Diane Evans & Joe Paparone’s mom passes away

Marian Paparone, former BJ reporter Diane Paparone Evans’ mother, passed away Tuesday, January 21.

Diane’s brother, Joe Pararone, was operations director at Knight-Ridder’s Macon, Georgia Telegraph and a former BJ staffer.

Marian Paparone

Diane and 362 years of BJ experience walked out the door on the same day in 2006, including Jane Snow, the best food writer in BJ history.

Diane, who came to the BJ in 1974, spent a lot of years on the Metro Desk and as a business columnist.

Diane and former BJ editor Jan Leach and Joe Paparone were among those who later started up a media website. They worked closely with Montrose-based Trio Design and Communications on the project.

Marian Paparone’s obituary:

 

Marian J. Paparone, age 89, passed away peacefully on Jan. 21, 2020, with her children at her side. Marian was born in Akron, Ohio, and graduated from Garfield High School and the former Hammel Actual Business College in Akron. Following graduation, she worked at the DeWitt-Jenkins Agency, and years later, she resumed office work part-time at the JCPenney store in Lakemore. Marian's primary vocation was as a homemaker. She enjoyed baking, home decorating, Sunday dinners with family, and the hunt for a good bargain on her frequent shopping expeditions. In 63 years shared with her late husband, Joseph, she especially enjoyed dancing and festivities of the Italian-American community. Her participation in the Italian community extended to service on various committees and as secretary of Akron Lodge #685 Order Sons of Italy of America. Marian was a member of St. Matthew Catholic Church and previously taught Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes to elementary school children. In addition to husband Joe, she was preceded in death by her parents, Antonino "Tony" and Geneva (nee Lipari) Fortuna. She is survived by daughter, Diane Evans; son, Joseph A. Paparone; grandchildren, Lia (Caleb) Jones and Elana Evans, and Nicholas and Alexander Paparone; great granddaughter, Elle Marie Jones, and many cousins and dear friends. The family extends special thanks to Dr. Regina Dorman for her compassionate care and to the nursing staff of Western Reserve Hospice. A visitation and Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday, Jan. 24 at St. Matthew Catholic Church, 2603 Benton Ave., Akron 44312, The visitation hour will begin at 10 a.m. and the Funeral Mass will follow at 11 a.m. Burial at Holy Cross Cemetery immediately following. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Akron Lodge 685, Order Sons of Italy, Scholarship Fund.

Long-ago BJ sports statistician John Yee passes away

Former 1990s BJ sports department statistician John Yee passed away Monday, January 13.

I’ll let former BJ sports whiz Larry Pantages, who did such a magnificent and eloquent job of capturing Yee’s essence, tell the story:



John Yee

Today’s obituary notices include John Yee, who became a sports department statistician in 1993 in his 60s and happily learned about daily newspaper journalism after a fulfilling business career in the tire industry with B.F. Goodrich and its successor companies.

John did everything from answering the phone to compiling records to chasing missing head shot high school athlete photos to searching the library archives for much-needed clippings to “punching in” radio and TV listings to working evenings taking box scores on deadline. And more.

John was a walking encyclopedia of knowledge of Akron, including remembering names of coaches and star athletes at the local schools long before Internet searches were available.

He had been a fan of all the teams at all levels since childhood. He was often the face and voice of the Beacon Journal sports department and newsroom when the phone rang and a reader called with a complaint or a request for help.

A favorite story about John took place in the middle of his first football season in 1993 when he answered the phone around the lunch hour and said, “Larry, this caller says Bernie Kosar has been released by the Browns.”

Sports editor Bill Eichenberger and I laughed and told John to tell the caller it wasn’t true. And we checked the AP wire and there was nothing ... until a very short time later, it WAS true.

We always said John was the first person at the BJ to break that news. That made him smile.

He often said how much he liked the work at the BJ compared to his first post-retirement job, bagging groceries. Of course, the groceries never complained like some callers who wanted to yell about a columnist’s opinion or demand more coverage of their neighborhood high school team.

Away from the newsroom, John enjoyed very much sharing stories about his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He also worked diligently with his wife Karen in her business of conducting estate sales at homes all over the Akron area.

Deepest sympathy to Karen and all of John’s family.

Thanks, Larry.

