Results tagged “memories” from Nittany Nation

Snapshot with JoePa

By
Chris Otto
 on December 27, 2008 8:49 PM |

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Red Lion High School graduate Randy Helm, who now lives in Grand Rapids, Mich., shared this photo of himself with Joe Paterno from a couple years ago. There's a fun story behind the photo, which we'll pass along later.

Readers, feel free to pass along your Joe Paterno stories and photos to Sports Editor Chris Otto at cotto@ydr.com

 

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York man calls Paterno 'a real class act'

By
Chris Otto
 on December 27, 2008 8:41 PM |
Robert A. Meckley of York shared the following story with us last summer:
 
After Joe broke his leg and was recovering in early 2007 I wrote to Joe. I told him of a Penn State roommate of mine and a Purple Heart veteran of WWII who had recently had both his legs amputated as a result of diabetes. He had been fitted with artificial legs and was learning to walk again. As one octogenarian learning to walk to another octogenarian learning to walk, I asked if Joe would be willing to drop a line or make a short phone call to bolster his spirits.
Joe wrote back that he called the number I'd given him but no one answered. I wrote back that my friend had recently left for their place in Myrtle Beach and gave him that phone number.  Joe called him again and they chatted for about five minutes. At first my friend thought someone was playing a joke on him. He eventuallly was convinced that it WAS Joe and was thoroughly thrilled. For weeks after that, he prefaced every conversation with, "Guess who called me?" That's my Joe story -- a real class act.

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Joe Paterno and the Apple Queen

By
Chris Otto
 on December 27, 2008 2:57 AM |

 

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Earlier this year, Joyce McWilliams of Windsor shared with us this photo of her time as Pennsylvania State Apple Queen. McWilliams was a 1971 Dallastown High graduate (then Joyce Markey) who began her reign as Apple Queen in January 1972. As Apple Queen, she got to offer a last-minute "health to you" wish to the Penn State football and Coach Paterno before they left from Harrisburg International Airport on Dec. 27, 1972, for their trip to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

 

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Catching JoePa on the beach

By
Chris Otto
 on December 26, 2008 1:03 PM |
Earlier this year, Robert N. Bowman of Manchester shared with us this tale of an encounter he had with Joe Paterno:
 
Over 20 years ago I was out jogging along the Jersey Shore when an individual approached me in the opposite direction.  I look up an saw it was Joe and, like a star-struck kid, I said, "Hi Joe" and he said "Hi" back.  At that point we passed and that was it.  Well after a while I turned around to jog back to my motel and eventually I caught up to Joe.  At that point I slowed down and started talking to him.  We walked along the shore line, just talking like old friends.  At that time my oldest son was a student at Penn State and we talked about him and his classes and studies.  I never brought up football even though I rarely miss a home game, it just did not seem right to talk about work.  After a while I realized I had to turn away from the shoreline to get back to my room so I bid Joe a good day.  Then to me the most amazing thing happened, he thanked me for stopping and talking to him.  I thought that was great he thanked me for just have some casual conversation with him one morning along the Jersey Shore.

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