Center for Illini during '52 Rose Bowl victory dies
A little more than five years ago, Joe Cole was able to relive the glory days of his youth.
He and his wife, Fay, attended the 2002 Rose Bowl in Pasadena, where officials held a special 50th reunion celebration commemorating the 1952 Rose Bowl game, in which the University of Illinois defeated Stanford, 40-7.
The New Year's Day bowl game played out before more than 96,000 fans and it capped an undefeated season for the Illini, who played under head coach Ray Eliot.
A story that appeared the next day in the Champaign-based News Gazette credited the "Midwestern blocking and tackling" with getting Stanford to fold.
In that game, Mr. Cole was the starting center.
Family members now are cherishing all the newspaper articles and clippings saved from the memorable season. Mr. Cole passed away Feb. 25. The longtime Arlington Heights resident was 77.
"We had so much fun seeing everyone at that reunion from both teams," Fay Cole says.
Mr. Cole grew up in Park Ridge, attending Maine Township High School where he honed his defensive football skills. It was in high school where he met his future wife, Fay.
The high school sweethearts remained in touch, though they attended different colleges -- the former Fay Cobb attended Duke University.
Despite their long-distance romance, Fay Cole did not travel to see Mr. Cole play in the Rose Bowl. She notes that times were different then, that the 1952 champion Illini were the last team to travel to the West Coast by rail.
"It was a different era," Fay Cole says. "People always ask me why I didn't go to the game, but back then, girls just didn't go across the country to watch a football game."
The couple married after Mr. Cole completed his two-year ROTC commitment in the Air Force. With his business degree from Illinois, Mr. Cole built a successful career in the steel and specialty metals industry, working his way up to become sales vice president at Precision Steel Warehouse in Franklin Park.
The couple raised their three children in Arlington Heights, where Mr. Cole also played an active role in his church, the First Presbyterian Church of Arlington Heights, mostly working behind the scenes.
In his retirement, he regularly worked the 3-7 a.m. shift at the church's emergency homeless shelter. Once a week, he also volunteered with other members of the church doing maintenance work around the building and grounds.
Besides his wife, Mr. Cole is survived by his children Jeff (Susan) Cole of San Francisco, Cindy (Kevin) Koerner of Mount Prospect and Tom (Kim) Cole of Naperville; and seven grandchildren.
Visitation will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, before a 10:30 a.m. funeral service on Saturday, both at First Presbyterian Church, 302 N. Dunton Ave. in Arlington Heights.