Service Arrangements to Honor Zach

All those who knew and loved Zach are invited to a viewing and his memorial.  The viewing for the family will be held on Thursday at 4:00 P.M. Everyone else is welcome from 5-8 P.M. at Summers Funeral Home, 3629 E. Ustick Road, Meridian. The memorial honoring Zach’s life will be held on Saturday at 10 A.M. at Eagle Christian Church, 100 Short Lane, Eagle.  

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  Zachary Mark Ingersoll went home to be with Jesus his Lord and Savior on Saturday, January 24 at the age of 35 after a courageous year-long battle with cancer.  Zach was a very beloved husband, father, and son.  In his final weeks after he was no longer able to return to teaching, he was surrounded by his loving family.  

    Zach was born in Nampa, Idaho, on May 13, 1979, to Kris (Ingersoll) Cools and Mark Ingersoll.  He grew up in Boise where he began his life-long love of sports.  While attending Capital High School, he lettered in football, basketball and baseball, and graduated in 1997.  Zach continued his education at Eastern Oregon University in LaGrande, Oregon, where he played football and earned his Bachelor’s degree in History in 2003.  It was at college where he met his future wife Nicole (Lecertua).  Zach returned to Boise where he continued his education at Boise State University and received his Master’s in Curriculum and Instruction in 2006.

    Zach and Nicole were married in 2005.  The 7 years they spent together before starting a family were precious to them.  They kept busy with Zach’s coaching responsibilities, traveled, and enjoyed building a life together.  From 2006-2015, Zach taught Social Studies and U.S. History at both Rocky Mountain High School and Eagle High School.  He worked every day to share his love of history with his students.  Zach also coached football, baseball, and basketball.  His job as a coach was a personal one for Zach; along with teaching the fundamentals of the game, he strived to build character and leadership qualities in his athletes.  He truly loved the young men he had the privilege of coaching.  Zach knew from a young age he wanted to be a teacher and a coach, but his ultimate goal was to be a dad.  That came true when he and Nicole welcomed son Oliver into their lives in 2012 and Max a year later in 2013.  Zach’s goal was to see Oliver’s 3^rd birthday which was the day before he passed.

    Zach is survived by his wife Nicole and their two young sons Oliver (3) and Max (1) of Star; mother Kris Cools of Boise; stepfather Charles Tucker of Boise; father Mark Ingersoll and stepmother Wendy Ingersoll of Meridian; 3 brothers, Nathaniel Ingersoll of Boise, Ben Tucker of Tucson, and Nick Tucker of Boise, along with siblings Jessica (Ingersoll) Toomey of Hawaii, Jeremy and Jason Ingersoll of Provo, Utah, and Jared Ingersoll of Meridian. There are also many dearly loved extended family members in the area.

    Ironically, the same day that was filled with joy when Max was born was also the day that Zach could no longer deny the great pain he had been suffering and knew something was wrong with his own body.  A short time later in January 2014, Zach was diagnosed with stage 4 esophageal cancer.  The outlook was grim; however, Zach’s faith in Jesus and the certainty that God had a marvelous plan for his life was unwavering.  Zach never once doubted that God’s hand was on this situation, and this faith brought him great peace.  Just as he taught his athletes to strive with all their might, holding nothing back, so Zach ran the race set before him crossing the finish line victorious!  

    We sincerely thank Dr. Dan Zuckerman and his nurse Mari Beth who provided Zach great medical care; Teri from First Choice Hospice who gave such tender care; the many Rocky Mountain and Eagle teachers, coaches, and administrators—in particular principal Mike Hirano—who loved and supported Zach before and after his diagnosis; the students, athletes, and parents at Rocky and Eagle who reached out to the family; and the countless friends and strangers who followed the blog, were so generous, and faithfully prayed.  We are filled with gratitude for the many who accompanied us on this difficult journey.  But most of all, we are filled with gratitude to our great God who walked beside us each step of the way.

        An education trust for Oliver and Max has been established.  In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Zach Ingersoll Education Trust at any Chase Bank.