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Veteran coached footballBY FRANK SOJAKFSOJAK@TRIBDEM.COM.Arthur D. Mar-tynuska of Lilly, a former athletic director and football and basketball coach at St.Francis University in Loretto, died Dec. 24 at the Cleveland Clinic.Mr. Martynuska, who was devoted to his family and active in his community, was 76. ||r“He was a great father,” said his son,Arturo Martynuska of Johnstown.He was devoted to my mother.•• 'r ■Martynuska in 1985He said his father always wanted what was best for the family When his parents first started to raise afamily, they were living in upstate New York with his father teaching and playing semiprofessional football and basketball.But his mother and older sister wanted toreturn home, so, want ing what was best for them, he said his father began packing.Arturo Martynuska said his dad was always encouraging him and his two sisters to do well.“He was very proud of his entire family,” he said.He said his father deeply cared for his wife.“He wanted to make sure that she had the best of everything,” he said.The elder Mr. Martynuska,after returning home from New? York, taught school and coached football at the former Lilly-Washington High School in the mid-1960s. When thef basketball at St. Francisschool merged with others to become Penn Cambria, he taught in that district.From 1967-70, he was a professor at Mount Alovsius Col-* tolege, Cresson. In 1971, he joined the staff at St. Francis as director of counseling. During his 20 years at St. Francis, he served as athletic director, head football coach and assistant basketball coach.He and his wife of 53 years, Carmella, owned and operated the former Lilly Cut Rate Drugstore in the 1960s and 1970s.A Korean War veteran,Mr. Martvnuska’s involvementwin the community includes serving with the Lilly War Memorial Association and Lilly Historical Society.A longtime family friend, Hugh Conrad of Lilly, who was a student of Mr. Martynuska’s• : Vin the 1960s and played football under him, said Mr. Martynus-ka touched many lives and willwbe missed by everyone.“He made life so much betterfor so many people,” said Mr. Conrad, who had been an assistant football coach under Mr. Martynuska at St. Francis.“He wras someone who appeared to be tough, but hehad a heart of gold,” he said.He said Mr. Martynuska, who had undergone a heart transplant 10 years ago, taught him more about life in those 10 years that he could ever imagine.“He fought every minute to live and to get the most out of life,” he said.In addition to his wife and son, Mr. Martynuska is sur-- ■ W •vived by two daughters, BrendaGuzic and Cynthia Casher, both of Cresson; five grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.The Thomas F. Cloherty Funeral Home, 531 Main St., Lilly, is handling arrangements.
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Johnstown Tribune Democrat
Johnstown, Pennsylvania, US
Wed, Dec 27, 2006
Page 3
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