An OPEN LETTER to … to Daryl “Boogie” Johnson and his family …

-

Pat.

Not a lot of people ever knew her first name. It was “Mom” to everyone instead. At the pool. At games. At the Convenient Store for crying out loud.

But sudden is sudden, and damn, three days’ notice?

Pat was Ms. Little Patriot, Ms. Park Patriot, Ms. East Wheeling’s Finest. She was the lady everyone could count on at the pool. In the stands. Rooting for anyone trying to achieve. Most kids called her, “Mom.” That’s what she was, not only to her son, Daryl, but to every kid that followed “Boogie.”

She believed they had the same chance he did, and history has proved that true.

Johnson was awarded West Virginia’s Kennedy Award following the 1992 season.

Pat.

Red, white, and blue. Black and gold. Depended on the day, the game, and family. Allegiance was pure without question. Every child, when they were in the stands or on the sidelines, felt her support. She helped her son reach unreasonable levels, and Mom supported her grandsons the same way. She succeeded, too, and she hopefully took that fact to Heaven.

Pat.

The biggest fan. Of everyone.  

Sincerely,

YOUR Fans

Steve Novotney
Steve Novotney
Steve Novotney has been a professional journalist for 33 years, working in print for weekly, daily, and bi-weekly publications, writing for a number of regional and national magazines, host baseball-related talks shows on Pittsburgh’s ESPN, and as a daily, all-topics talk show host in the Wheeling and Steubenville markets since 2004. Novotney is the co-owner, editor, and co-publisher of LEDE News, and is the host of “Novotney Now,” a daily program that airs Monday-Friday from 3-6 p.m. on River Talk 100.1 & 100.9 FM.

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