THIS POST ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN DECEMBER 2007. IT IS RERPRISED IN HONOR OF THE THREE OF US. MAY TOM REST IN PEACE.
Glued to the radio, myself, Tim Lutter and Tom Partridge listened intently as Muhammad Ali painted his masterpiece - Rumble in the Jungle - in the wee hours of the morning in Kinshasa, Zaire. Immediately after Pennsylvania State Athletic Commission Chairman (ya learn somethin' every day here folks!) Zack Clayton counted big George Foreman out the three of us were out the door and up West King Street to celebrate with some Carlsbergs at the Lauzus Hotel.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Friday, September 25, 2009
Tom Partridge, 59
Sad loss in local football officiating community
Tom Partridge, a longtime area football official, died on Saturday just one day after working as an official in Friday's Parkland-Easton game in Orefield. He also worked Thursday's Lehighton-Panther Valley game. According to one of his officiating colleagues, Partridge's tradition was to work as an umpire at the annual Easton-P'burg Thanksgiving game. His son, Joe, was an outstanding running back at Freedom and more recently at East Stroudsburg University.Partridge died of an apparent heart attack. Look for his age in the official obituary, but Tom was believed to be in his upper 50s.From all accounts, he was a good, hard-working, dedicated guy who loved being a part of the local sports scene. Sadly, we take a lot of these people for granted. Officials are a big part of the game, too, and though they may get a gripe here or there, they do a great job for the most part. District 11 officials generally aren't appreciated until they're compared to other districts and states.
Certainly, his loss came as a shock to the tight-knit family of area officials and the extended football family. One night, a guy is up and down the field doing what he loved to do. The next day, he's gone. Partridge will be missed by his officiating family and the local sports community as a whole.
Our sympathies and prayers go out to his family and friends.
Tom Partridge, a longtime area football official, died on Saturday just one day after working as an official in Friday's Parkland-Easton game in Orefield. He also worked Thursday's Lehighton-Panther Valley game. According to one of his officiating colleagues, Partridge's tradition was to work as an umpire at the annual Easton-P'burg Thanksgiving game. His son, Joe, was an outstanding running back at Freedom and more recently at East Stroudsburg University.Partridge died of an apparent heart attack. Look for his age in the official obituary, but Tom was believed to be in his upper 50s.From all accounts, he was a good, hard-working, dedicated guy who loved being a part of the local sports scene. Sadly, we take a lot of these people for granted. Officials are a big part of the game, too, and though they may get a gripe here or there, they do a great job for the most part. District 11 officials generally aren't appreciated until they're compared to other districts and states.
Certainly, his loss came as a shock to the tight-knit family of area officials and the extended football family. One night, a guy is up and down the field doing what he loved to do. The next day, he's gone. Partridge will be missed by his officiating family and the local sports community as a whole.
Our sympathies and prayers go out to his family and friends.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Big ...... dead at 59
Northwestern athletic director Jason Zimmerman has sent out a league-wide e-mail suggesting schools observe a moment of silence at their games on Friday night and Saturday afternoon in honor longtime football official Tom Partridge, who died over the weekend at age 59.
"Many of you remember Tom as one of our outstanding football umpires and Tom also worked our league and District 11 Track & Field Meets," Zimmerman wrote. "I would like to recommend that we hold a moment of silence after the National Anthem at our Varsity Football Games this coming weekend. There is no need to respond, but figure this is the least we could do to honor a man who has dedicated much of his life to high school football. The Lehigh Valley Conference will also be participating in this acknowledgement."
Zim's right on target with this recommendation. People like this who form the fabric of scholastic sports should be recognized when they leave us and to almost the day that he died, Partridge was a very important part of the high school football scene throughout the region.
Sometimes names don't resonate as well as faces. When I saw Partridge's picture in today's paper, his loss hit home even more because while I knew the name, I knew the face much better and this was a guy who enjoyed what he was doing and was always enthusiastic, always happy to be doing his job. I've attended several football officials banquets over the years [always held in November right before Thanksgiving], and remember Partridge at those banquets as being a true character, full of life, full of fun.
It has been said often in the past few days, but we'll say it again: What a sad loss. He will be missed.
"Many of you remember Tom as one of our outstanding football umpires and Tom also worked our league and District 11 Track & Field Meets," Zimmerman wrote. "I would like to recommend that we hold a moment of silence after the National Anthem at our Varsity Football Games this coming weekend. There is no need to respond, but figure this is the least we could do to honor a man who has dedicated much of his life to high school football. The Lehigh Valley Conference will also be participating in this acknowledgement."
Zim's right on target with this recommendation. People like this who form the fabric of scholastic sports should be recognized when they leave us and to almost the day that he died, Partridge was a very important part of the high school football scene throughout the region.
Sometimes names don't resonate as well as faces. When I saw Partridge's picture in today's paper, his loss hit home even more because while I knew the name, I knew the face much better and this was a guy who enjoyed what he was doing and was always enthusiastic, always happy to be doing his job. I've attended several football officials banquets over the years [always held in November right before Thanksgiving], and remember Partridge at those banquets as being a true character, full of life, full of fun.
It has been said often in the past few days, but we'll say it again: What a sad loss. He will be missed.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
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