Timothy (Tim) Lane passed away peacefully in his home on June 8th following a long and valiant battle with cancer.

Tim was born in Waterloo, IA on 12/20/48 to Alvin and Margretta (Ryan) Lane. Tim graduated from Columbus HS (Waterloo) in 1967, and received his bachelor’s in History and Master of Arts in Sociology from the University of Northern Iowa in 1971 and 1975, respectively.

Tim worked for the Iowa Department of Public Health for over 3 decades, where he was, in his own words, “dedicated to the promotion of physical activity, good nutrition, and healthy communities.” Notably during his tenure: Tim helped develop Live Healthy Iowa; was awarded the Lewis Hine Award; and created FITnet, an innovative daily electronic newsletter that reached over 350,000 people globally with thoughtful, witty, and inspirational messages.

He loved cycling, skiing, dancing, rock climbing/repelling, running, and coaching volleyball. Generations of players and their families loved Coach Lane, as he focused on empowerment, team building, and fun, both on and off the court.

As an avid cyclist, Tim volunteered for RAGBRAI, was a founding member of Team Skunk, and developed the Ride Right program to encourage helmet use and other safe cycling practices. He rode across Iowa over 50 times, once within 24 hours at the age of 62. He went on to ride across the continent (via the Panama Canal) within 6 hours at the age of 66, adding to his repertoire of accomplishments and punchlines alike.