Rin Curtis ’76 Seibert was a staple at Valparaiso University for nearly 40 years, dedicating her career—and much of her life—to the students and recreational sports programs at Valpo. She served as director of recreational sports, associate director of athletics, and kinesiology professor during her time at the University, impacting generations of students, alumni, and community members. By following her passion for wellness and recreation, Seibert was a trailblazer, quickly emerging as a leader in her field and developing lifelong, meaningful relationships every place she went. Seibert retired in February 2020 and passed away later that year following multiple battles with cancer.
In early 2025, it was announced that the campus fitness center would be renamed the “Rin Seibert Fitness Center” in honor of Rin and her impact on so many. The dedication is set to take place on Saturday, April 26. Rin’s husband, John Seibert, says the renaming affirms the values his late wife held so dear. “Rin worked so hard alongside many talented colleagues and students to develop the role of recreational sports on the Valpo campus, and it was important to her that people connect and build relationships within these facilities and programs. She was part of a team of hundreds of staff members, thousands of students, and volunteers during her 40-year tenure. Some notable people that became part of her extended family included her cherished bosses, Dr. William Steinbrecher and Mark LaBarbera, her longtime administrative assistant and dear friend Pat Broadstone, and two of her many student leaders who became her successors, Tristan Leonhard and Christopher Smith.”
Seibert continues, “So many athletics, health, and physical education department staff were considered family over the years, including community volunteers and campus-wide staff and faculty. Rin extended Christ-like hospitality to every setting she connected with- church, community, and non-profit relationships. However, everyone knew Rin’s highest priority and calling were to her faith and family. She cherished her sons Chris and Andy, her daughter Emily, her daughters-in-law Tracy and Brittany, and her precious grandchildren, Addy, Brynn, Hallie Rin, and Sophie. They are her greatest legacy!”
John adds, “The renaming of this building honors the core of what recreational sports are all about, when you consider the relationships being built between students, faculty, and staff outside of the classroom setting. Most importantly, it recognizes Rin’s ministry of wanting to connect and care for people. ”
Seibert says that in the days following his wife’s death, he appreciated even more the immeasurable impact she had on those she encountered. “I knew the depths of her impact on many of our extended family, but I did not understand the breadth of her impact. We heard from hundreds of people Rin connected with in one way or another, and all their stories were the same. She had this capability of making people feel present with her and connect like they were the most important person in the room.”
A quote from one alum sums up Rin’s lasting impact perfectly. “40 years ago, almost to the day, I walked into the Valparaiso University campus as an undergraduate student. This amazing woman took me under her wing, like family, as she has done with thousands of students. She taught a basketball player in high tops how to teach gymnastics, dance, and lifeguarding, which led to my summer job for years. She supervised my internship, where we created the Valpo faculty fitness program together. Her recommendation helped me secure my first teaching and coaching job, as well as my graduate assistantship for my Master’s. More importantly, she taught me what it meant to love and to dream big and rely on Christ in everything you encounter in life.”
At Valpo, Rin’s legacy lives on not only through the lives changed by her care and compassion but also through the Rin Seibert Sportsmanship Award and the newly created Rin C. Seibert Endowed Fund. The endowed fund ensures that current and future Valpo students will feel the ‘hugs from Rin’—another cherished example of her caring nature—in perpetuity by creating impactful quality of life experiences of recreational sports programming at Valpo. The fund was made possible by many generous donations from the Seibert family and those impacted by Rin’s life, and is also being used as a matching opportunity for the University’s annual Valpo Day efforts. Of the endowment, John Seibert says, “This fund is about supporting the things we care about as family and friends of Rin, and encouraging others to do the same. We benefited immensely from Valpo and Rin’s caring spirit, and we want to pass that on to others.”
Seibert concludes, “Rin believed so much in recreational sports, health and wellness, and relationship and connection. She had deep relationships and faith, and made everyone feel like family. In her memory, we hope people see that we are all here for a deeper purpose. We look forward to Rin’s values being nurtured in a place she loved so dearly.”
