St. Ignatius Athletics
A Message From SI President, Fr. Eddie Reese

It is with sadness that I inform you Jim Dekker ’68 died yesterday after a battle with cancer.

A stellar athlete, coach, teacher, and administrator, Jim personified what is best about SI. Over his four decades at SI, he poured his heart and soul into everything he did, from helping his baseball and basketball teams advance in their leagues to teaching students the art of writing with precision and reading with insight. Beyond the classroom, he kept alums connected by serving as the school’s first alumni director, a post he held for many years.

The students touched by his grace and wisdom felt a kinship with this kind man. The school was pleased to name the baseball diamond at the SI Athletics Complex in Pacifica Dekker Diamond in his honor in 2022. Also, his number 7 is retired across all SI sports programs.

After his retirement, he continued his work with people leaving the prison system, and he kept active in the SI Alumni Association.

Please keep his family in your prayers, including his daughter Danielle ’96, son Joe ’98, his grandchildren, and his wife, Lorraine.

Should we learn details for public remembrance or services, we will post them on alumni.siprep.org.

Blessings,
 

Edward A. Reese, S.J.