school.
“People sent condolences to families and the people of Saranac. He affected so many people,” Smith said. “When we had his memorial at the school, we had at least 350 people attend.”