Beloved Lincoln-Sudbury Trainer Yoshitaka Ando Dies

SUDBURY, MA — The Lincoln-Sudbury High School community is mourning the loss of 33-year athletic trainer Yoshitaka Ando. Ando, who lived in Marlborough, died Monday after a battle with an aggressive form of cancer.

Ando's wife, Cheri, confirmed the death on a Caring Bridge page. The couple met while working together at Lincoln-Sudbury and had four children.

"Yoshitaka passed away this morning at 4am. He was surrounded by many family and friends. He was asleep and not in any pain and it was peaceful. I miss him already and don’t know how I’m going to go on without my best friend. The kids are devastated but are doing OK. They realize he would have been in tremendous pain with all of his treatments," she wrote.

Ando was initially admitted to the hospital on Nov. 29 due to an esophageal cancer diagnosis.

Lincoln-Sudbury Superintendent Bella Wong remembered Ando as a hard-working member of the faculty and a dedicated father.

"He was an absolutely loyal colleague to each and every one of us who has worked at LS at one time or another. He gave his heart to our community, and we loved him back. While we are utterly stunned by the suddenness of his passing I know we will overcome this as a community all together to support his family through this difficult time," she said in an email.

Friends of the Ando family said that a fundraiser would be set up in the coming days for the family. Donations made to the Caring Bridge website do not go to the family.