Our dear Coach Ed Nulter returned to be with the Lord after 85 years of a beautiful life with family and friends. He leaves behind three children, Jill Meier (Jeff), Bryant Nulter (Kirstie) and Kelley Martin (Lane). He leaves behind ten grandchildren whom he loved dearly and enjoyed spending time with. They are as follows: Beth Anne, Kurt, Adam, Ian, Boyd, Jackson, Robert, Cali, Brendan, and Dean. He also has two great-grandchildren: Ivy and Neal.
Ed Nulter was born to Harry and Mae Nulter in Eaton, West Virginia in 1938, and later moved to Vienna, West Virginia, when he was six, with his four brothers: Frank, George, Fred, and Dave. There he spent the remainder of his childhood. One of his favorite accomplishments during his high school years was winning the West Virginia State Golf Championship in 1957. He kept his love for golf until the end of his life and played with several of his family, friends, former coaches and students. His only regret was that he never hit a hole-in-one and never got those last 18 in before his time to go.
Ed attended Freed-Hardeman Junior College and later received his BS degree from Bethel College. Afterwards, he achieved a master’s degree in education from the University of Alabama.
While attending Freed-Hardeman he met the love of his life, Brenda Leake Morris. They married after college in June of 1964. They were friends for 65 years and married for 59 of those years, honoring the vows they made before God and man.
After teaching for two years in Missouri, Coach Nulter moved to Huntsville, Alabama, with his new bride where he taught and coached P.E. at Chapman Middle School for 36 years. He coached some football but loved coaching basketball the most. While at Chapman, he successfully led his teams to 14 city championships, and numerous championship appearances, making him the most winning middle school basketball coach in Huntsville history. In recognition of his successful career in basketball coaching, he was nominated Coach of the Year in 1998. He also bears the distinction of having a yearly high school basketball tournament named after him. In 2001 he was inducted into the Huntsville-Madison County Athletic Hall of Fame for his accomplishments.
Despite this distinguished career, Coach Ed Nulter’s greatest pride was the continued love and admiration he received from multiple students who visited and called him throughout the years. To many of these young men he was a caring father figure and mentor. He provided moral guidance and inspired a hard work ethic that these young men attributed to their success on and off the court. He leaves a career legacy of multiple coaches and athletes at both the college and professional level.
While an accomplished athlete and coach, Coach Nulter strongly believed finishing the race in obedience to Christ was truly “winning.” More than anything, he wanted his family to follow Christ in obedience to the commandments. He was a man of great integrity and strove to be honest and fair with everyone he encountered. He had a great sense of humor, easy nature, and whistled a merry tune wherever he went. He was always generous and affectionate with loved ones. He was easy to love. He will be greatly missed by his family and friends, but they are at peace knowing he is with the Lord.
He faithfully attended Mayfair Church of Christ for 54 years, but more recently enjoyed the fellowship of friends at a Sabbath-keeping church in Paint Rock.
Visitation will be from 2 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, September 3 at Laughlin Service Funeral Home on Bob Wallace Ave. in Huntsville. A celebration of Coach Ed Nulter will follow in the chapel at 3 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Shriner’s Hospital or St. Jude Children’s Hospital.
