Sports Page

Girls 1961 Team

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How Chief Red Raider became the High School Mascot in 1942 

(See "Cheerleaders" below)

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   May the Memory of our Coaches last forever

Robert William Bowman 

(Football Coach)

Obituary:

Born:     May 9, 1926

Died:      February 29, 2016 Lewistown, Pennsylvania

Robert William Bowman, of Lewistown, died at 4:49 p.m. February 29, 2016

at Geisinger-Lewistown Hospital. Born May 9, 1926, in Sayre, he was a son

of the late Shubal Myron and Louella (Turner) Bowman. In addition to his

parents he was also preceded in death by: a son, Robert W. Bowman Jr., in

1972; and four sisters, Phyllis Everson, Mary Moore, Barbara Westbrook and

Joyce Wichert.

He is survived by: his wife, Nancy J. (Loomis) Bowman, whom he married on

July 3, 1969; children, John Bowman and his wife, Ann Shostrom, of Howard,

and Betsy Kissell and husband, George, of Downingtown; three stepchildren,

Cheryl Holliday, of Oahu, Hawaii, Kerry Whiteman, of Coatesville, and

Herbert Whiteman, of Mesa, Ariz.; four grandchildren, Courtney Reddington

and her husband, Edward, of Reston, Va., Patrick Kissel and his wife, Kristin,

of Gainesville, Va., Cari Jones and husband, Scott, of Coatesville, and Alison

Findora and husband Charles, of Downingtown; step grandchildren, Herb Ford

and wife, Meredith, of Nashville, Tenn., Ronald Mentzer Jr., of Coatesville,

Emily Silge, of Oahu, Hawaii, Scott Silge, of Denver, Colo., and Ashley

Whiteman, of Mesa, Ariz.; 10 great-grandchildren; four great-step-grandchildren;

and a brother, Richard Bowman, of Snellville, Ga.

Robert graduated from Sayre High School, enlisted in the Navy, and was a World

War II veteran.

He began his lifelong career in coaching and education, graduating from

Mansfield State Teachers College with a B.S. Degree in Education in 1949;

earning a Masters Degree in Counseling and Admin. from Bucknell University

in 1952; and also studied at Temple University, Philadelphia.

He was employed from 1966 to 1968 as a counselor for the National Children's

Rehabilitation Center, Leesburg, Va.

Robert was a teacher and coached Division AA West Branch Football at Canton,

Pa. Jr.-Sr. High School during which time the team won the League Championship.

He was a counselor and coached Division AAAA Chest-Mont League Football

at Scott High School, Coatesville. Coatesville won the Chest-Mon League

Championship in 1964.

He was a counselor, assistant football coach and Dean of Students at Andrews

High School, High Point, N.C., when they won the Division AAA State

Championship.

Robert served as counselor and football coach of Lewistown High School from

 1973 to 1977. The team went on to win the Big Eight Championship in 1974.

He was principal of Kishacoquillas Jr.-Sr. High School and supervisor of

guidance counseling for the Mifflin County School District, retiring in 1985

after 36 years in education. He continued volunteering for a time as a coach

and training assistant at Lewistown High School.

Robert was a member of the Lewistown Presbyterian Church. Besides athletics

and education, he served in many other community organizations and held

various memberships, including: Granville Twp. Sewer Authority, Mifflin

County Solid Waste Authority, Lewistown Recreation Board, life member of

Rural Amity Lodge 70, Athens, life member of Lewistown Elks Lodge #663,

Shinglehouse American Legion Post 530, life member of Lewistown Masonic

Lodge 203, Retired Teachers of Pa., past president of the Lewistown Kiwanis

Club and the Lewistown High School Panther Club.

A funeral service will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 3, at the Heller-Hoenstine

Woodlawn Funeral Home, 200 N. Main St., Lewistown, with the Rev. Robert

Zorn officiating.

A viewing will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. March 3 at the funeral home.

Interment with military honors will take place at Indiantown Gap Cemetery,

Annville.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Robert's name may be made to the Justin Henry

or Susan Baker (Nursing) Scholarship Funds, P.O. Box 301, McVeytown,

PA 17051, or the Mifflin Co. Huskies Scholarship Fund, 501 6th St., Lewistown,

PA 17044.

Walter Emery Funk

(Basketball Coach)

Obituary:

Born:     October 13, 1922

Died:      January 13, 2015 West Chester, Pennsylvania

Walter Emery Funk entered into eternal peace on Tuesday, January 13, 2015 at Neighborhood

Hospice in West Chester. Walt was born on October 13, 1922, in Phoenixville, Pa and was the

son of the late Horace and Bertha Funk. His sister, Elizabeth Hadfield and brother, Horace Funk,

Jr. preceded him in his death. 

After graduation from Phoenixville High School, Walt served in World War II as a member of

an Army Transport, the Merchant Marines and US Navy Reserve. Following the war, he graduated

from his beloved Penn State University, where he played basketball and served as the President of

Sigma Pi fraternity. After a brief time playing semi-pro basketball with the Lancaster Red Roses,

Walt settled in the Coatesville area. 

Walt dedicated his life to serving others as a coach, educator, and mentor for students and faculty

in Chester County. Initially, he served as a basketball coach, teacher and principal at Scott High

School in Coatesville. The majority of Walt’s professional life was spent at the West Chester

University as the boys’ basketball coach and Chairperson of the Health Department. He is credited

with establishing various programs including the nursing and environmental health programs as well

as providing expertise and guidance to thousands of students. 

