Jim Lambert, who spent nearly four decades impacting lives as an educator and coach before serving for 16 years as a Daviess County Commissioner, died on Wednesday at 82 years old.
In the early 1960s, Lambert’s love for coaching landed him a role in the classroom. He wanted to coach basketball, but he had to get his teaching degree in order to do so.
In 1970, after spending six years as the head coach at Meade County High School, Lambert was named the first basketball coach at Apollo High School.
He later served as an assistant principal at Burns Middle School.
Over 39 years, Jim worked in various capacities at several area school systems.
“I had about every different kind of job you could have in public education,” Lambert said in an interview earlier this month. “I never had a bad job. At the time I was in any particular position, I enjoyed it.”
He retired from education in 1998 as the assistant superintendent for human resources and personnel for Daviess County Public Schools.
But, Lambert’s public service was far from over.
He spent the next 16 years as a County Commissioner.
“There are a lot of likenesses in public education and local government,” he previously said. “The experience I had in schools was helpful to me and the responsibilities I had as a commissioner. I’m sure it would have been equally true if I did them in the other order.”
In 2014, Yellow Creek Park’s Pioneer Village was renamed “James Lambert Pioneer Village” by Daviess County Fiscal Court.
Jim’s dedication to his jobs and the relationships he built influenced his daughter Kelly Lambert Moore and granddaughter Kendall Moore to follow a similar path in education.
Kelly was most recently assistant principal Highland Elementary School, but next year she will be the principal at North Hancock Elementary. Kendall just finished her third year at Country Heights Elementary.
Lambert’s funeral services are pending.
