A former Austinite died in a Friday traffic accident that also claimed the lives of two of his children.

Funeral services for James Grebin, 37 of St. Charles, and Mark, 5 and Marie Grebin, 7, will be held 2:30 p.m. Tuesday at St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church.

The father and children were killed Friday afternoon in a two-vehicle accident near Eyota, according to the Minnesota State Patrol.

According to friends of the family, the father and his children were enroute to Austin to see an Austin High School basketball game.

Grebin's wife and another child remained at home and did not attend the game

The loss of lives touched the hearts of many in Austin.

Norman Blaser, principal at Pacelli High School, taught Grebin in the seventh and eighth grades.

"He was an outstanding student-athlete. He excelled at all sports. He carried a 3.5 grade point average or better and he was just the kind of young person that everybody liked," Blaser said.

Peter Schmidt, the retired long-time teacher and coach at Pacelli High School, also remembered Grebin.

A 1984 PHS graduate, Grebin was an important member of Pacelli's state champion track teams in the early 1980s, coached by Schmidt. He also excelled at football and basketball.

"He was a very determined athlete," Schmidt said. "Pacelli would not have won those state championships in track without him. He was just a wonderful person. When I read about it in the newspaper I was just shocked. It's a real loss to everyone who knew him. He was the greatest student-athlete I've ever coached."

Lee Bonorden can be contacted at 434-2232 or by e-mail at mailto:lee.bonorden@austindailyherald.com