×

FDSH icon Wilde dies

Volleyball legend led Dodgers to pair of state championships

Submitted photo Jackie Wilde with her husband, Bruce.

Jackie Wilde, who led the Fort Dodge volleyball team to a pair of state championships during her legendary Hall of Fame career, passed away on Wednesday in Arizona.

Wilde was a coach and teacher at FDSH for 22 years, winning 519 matches and guiding the Dodgers to an unprecedented 19 consecutive state tournaments at one point.

“With a heavy heart, our family would like to announce the passing of Jacquelyn Wilde; beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother,” her daughter, Cheryl (Wilde) Anderson, posted on Facebook. “Jackie was very involved in her community doing pine-needle basket weaving, water volleyball, potlucks, and family gatherings. These things meant the world to her.

“We are thankful that she has found peace. In the days leading up to her passing, she was surrounded by family and received many calls from her friends and loved ones. We want to thank all of you for the support and love you offered Jackie and her family in her final days. We are reminded how many people she touched throughout her life.”

In 1998, Wilde was inducted into the Iowa Coaches Hall of Fame and was later named a National Leader in Volleyball and enshrined in the Iowa Wall of Fame in 2005. She was placed in the Dodger Hall of Fame in 2014.

Fort Dodge finished in the Top-4 at state nine times under Wilde’s direction. The annual Fort Dodge volleyball tournament is named after her.

“Jackie was a pioneer in Iowa volleyball,” current FDSH head volleyball coach Toni Cochrane said. “She set the standard of excellence and was doing things and teaching skills that were new to everybody else.

“Everybody looked to Jackie to see what she was doing. Her standard of excellence was awesome.”

Cochrane was a member of the 1984 team coached by Wilde that captured a state title.

“She was the master of the game, the teacher of the game,” Cochrane said. “Everybody learned from Jackie. And on top of all that, she was just a great person. She brought me up as a freshman and found opportunities for me to play when those opportunities just were not there.”

Along with Cheryl, Wilde is survived by her husband, Bruce, and two sons: Rod and Kevin.

A celebration of life is planned for May 6 in Gold Canyon, Ariz. A graveside service will be held in Fort Dodge at a date to be announced.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today