Elsinore High School Coach Passes, Celebration Of Life Scheduled On Campus

Kimarie Horton, a long-time special education teacher and volleyball coach at Elsinore High School, has died following her battle with cancer. 

A celebration of life is scheduled in the Elsinore High School gym, June 26 at 6 p.m.

The following is a narrative about Horton. It was penned last year as a tribute to her by EHS Principal Dr. Jon Hurst:

Kimarie Horton was a special education teacher who taught at Elsinore High School for 10 years. Kim was also the head varsity girls volleyball coach at Elsinore High School. 

When she came to EHS, she was one of those rare perfect fits for our school community. All of the attributes that the EHS school community prides itself on and works vigorously to maintain – the tradition, the caring, the respect – all of these attributes were already a part of Kim Horton’s character.  

Kim was a great match for our special education program, a program that was recognized as a Riverside County High School Model of Excellence in 2009, she was a perfect match for our school community, a community rich in family and tradition, and she was perfect match for our volleyball program, a program that has been one of our strongest and most successful athletic programs for the past 25 years. 

There is little difference among Kim Horton as a teacher, Kim Horton as a coach, and Kim Horton as a person.  

When Kim taught, she coached, and when she coached, she taught, and in either field she incorporated this personal philosophy: You have to believe.  

Kim Horton believed in her students. Kim was an encouraging teacher who saw ability and potential in everyone. She cared about her students, and they knew it. They knew she believed in them.  And they would do whatever they could to produce for Kim Horton, to validate that her unconditional belief in them was warranted.  Kim was able to elicit the best from students, because students wanted to do their best for her. 

In 2006, Kim brought the Elsinore girls volleyball team to the CIF championships, which was a first for any Elsinore volleyball team in our long history.  In that championship match, the team went the distance, losing by just three points in a heartbreaking fifth and final game of the match. Believe.  

In 2009, Kim brought the Elsinore girls volleyball team – some of the same players who had lost in the championship match in 2006 – to the CIF championship match again.  And this time we won – the first CIF volleyball championship – and just the third CIF championship in any sport – in Elsinore High School’s history. 

Two years ago, Kim was diagnosed with cancer.  It never slowed her down.  She continued to teach, and she continued to coach. To the end, she was an inspirational role model for all of us – for her colleagues and for her students.