track and field historians

[bambam]

John was my roommate at 3 Olympics - 1996, 2000, and 2004. I have known him since 1980. Until he developed dementia he sent me a letter (real-live old-fashioned letter) almost every week after his wife died. He went downhill very fast after his wife's death in 2010. He was a kind, kind man. He was a good runner as a young man, ran several Boston Marathons, and competed in the Olympic Trials in the 10K in 1952. He coached track & XC at Penn State for about 10 years from about 1958-67 before turning exclusively to sports history. One thing he was very proud of was that he ran a 10K on every Olympic track from 1960-2004 the day before the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, always getting permission from the Organizing Committee and/or the IOC. We were able to get Jayne Pearce (LOCOG 2012 Media Director, formerly with the IAAF and Atlanta 1996) to send him some London 2012 memorabilia this summer. I hope he was able to know what they meant and that they brought him some solace in his final days. I'll miss him and miss those weekly letters.