Larger-than-life Johnson to be honored at Palatine Relays
After his death on Christmas Eve, it was determined that former Palatine track and cross country coach Joe Johnson had an enlarged heart.
Those who ran for Johnson didn’t need a medical diagnosis for what they already knew. The heart of a larger-than-life figure was the foundation of one of the state’s premier running programs.
“Joe Johnson was a life-changer for literally hundreds of young people,” said former Palatine standout runner and retired coach Fred Miller.
“He influenced so many lives at Palatine it’s incredible,” said Chris Wheaton, who ran for Johnson and is an assistant coach at North Central College.
And you didn’t need incredible results to be what Johnson considered an incredible part of the program during his Palatine coaching career from 1962-1992. What you did need was to be committed with all of your heart.
“I said to Fred, I was definitely not one of the best guys on the team,” said Paul Iuorio, who ran four years for Johnson and graduated in 1988. “I was one of the slowest guys on the team, but he always made you feel as much a part of the team as the best guy.
“Even after I graduated when I came back he’d say to the team, ‘This is the legend. The legend Paul Iuorio.’ He made the program so much fun.”
That’s why many of the legends — from those who chased state glory to others who chased most of their teammates — will gather at Saturday’s Palatine Relays. They will be there to pay tribute to the man who made such an impact on them before Johnson’s sudden passing shortly after he was diagnosed with throat cancer.
Johnson will be honored at approximately 11:30 a.m. during the intermission of one of the biggest events of the track season. Wheaton, who was a captain and graduated in 1980, will say a few words and the alumni mile will be run in Johnson’s honor.
After the meet, there will be a gathering at The Lamplighter in Palatine to share more memories and stories about Johnson’s legacy.
So, how would Johnson feel about all of this hoopla?
Here’s a good indicator. Before Johnson’s death, he made it clear he didn’t want people to know until after Christmas so no one’s holiday was spoiled.
“He would really enjoy it,” Wheaton said of many former runners returning, “but he wouldn’t have wanted all of the attention on him.”
Especially since Wheaton said Johnson was a master at getting runners in a relatively individual pursuit to realize they were at their best as a group.
There were twice-daily runs and group functions such as pasta parties that are common now but weren’t then.
“He’s what I think a coach should be, gentle but firm when he had to be,” Wheaton said. “We worked hard and he made you work hard. But he knew the hard work would pay off and he was smart about running.”
Iuorio recalled Johnson breaking up the monotony by taking everyone for runs in Chicago’s Loop, on the Northwestern campus and at Busse Woods.
“I was never a morning person but I found myself getting up at 6 a.m. to go to his runs,’ Iuorio said. “He made it attractive for kids.
“I’ve done a couple of marathons and a lot of half-marathons and I think about him all the time.”
He’s not the only one. And Johnson never stopped thinking about the legacy he helped create.
Before he died, Johnson wanted to have a fund created to aid runners at Palatine who needed financial help to purchase shoes or other gear. After all, Johnson would not have wanted to see anyone prevented from becoming a future Palatine legend.
“Joe loved guys coming back to visit and he would make a big deal about it,” Wheaton said as he recalled a surprise roast for Johnson years ago. “He remembered everything about the person. He always called them, ‘This is one of the all-time Palatine greats,’ and maybe he couldn’t have broken seven minutes for the mile.
“I said, ‘I hope you realize Joe Johnson is the all-time greatest Palatine great of them all.’”
mmaciaszek@dailyherald.com