Obituary of Joseph L. Kearney

Joseph L. Kearney, born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, passed away on May 5, 2010 at the age of 83. He is survived by his wife, Dorothea, his children Jan (George) Veile, Kevin (Gertrude) Kearney, Erin (Seth!) Leary, Shawn (Richard) Bassham, and Robin (Lori) Kearney and eleven grandchildren - Graham, Aaron, Trey, Chris, Laurel, Emma, Katie, Seth, Ryan, Nick and Adrian. Family was his fondest passion and he was an outstanding reunion planner and master of ceremonies. He loved seeing his kids and grandkids spending time together; and his ability to organize the masses was legendary. Joe served his country in the US Navy during and after the Second World War. He then went to Seattle Pacific College where he received his BA, did his Master's work at San Jose State, and his Doctorate at the University of Washington. He was an educator at heart, teaching history and coaching at the high school level, eventually becoming principal. Raised by a single mom, Joe found his father figures from among the coaches that he met during his formative years, which led him to his ultimate vocation as an athletic administrator. He served as Athletic Director at the University of Washington, at Michigan State, and at Arizona State, then was Commissioner of the Western Athletic Conference until his retirement in 1994. In addition, he also served on the team selection committee and as chairman of that group for the U. S. Olympic team. Following his retirement, he moved to Tucson, continuing his work for the U. S. Olympic Committee and assisting in forming new chapters for the National Football Foundation in the western part of the United States. Memorial services will be held in Denver at the end of this month. Donations may be made to the Southern Arizona Football Foundation or to any of the universities that he served. A man with a heart as big as the sky, he will be deeply missed by his family and friends.