Here is John Yee’s obituary:

John "Gong Gong" Yee, 87, passed away peacefully on January 13, 2020. He was the son of Yee Fook and Ong Shee, born July 9, 1932 in Akron. John was a US Army Korean War Veteran, graduate of East High and University of Akron, and retired from Michelin Tire and Akron Beacon Journal. Preceded in death by brothers, Henry (Lily), Don (Peggy) and Bill; sisters, Tushing (Tom) Fong, Tusmee (Edgar) Wong and Tuskee (Ben) Dong. He is survived by wife of 36 years, Karen (nee Wible); children: Laura (Ron) Baughman, Susan Yee (Pam Mitchell), Sharon Yee (Ken Torisky) Gerry (Kim Blair) Wuchter, Julie (Brett) Reynolds; grandchildren: Nick (Ashley), Alex, Tyler, Connor Baughman; Jamie and Adam Benjamin; Jon, Max, and Grady Wuchter; Ben and Josh Reynolds; great-grandchildren, Adam, Addison, Ethan, and Evelyn Baughman; brother, Dupon (Mary) Yee; sister-in-law, Helena Yee and mother-in-law, Winifred Wible. Private services have taken place.

 

Bonnie Bolden is among a platoon of West Virginia University School of Journalism graduates who came to the BJ.

Others included former BJ managing editor Scott Bosley, who is retired to Kalamazoo, Michigan; the late BJ sports columnist Tom Melody; former Society Features department editor Len Gross; and me, former assistant State Desk editor/newsroom electronics coordinator/television editor John Olesky, retired for 23 years and living in Tallmadge when I’m not traveling the country or the world.

Scott and Tom both are in the Keyser (WV) High School Hall of Fame. Len returned to Morgantown after leaving the BJ.

The late Bill Canterbury grew up in Wayne County, West Virginia, which is adjacent to Mingo County, where I had my first job after graduating from WVU at the Williamson Daily News, before winding up as a quiet BJ reporter.

Tom Moore worked at the Bluefield paper, in the town where John S. Knight was born before he immigrated at the age of 2 to Ohio, before coming to the BJ. He still lives in Akron.

Bonnie left Ol’ Blue Walls in 2006 to pursue other interests.

 

 

 

Tom Ryan was a legendary Barberton “bureau” chief/reporter for the BJ.

 

He also is among those who survived the D-Day landing in France during World War II.

 

And a reporter who had a way with words. When he returned to Omaha Beach 40 years later he wrote this classic remembrance:

 

“I was able to find almost the exact spot on Omaha Beach where I landed 40 years ago. Going to the cemetery at the top of the hill was agony. I choked when I saw all of those white crosses and looked for the names of buddies who died there.

“Several days later, I got mugged and robbed of $100 on a busy Paris Street in broad daylight.

“That makes twice I've been to France and both times someone gave me a hard time. I've had it with that place.”

 

How did Tom handle the landing when 2,400 Americans from the 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions died in the D-Day invasion on Omaha Beach on June 6, 1944? The troops were pinned down by the German 352nd Infantry Division because the German fortifications were undamaged by a pre-invasion bombing that fell inland.

 

Tom’s explanation:

 

“I just told myself I was dead man and jumped off into the water.”

 

Tom’s co-workers raised $2,100 in one day to pay for Tom’s return to Omaha Beach. And had a bottle of champagne waiting for him when he returned to America.

 

Tom was so determined to be on Omaha beach on June 6 that, when he couldn’t get closer transportation, he walked the last 14 miles, lugging his suitcase. Piece of cake after landing on Omaha Beach amid horrendous German gunfire.

 

When he arrived all the speeches and celebrations were over, but that didn’t matter to Tom. His target was standing on Omaha Beach as near as possible to where he landed.

 

His reaction when he stood on the beach that was so bloodied in 1944: “How the hell did I ever survive the landing?”

 

Tom climbed the hill to the nearby cemetery with about 10,000 white crosses.

 

“I almost choked when I saw them,” Tom wrote. “I cried, I think, because for the first time the memory of that day caught up with me.”

 

Tom also had another legendary skill: The ability to transform Pall Mall cigarette ashes into a gracefully hanging Grecian arch, much to the amazement of awed onlookers. It was his personal trademark. And without flinching while typing his latest story.

 

Tom’s wife, the late Marjorie Ryan, threatened to put this inscription on Tom’s tombstone: “The World Was His Ashtray.”

 

Tom died February 9, 1985 at age of 64 of cancer.

 

The late Terry Oblander’s lead on Tom’s obituary, following Tom’s instructions to the letter: “Tom Ryan was a newspaperman.”

 

There has never been a more accurate description.