STATE COLLEGE, PA. – Joe Paterno, 85, died on Sunday morning at 9:25 a.m. surrounded by his family, according to Mount Nittany Medical Center. The cause of death was “metastatic small cell carcinoma of the lung. Joe Paterno: December 21, 1926 – January 22, 2012.
His family released the following statement Sunday morning:
“His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled.”
“He died as he lived,” the statement went on to say. “He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community.”
President George H. W. Bush, who called Paterno “an outstanding American who was respected not only on the field of play but in life generally – and he was, without a doubt, a true icon in the world of sports.”
Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett said of Paterno, “His legacy as the winningest coach in major college football and his generosity to Penn State as an institution and to his players, stand as monuments to his life . . . His place in our state’s history is secure.”
Paterno is survived by his wife and five children.
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