Remembering Heather Joy Wilson

“You taught so many of us to swim,
all of us how to take each day one at a time,
and everyone to enjoy life to the fullest."

By Anna Pfeiffer, River Falls Resident
April 2010

Last July, I watched as a young River Falls Minnow swimmer ran out the entrance of the pool to her Mother’s waiting car.  Suddenly the child stopped, turned and quickly ran back – and touched the small angel engraved in the lower corner on the plaque honoring Heather Joy Wilson, our beloved swim coach.  Although this little girl never met Heather, she had been touched by Heather’s legacy and by those swimmers and coaches who knew and loved Heather.  Seeing this child, I was reminded that a new generation of River Falls swimmers, and neighbors, had not known Heather.  I wanted to change that and do so with the tribute below.

Heather Joy Wilson grew up in River Falls and swam on the River Falls Swim Team throughout her youth.  She loved her family and our neighborhood community, especially the Swim Team.  The daughter of Renee and Walter Wilson, she graduated from the Holton-Arms School in 1988 and then attended Middlebury College in Vermont.  After college, she became a teacher and taught Reading Language Arts at the Rock Creek Forest Elementary School for eight years.  Heather became an Assistant Coach for our River Falls Swim Team at the age of 18, and continued through the summer of 2003.

For those in River Falls who had the privilege of knowing Heather, she was truly a remarkable young woman who had a gift for teaching children.  Always enthusiastic and fun, we remember her trademark pearl necklace, her blonde hair, her Starbucks coffee cup, her dog Coal, and her convertible.  She loved to drive young swimmers in her car in the Fourth of July parades.  Most of all, we remember her warm smile and kindness.  She celebrated the accomplishments of all of our swimmers, regardless of whether or not they won a ribbon at the end of the meet.  Our youngest swimmers were her special group, and they all learned to love to swim because of her. 

Throughout her years as a swim coach, Heather coached with Greg York, who was also one of her closest friends.  In 1987, they hosted the first River Falls Lollipop Meet for all of our eight-and-under swimmers.  Even the youngest River Falls residents swam in the arms of the older swimmers and all received a brightly colored lollipop when they reached the other end of the pool.  This wonderful event has become a favorite River Falls tradition, as older swim team members help the young swimmers to participate.  The Lollipop Meet always begins with the Lollipop parade and special t-shirts and balloons for each swimmer.  In recent summers, it has also become a celebration of Heather’s life and the many lessons she taught all of us. 

During her short life, Heather faced many medical challenges with grace and courage.  She was born with a rare immunological deficiency, which was written about in medical journals.  While a student at Middlebury, her kidneys failed.  She fortunately received a kidney transplant, but suffered serious complications.  Later she developed cancer and bravely fought the disease until she passed away in December 2003 at the age of 33.  Throughout her many illnesses, she amazed everyone with her strength and resilience.  She would teach swimming lessons following her treatments, always finding time for each of her little minnows.  Her personal courage served as an inspiration to both River Falls children and parents. 

Our River Falls neighborhood honored Heather with a dedication of a plaque in her memory at the opening of the new pool on Memorial Day in 2006.  With its inscription, “You taught so many of us to swim, all of us how to take each day one at a time, and everyone to enjoy life to the fullest," it reminds us each time we enter the pool of her many lasting gifts to our community.  During the swim team season, swimmers will often wear their “Swim for Joy” swim caps as a tribute to Heather.  The Swim Team gives a Heather Joy Wilson Award each summer to a boy and girl swimmer who best represent Heather’s ideals of dedication and team spirit.  This award is presented by Heather’s family at the end-of-the-season Swim Team Banquet.  Recipients of the Heather Joy Wilson Award are: 

2004   Joey Demaria and Catherine Swanson
2005   Len Pfeiffer and Sophie Pellegrini
2006   Chris Milne and Alice Paris
2007   Mikey Stevens and Jacqueline deBuchet
2008   Aidan Pongrace and Megan Wilson
2009   Adam Wise and Heaton Talcott

Heather’s family also established the Heather Joy Wilson Memorial Fund in 2004 to benefit the organizations that meant so much to Heather during her lifetime.  This fund has provided much needed financial support to the Rock Creek Forest Elementary School, the Oncology Ward at Sibley Hospital, the Children’s Center at Johns Hopkins Medical Center, the Cabin John Volunteer Fire Department – Fire Station 30 and the Montgomery County Humane Society.  Thanks to the generosity of so many River Falls families and others in recent years, each of these projects has been completed and the fund has been closed.

Even with all of these tributes for Heather, her lasting legacy is the compassion and caring for others she instilled in all of her swimmers and students.  She touched the lives of so many current and former River Falls residents, and continues to inspire even those who did not have the chance to know her.  Hopefully our young River Falls swimmers will “Swim for Joy” for many years to come – and always remember to touch the Angel as they leave the River Falls pool.

Anna Pfeiffer, River Falls Resident