Joe Paterno Obituary

JOE PATERNO - LOVING HUSBAND, FATHER, GRANDFATHER, COACH, EDUCATOR, HUMANITARIAN - DEAD AT 85

Joseph Vincent “Joe” “JoePa” Paterno of State College, PA, passed away at 9:25 am on January 22, 2012.  According to the Mount Nittany Medical Center his cause of death was metastatic small cell carcinoma of the lung.  In their statement announcing his death, his family shared: "His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled…He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community.”

   

Paterno was born in 1926 in Brooklyn, NY, to Florence and Angelo Paterno and is survived by his wife, the former Suzanne Pohland of Latrobe, PA, their five children, Mrs. Diana Giegerich, Mrs. Mary Kathryn Hort, David, Jay, George, and seventeen grandchildren.

Joe Paterno was committed to education from a very early age.  When he was inducted in to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1987, he was quoted as saying: "When I was young, I used to see my father studying late at night to pass high school, college, and even law school." 

After serving in the United States Army, Paterno attended Brown University on a scholarship, graduating with a degree in English Literature while excelling in football as a quarterback and defensive back.  His goal was to continue at Brown, entering Law School, but his Brown University football coach, Charles Engle, asked Paterno to become one of his Assistant Coaches at Penn State, a decision that changed Paterno’s professional path.

During his tenure as a coach at Penn State University, Paterno coached teams won 433 total games, both regular season and bowl games.  Penn State earned two National Collegiate Athletic Association National Championships and one Big Ten Championship with Paterno as their head coach.  His statistics were not just limited to wins on the football field.  Forty-seven of his players earned Academic All-American status, and more than 250 of his players became professional football players.

Joe and Suzanne Paterno are also widely recognized for their philanthropy. In 1997, they gave the university $3.5 million for faculty positions, scholarships, and two building projects.  As co - chairs of the campaign to expand the Pattee Library of the Penn State University Library System, they raised $14 million and personally donated $250,000.  The Paterno Family Humanities Reading Room of the Pattee Library is named after the Joe Paterno family.  During the ceremony to name the new wing of the library, Joe said: "I've said it a hundred times -- a great library is the heart of a great university, and if we want to remain a big league university, we've got to have a big league library."  According to Sue Paterno "Joe and I have always said that you can't have a great university without a great library."

Joe Paterno earned a number of honors during his lifetime in a variety of areas.  Several of these awards are:  

In 1986, Paterno was the Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year, an honor given for both sportsmanship and achievement.

In 1999, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) awarded Joe Paterno its National Heritage Award for his humanitarianism and philanthropy.  During the ceremony to honor Paterno, the Regional Director of the ADL, Barry Morrison told the audience:

Coach Paterno is an outstanding role model, mentor and leader; humanitarian and philanthropist…He has helped build champions both on and off the field through his ongoing commitment to the values that the ADL stands for -- equality, dignity, educational achievement, tolerance and diversity. 

In 2006 Joe Paterno was elected to the College Football Hall of fame.

During the last year of his life, Joe Paterno’s former assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky was implicated in a child sex abuse scandal.  He was arrested on November 5, 2011, and charged with 40 criminal counts.  While Paterno was not part of the criminal investigation, a 2011 Grand Jury review of the details of the crimes indicated Paterno and other Penn State executives failed to act thoroughly on information presented to them in 2001.  On Wednesday, November 9^th, Joe Paterno resigned as the head football coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions.  In the statement he released, Paterno said:

I have come to work every day for the last 61 years with one clear goal in mind: To serve the best interests of this university and the young men who have been entrusted to my care. I have the same goal today.
 That's why I have decided to announce my retirement effective at the end of this season. At this moment the Board of Trustees should not spend a single minute discussing my status. They have far more important matters to address. I want to make this as easy for them as I possibly can.
 This is a tragedy. It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more.

Later that same day, the Board of Trustees of Penn State University fired Joe Paterno and University President Graham Spanier.  During a press conference to announce the firings, Board Vice-Chairman, John Surma, told reporters “The Penn State board of trustees tonight decided it is in the best interest of the university to have a change in leadership to deal with the difficult issues that we are facing.”