Walt will be remembered as a kind and giving person, loved for his genuine concern and devotion to

others. While he earned many awards including Coatesville and West Chester University Hall of Fame

recognitions, Walt avoided the limelight and celebrated his achievements through the successes of the

many people who were by his side during his lifetime. 

As a husband, and father, his greatest joys were in the time spent with his family. Walt is survived by

his wife of 33 years, Julie Grimes Funk, his four children Rebecca Kirschman and the late Dennis

Kirschman, Judith and Louis Laurento, Terry and Nancy Funk, and James and A’Lisa Funk. In addition,

Walt shared his love with Julie’s children, Jonathan and Verena Chase, Jeff and Alision Chase, Laura

and Philip Conner, a niece Susan Hadfield, twelve grandchildren and four great grandchildren. 

Walt was a member of the Living God Lutheran Church. A celebration of his life will be held on

Saturday, January 24, 2015, at 10:30 AM at the church located at 3200 Horseshoe Pike, Honey

Brook, Pa. Friends are welcome to visit the family at the church from 9:30 to 10:30 AM or during

the luncheon immediately following the service at the church. 

In lieu of flowers, donations to honor Walt may be made to the Living God Lutheran Church.

J. Ross Kershey

(Basketball Coach)

Obituary:

Born:     May 11, 1933

Died:      November 16, 2023 Exton, Pennsylvania

A true Coatesville icon is gone.

Legendary Coatesville High School teacher, boys basketball and boys track coach Ross Kershey passed away early Thursday morning at an assisted living center. He was 90.

“My dad was in a good place when he passed,” his son, Scott, said. “One of the things he always told me was that he was a teacher first and he always said, ‘I coach 12 basketball players a year, but I teach 150 students a year. You tell me what job is more important.’”

Kershey was born in West Virginia but his family moved to the Pennsylvania town of Connellsvile when he was two. He came to Coatesville in 1956 after graduating from Temple University, where he played basketball under Hall of Fame coach Harry Litwack. Kershey was married to his wife Sally for 62 years. She passed away in 2016.

Kershey taught American History at Coatesville for 42 years before he retired in 1998. He became basketball coach in 1961, won one District 1 championship and was runner-up four times. He coached many great players, including La Salle University All-American Hubie Marshall, as well as NBA star and Hall of Famer Richard “Rip”  Hamilton. After retiring from teaching at Coatesville, Kershey taught at both Widener and Immaculata.

The Red Raiders’ gym is named for him. Kershey was inducted into nine halls of fame, including the Chester County Hall of Fame, and in 1981 he was named Educator of the Year.

Kershey’s record as basketball coach was 455-125 and he compiled an amazing 104-1 mark in track. He won 12 Ches-Mont League titles in basketball and 13 in track as well as 14 league relay crowns, two District 1 titles and a state championship in track.

“Growing up in Coatesville, all the young boys wanted was to play for Mr. Kershey and wear the white Converse sneakers with the red shoelaces,” former Coatesville player and longtime West Chester East coach Eric Anderson said. “When I was in ninth grade, he let me ride the team bus to play West Philadelphia High School. He told me that if I put the fouls on the scoreboard and did not speak on the bus that I could go with the team.

“He was a great teacher of history and basketball also. He was a world traveler and he always told me that high school players will always remember their coach. He said you may forget players and some games, but you will never forget (your) coach. And now that I am a coach for 39 years, I realize what he meant. He touched so many lives as a coach.

“Whenever I saw him, and I saw him last week, he always greeted me by saying, ’There goes a self-made man.’ He loved Coatesville and he always wanted to talk about Coatesville. He gave so much to Coatesville.”

One of Kershey’s former assistant coaches was Jim ‘Scoogie’ Smith. When Smith became head coach, he led the Red Raiders to their only PIAAA championship in 2001. Smith worked under Kershey from 1993-95 when he came back for two seasons.

“He loved to teach and coach,” Smith said. “I learned so much from him as far as basketball and life. He was an awesome man and I am very thankful to learn from him. As a teacher he was tremendous. He absolutely loved talking and teaching history and helping young people.”

One of Kershey’s main rivals in the Ches-Mont was West Chester Henderson in the late 1960s. The star of those teams was long time West Chester Henderson head coach Leon Bell, who talked about the rivalry.

“Ross was certainly a coach of coaches,” Bell said. “We had so many big games with his teams. That is when the Ches-Mont League was split into a first half and second half of the season champion. In 1970, we played Coatesville and there was so much interest and so many people wanted to see the game we had to play at the Spectrum in Philadelphia.

“Ross and our coach, Jack McClellen, were friends but they were fierce rivals on the court. Ross was a great teacher and coach and he did so much for the young people of Coatesville. He had a lot of great players and great teams and he was a very good man.”

Donations can be made in Kershey’s name to the West Chester University Foundation, Kershey Scholarship, 202 Carter Drive, West Chester, Pa. 19382.

By Peter DiGiovanni | pdigiovanni@dailylocal.com

PUBLISHED: November 16, 2023 at 5:39 p.m. | UPDATED: November 16, 2023 at 5:58 p.m.