Another ex-Ragsdale coach leaves us too early
Posted By Andy Durham on August 26, 2008
Last week Mr. Jerry Haney died as a result of a fall while walking. Jerry coached football and track at Ragsdale until his retirement in 1997. Jerry was 68 years old.
Like the passing of Ronnie Smith a couple of years ago, this one hits me hard, also. Jerry was my first midget football coach many years ago, along with Ralph Moran over at Jamestown. As we “caught” each other in age, I appreciated him as a man and how good a guy he was. I used to see him next to the dugout over at the Ragsdale baseball games, where we both enjoyed listening to the Maness coaches doing their thing during the games. We, of course reminisced about those good ole days back at the old Jamestown school.
Our sympathy to his wife Mary Jane and his children. We will all miss him in different ways. God bless Jerry Haney.
*****from Jim Modlin GREENSBOROSports.com*****
Wow – the first I have heard of this. I didn’t play sports at Ragsdale but Jerry Haney taught me in a history class that was one of the best classes I had in high school. I too remember seeing him often at football and baseball games. His presence will be missed around the fields. My sympathy to his family.
Mark, You are correct……many more students came in contact with Jerry than ballplayers. I never had him as a teacher. His obituary was in the N&R yesterday. It will be in Wednesday’s edition of the Jamestown News tomorrow, according to my sources. The Jamestown News is planning on doing a piece on Jerry in next week’s issue. I have several good quotes for them about a good man. There will be a memorial service this evening at7:00 at the Oakdale United Methodist Church in Jamestown.
His son continues the tradition as a great baseball coach. My prayers go out to the family.
Jerry was truly a great individual. I remember my first class with him on World History. He asked the class do you want to learn it from how people changed it or the real thing. We all wanted the real thing. He threw his book in the trash can, and stated, “Lets do it from the truth side, not how they remembered it.”
He left a mark on me and taught me many things in football and history. Truly a great man that I have shared his stories with my own son.
I also remember my JV year in football. The fields were tore up and we ended up practicing in a gravel parking lot. This was for his offensive linemen. For three years, he called us the Rock Lizards from all the bleeding and rock removal we had to do to after practice from our flesh. Everytime that I saw him until last year, he always talked about the Lizards.
I was truly blessed to see him setting there watching my own son play for Ragsdale as a lineman. He just chuckled watching him and telling me that I should have been his size.
Jerry left a mark on many people and students.
He will be missed and the world will be a lonely place without him.
Ron Kiser
TO JIM AND TO ALL THAT POSTED,
THE OUTPOURING OF KIND WORDS AND STORIES ABOUT MY FATHER HAS BEEN AMAZING. I KNEW WHAT HE MEANT TO ME BUT REALLY HAD NO CLUE OF THE DEPTH AND BREATH OF HIS REACH TO OTHERS. FROM THE HANEY FAMILY TO ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL THAT!!!!
JONATHAN HANEY (I HAD HIM AS A TEACHER…A COACH…A LOVING FATHER…AND A HERO)