Many people are expressing their tributes to Joe Paterno.

Mount Nittany Medical Center Announcement: The leadership and staff of Mount Nittany Health System are saddened by the passing of legendary coach Joe Paterno. Coach Paterno was a tireless advocate for the health system, serving as both a donor and a fundraiser for many of The Foundation for Mount Nittany Medical Center's charitable programs, and was a leader in our community for more than sixty years. His contributions, in time, talent and treasure, have been immeasurable, and he will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with the Paterno family during this difficult time.

Tom Bradley, former Penn State football player, former assistant coach and interim Penn State head coach: “He was a tremendous teacher not because he knew all of the answers but because he challenged us to find the answers for ourselves…He made us better men than we believed we could be -- both on and off the field. And when we lost our way or became unsure of ourselves, it was Coach Paterno who was there to encourage us, guide us and remind us that we must always strive to succeed with honor.”

Ohio State University Head Coach Urban Meyer: “I think he is the model of compliance, he is the model for academic performance and demanding achievement by his players, and I don't think those things will ever be matched.”

Nebraska athletic director and former head coach Tom Osborne: "I am saddened to hear the news of Joe Paterno's passing. Joe was a genuinely good person. Whenever you recruited or played against Joe you knew how he operated and that he always stood for the right things. Of course, his longevity over time and his impact on college football is remarkable...We offer our condolences to his family and wish them the very best." 

Penn State Trustee Anthony Lubrano: “Joe Paterno was an educator first and a football coach second, we should all be proud of the culture he helped create.”

The funeral arrangements include two public viewings at the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center.  The first viewing is scheduled on Tuesday, Jan. 24 from 1:00-11:00 p.m. and the second viewing is scheduled on Wednesday, Jan. 25 from 8:00 a.m. – 12:00pm.  There will be a private funeral service Wednesday, January 25 at 2:00 p.m.

Following the funeral service, at approximately 3:00pm, a procession will travel from the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center to the Spring Creek Presbyterian Cemetery, where the burial will be private.

On Thursday, Jan. 26, a public memorial service, “A Memorial For Joe” will be held at 2:00 p.m. in the Bryce Jordan Center.

References

Answers. (2013). Joseph vincent paterno. Retrieved from http://www.answers.com/topic/joseph-vincent-paterno

ESPN. (2011, November 10). Joe paterno, graham spanier removed. Retrieved from http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/7214380/joe-paterno-president-graham-spanier-penn-state

Armas, G. (2012, January 22). Joe paterno obituary. Retrieved from http://www.legacy.com/ns/obituary.aspx?pid=155607047

Lesmerises, D. (2012, January 22). Urban meyer calls joe paterno 'the greatest college football coach' in history. Retrieved from http://www.cleveland.com/osu/index.ssf/2012/01/urban_meyer_calls_joe_paterno.html

Mount Nittany Medical Center. (2012, January 22). Joe paterno - statement from mount nittany medical center. Retrieved from http://www.mountnittany.org/articles/statement-from-mount-nittany-medical-center

Musselman, R. (2012, January 23). Obituary: Joseph vincent paterno / for penn state's 'joepa,' a storied but scarred legacy . Retrieved from http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sports/psu/obituary-joseph-vincent-paterno-for-penn-states-joepa-a-storied-but-scarred-legacy-218890/

Penn State News. (2011, February 11). Paterno and win 400. Retrieved from http://news.psu.edu/tag/paterno-and-win-400

Syracuse.com. (2011, November 09). Text of joe paterno's retirement announcement. Retrieved from http://blog.syracuse.com/sports/2011/11/joe_paterno_retirement_announc.html

The Free Library. (1999, March 16). The anti-defamation league honors joe paterno; pnc bank is presenting sponsor of tonight's national heritage award dinner. Retrieved from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/The Anti-Defamation League Honors Joe Paterno; PNC Bank is Presenting..-a054113804

The Huffington Post. (2011, November 05). Jerry sandusky arrested: Ex-penn state coach, athletic director tim curley charged in child sex case. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/05/jerry-sandusky-tim-curley-arrested-penn-state_n_1077771.html