Hundreds of people gathered at the Alpine Tabernacle in American Fork on Friday, Nov. 6, to honor Carl Grant Ingersoll, a longtime teacher and basketball coach. Ingersoll died Oct. 28 at his home in American Fork at the age of 94.
Organizers moved the funeral to the tabernacle, a historic building on Main Street with a capacity of approximately 1,200, because no standard chapel could accommodate the crowd, according to Lehi Free Press columnist Beky Beaton. During a viewing held on Thursday, Nov. 5, Beaton reported seeing tables filled with photographs, newspaper clippings, awards, and badges. Beaton noted that people filled the space sharing memories, laughter, hugs, and tears.
Ingersoll taught biology at American Fork High School for 20 years, earning the nickname "King of the Classroom." His teaching included leading a Future Physicians Club and running a four-week summer biology course that involved camping and studying ecology in the mountains. He was a graduate of the American Fork High School class of 1950 and earned a bachelor's degree in zoology from Brigham Young University in 1958 after serving as a medic in the U.S. Army.
As a coach, Ingersoll spent eight years as an assistant for basketball and football at American Fork before serving as head basketball coach for 10 years. During his tenure, his teams reached the state tournament every season and won state basketball championships in 1976 and 1979. He also served on the BYU basketball coaching staff starting in 1980 and later helped establish the boys basketball program at Lone Peak High School in 1997.
Ingersoll and his wife, Gene Oborn Ingersoll, served three missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in BYU-Hawaii, the San Francisco Bay Area, and at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. Gene Ingersoll died April 30, 2019. Carl Ingersoll is survived by seven children, 30 grandchildren, 72 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren.
