From left: Paula Tucker, John Olesky, Sharon Downing

Sharing memories with Sharon Downing

Paula Tucker and I had another enjoyable dinner and chat with Sharon Downing, former BJ printer Hugh Downing’s widow, in The Villages, Florida.

Paula is there for October and November. I popped down for a week while the West Virginia Mountaineers were NOT in Mountaineer Field, where I’ve had season tickets for more than two decades (I watched the Iowa State disaster in Ames, Iowa on TV with Paula). I still haven’t recovered from the worst WVU offensive display in 30 years. After a 5-0 start and #6 national rankings, too. It may take a while for that pain to subside.

Anyway, Paula and I get together for dinners with Sharon during our stays in The Villages. Previously, it was Paula, Hugh, Sharon and me. Also, Hugh would set up tee times for former BJ State Desk reporter Bob Page, himself and me for years. We got to play a lot of the 47 executive courses in The Villages that way.

Sharon is doing well. She still gets regular visits from her four sons, and journeys north to visit them.

Hugh and Sharon’s sons are Mark Downing, who lives in Erie, Pennsylvania; Ben Downing, who lives in Toledo; Chris Downing, who lives in Hudson; and Jonathan Downing, who lives in Vienna, Virginia.

Hugh’s siblings are Barbara Downing Roelle, Bert Downing, Colleen Downing Elliker, James Downing, Judy Downing Johnston and Karen Downing Yochem.

Hugh passed away in 2016. He had been married to Sharon for 56 years. Both were from Galion, Ohio but didn’t meet till Hugh showed up in her parents' home in Florida.

Hugh started working for the Galion Inquirer at age 14 as a paperboy and worked his way to typesetter before leaving the Inquirer in 1962. After a move to Florida, Hugh worked for the Pensacola News Journal until 1964 before "heading home" to Ol' Blue Walls. Hugh retired  in 2000 after 37 years at 44 E. Exchange Street.

 

I retired in 1996 after 26 years at the BJ as part of my 43-year newspaper career that took me to the Williamson (WV) Daily News, Glendive (Montana) Daily Ranger (don't ask), Charleston (WV) Daily Mail, Dayton (Ohio) Daily News, St. Petersburg (Florida) Times and the BJ.

 

I was a sort of wandering troubadour, except my fingers plucked keyboards instead of guitar strings.

 

It was God's way of guiding me to America's best newspaper owner, John Shively Knight, who left his Miami Herald office for the Kentucky Derby every year on the first Saturday in May.

Then JSK continued to the BJ. When Ohio weather became less inviting than Florida sunshine, Mr. Knight returned to the Herald to continue his cyclical life pattern.

 

Meriwether Lewis Clark, grandson of the Lewis of the famous Lewis and Clark explorers, started the Kentucky Derby in 1875 after his trip that included taking in England's Epsom Derby.

 

That makes The Run for the Roses the oldest horse race in America. It's the first race in the Triple Crown for 3-year-olds. The Preakness at Pimlico in Baltimore and the Belmont Stakes at Belmont Park in Elmont, New York follow.