Annette Farrell, annette.farrell@snhu.edu JANUARY 23, 2012
PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
JOSEPH VINCENT PATERNO, PENN STATE COACH, DIES AT AGE 85
It is with a sad and heavy heart that the Penn State community announces the passing of Joe Paterno.
A lifelong football legend with the university, Mr. Paterno died yesterday after a long battle with lung cancer, surrounded by family and friends. His lengthy record of football victories evidenced his winning nature, and whether coaching a player or advising a colleague, JoePa gave his all. Today, his fans and cheerleaders in the stands will mourn the loss of a champion, the likes of which no university will see again with his record of victories, bringing Penn State’s football culture to #1 in the heart of the Nittany Lions community.The photos of JoePa sitting behind his desk tell a tale of who he was. His desktop and bookcases filled with trophies and photos of his family. Only a handful of books stand lopsided between the accolades of his time spent on earth -- a tricornered flag, a golden-sealed diploma from Brown University, the crystal encapsulations of his winning years on the field -- all are trophies for this role model to thousands of football players over five decades of service to the game. During his tenure at Penn State, Wikipedia states that their team’s Beaver Stadium was expanded six times, “increasing in size from 46,284 in 1966 to 106,572 in 2001”. There had been calls to rename the coliseum in his honor, Paterno Stadium.
Mr. Paterno had two priorities in his life: football and family. A simple man, I imagine he liked meatloaf on Tuesdays and fish on Fridays. He was an all-American public sports figure, with a supportive wife who co-authored a children’s book together with her husband. Sue Paterno always stood by on his sideline, during bad weather and good, during fumbles and fieldgoals. Joe loved his family, 5 children and 16 grandchildren in all.
Laid out on a wooden podium in the corner of Joe’s office at Penn, across from his carved nameplate, is a shirt that reads “Endure Fatigue”. This could be a metaphor for his life, and lesson to the incoming Penn State teams of young players and coaches alike. His grave site at the nearby Spring Creek Presbyterian Cemetery will become a place of pilgrimage for those who revere the sport and his contribution. This is a place, between the bright lights and the roaring crowds, the adoration and financial rewards -- the place between “should have done more” and doing all he could -- that tells the last tale of winning and losing in Paternoville.
"They asked me what I'd like written about me when I'm gone. I hope they write I've made Penn State a better place, not just that I was a good football coach."
-- Joseph Vincent Paterno
The Paterno family will hold a public viewing and memorial service at Bryce Jordan Center, with funeral procession from the Penn State grounds. Donations to Penn State welcomed.
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Annette Farrell is an independent writer. You can contact her at annette.farrell@snhu.edu.
Photo: Michael J. LeBrecht II/1Deuce3 from SI.com
Photography used under Fair Use.
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