Long Illness Claims Slugger Johnny Newman

John H. (Johnny) Newman, 55, of 106 Hazzard Street, a well-known area sports figure, died at 7:30 a.m. today, August 15, 1969, at his home, following a lengthy illness.

Mr. Newman was one of the most fabulous sluggers in the history of the old Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York (PONY) League.

He is Jamestown's all-time professional homer champ with 30 hit in 1941, a figure that stood as a PONY League record until Ted Sepkowski, Wellsville manager, hit 45 in 1954.

Mr. Newman won the league batting championship in 1941 and 1942 with .358 and .353 averages. His bat propelled Manager Greg Mulleavy's Falcons to league championships both years.

After his military hitch, Newman returned to the league as manager at Hamilton, ONT in 1946 and 1947, where he ended his playing days as a pitch-hitter.

Mr. Newman was born December 20, 1913 in Chicago, IL, the son of the late John Henry Newman Sr., and Mrs. Louise Tarnowski Johnsen. He attended Roosevelt High School in Chicago, being captain of its baseball team on which he was a pitcher and outfielder. He also played football, being selected one season as all-city guard. Leaving school in his senior year in 1935, he entered professional baseball at Terre Haute, IN. He came to Jamestown in 1940.

In later years, Mr. Newman was employed as a bus driver for the Jamestown City Bus Company, retiring six years ago.

He served in World War II with the U.S. Army in the Asian-Pacific Theater and was awarded the American Theater Service Award and the Asian-Pacific Theater Medal.

Mr. Newman attended the Bethel Lutheran Church and was a member of John F. Tiffany Post, VFW.

Surviving are his wife, the former Myrtle Smith, to whom he was married October 12, 1939 in Owensboro, KY; a son, Jeffrey Newman, at home; his mother and a sister Mrs. Thomas D. Lonergrean, Chicago.

Funeral services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday at the Lind Funeral Home. The Rev. George Kroon, pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church, will officiate. Burial will be in Soldiers Circle, Lake View Cemetery.

The family will receive friends from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the funeral home.

The family suggests memorials be made to the Heart Fund or the Babe Ruth Baseball League.