Published: February 27, 2008 11:16 pm         

Oldest living WVU football letterman passes away at 97

MORGANTOWN — Joe Johnston, West Virginia University’s oldest living letterman in football, died last Monday in Parkersburg at the age of 97.

A native of Morgantown, he not only lettered in football in 1931-34-35, but also in baseball, and he was an outstanding wrestler who placed third in the NCAA championships as a junior and senior.

Johnston earned the respect and admiration of thousands during his 33 years of distinguished service at Parkersburg High. He moved there in 1941 and became a legend as a teacher, coach and administrator until his retirement in 1974.

Before going to Wood County, he spent two years as head basketball and assistant football coach at Montgomery High School from 1937 to 1939.

Johnston played end and center for WVU in football, coached by Earle “Greasy” Neale in 1931 and by Charles “Trusty” Tallman in 1934-35. He was a catcher in baseball for Ira Errett Rodgers four years and wrestled for Whitey Gwynne and Steve Harrick.

Floyd “Ben” Schwartzwalder was a teammate in football and wrestling. “Babe” Barna starred in both of those sports at the same time, while Joe Stydahar was a great tackle and football teammate.

All three of those are in the WVU Sports Hall of Fame.

“Dad absolutely loved every day he spent at the university,” Joe Johnson Jr. of Winston-Salem, N.C., said Wednesday via telephone from Parkersburg. “He and I talked quite a bit about WVU, where I wrestled four years from 1957-60.”

The senior Johnston not only was proud of his accomplishments in collegiate athletics, but also in high school. He was a starter on MHS’ undefeated 1927 football team that defeated Charleston High 9-6, among others.

His son said his father spent a couple years working for Baker and Coombs Construction Co. while attending WVU. He needed the money to remain in school because of the Great Depression.

“I don’t know how he did it,” Joe Jr. said.

He recalled that in his own senior year of wrestling he told his father he thought he was ready to compete against his father. “Well, I did not score one point against the man,” he said. “He tore me every way but loose. He was amazing.”

His father’s impressive resume also includes a two-year stint as the first director of the Wesley Methodist Church Youth Center in Morgantown (1947-48). He loved young people and everyone with whom he was in contact loved him.

A story filled with tall tributes from former colleagues, students and friends was printed in The Parkersburg News on Wednesday.

Joe Johnston Jr. said his father fell and broke a hip about four years ago. That didn’t heal well, then he fell again and broke the other hip. “His mind has been extremely sharp until the last two weeks,” he said.

“Someone put a ‘Happy Birthday, Joe Johnston’ greeting on the WVU stadium scoreboard at the Pitt football game in December and Dad had the biggest smile you could ever imagine (seeing it on TV). A photo of that was put under our Christmas tree.”

Then, after a brief pause, Joe Jr. added: “He was the finest man I ever met, and not just because he was my father.”

Funeral service for Joe Johnston Sr. will be 11 a.m. next Tuesday, March 4, at First United Methodist Church, 1001 Juliana St., Parkersburg. Burial will follow at Mount Olivet Cemetery. Visitation will be 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday at Vaughan Funeral Home.