In Memoriam

LIFE COACH: Boomer’s influence “extends far beyond the pool.” (Photo: University Libraries/Department of Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation)

I met Coach Bill Boomer ’63W (EdM) on the pool deck during freshman orientation in the summer of 1977. I lost my best friend when he died in January of this year.

In 1962, the U of R asked Boomer to coach men’s swimming. The University could not have imagined the impact Boomer would have on the sport of swimming and, more importantly, on the lives of so many swimmers and associates throughout his career.

I swam for Boomer for four years and worked as his assistant coach for one more. I witnessed his passion for exploring the science of swimming. He studied the relationship of athlete to water, broke down swimming into its fundamental parts, and developed innovative dry-land and in-pool workouts.

After retiring from Rochester, Boomer went on to work with elite NCAA Division I swim teams, the US Olympic team, and several Olympic teams from nations around the world. His cutting-edge insight into the role that the nervous system plays in movement through water, and its effect on swimming performance, fueled his coaching career.

His Rochester swimmers amassed 118 All-American awards, and he contributed to an untold number of Division I All-America honors and Olympic medals.

Yet the core of Boomer’s legacy as a coach was the true gift of his friendship: his compassion and love, generously shared with people in his life. He was more than a coach to me and to many of his swimmers. He was a close and trusted friend, a mentor.

His insight, wisdom, and support helped us sort through life’s challenges and share life’s joys.

I knew Bill for 44 years. I helped him and his wife, Sally, build their log cabin on a little piece of paradise in Clifford, Pennsylvania. They helped build my house in Vermont. I got engaged on the dock at their pond, and my kids have grown up with Boomer and Sally as part of our family.

Over the years, swim team reunions became gatherings of Boomer’s extended family. Ever-present at these reunions was the esteem, support, and love that his former swimmers and their families have for each other, for Boomer, and for Sally. Many swimmers say Boomer was like a second father to them.

Boomer’s contributions extend far beyond the pool. He will be remembered because he changed the lives of the people around him, creating networks of connection that still thrive, living on through his example. The people and communities he touched will always feel his presence, his compassion, and his love.

—Mark Delaney ’82

A member of the swimming team from 1978 to 1982, Delaney is a property manager for the Pitcher Inn in Warren, Vermont.