Warren Johnson

Warren was the son of the late Hayes & Corodelia Johnson and was the youngest of 9 children.

Warren met his bride-to-be "Pat" after a basketball game he was playing in, in 1948.

They were married for 64 wonderful years before her passing on February 20th of this year.

Warren is survived by sons: W. Gregory wife Leslie, children Olivia, Hillary & Molly of Park Hills, Kentucky and

Pete wife Joan & children, Matt & Holly of Phoenix, AZ. He was preceded in death by his son Kevin P. Johnson in 1995.

Warren lived a charmed life. While in high school in 1941 he was offered a position as a shortstop on the Reds Muncie, Indiana farm team but elected to stay in school. He received an appointment to West Point but declined the appointment to serve his country during WWII in the U. S. Army Signal Corps. Warren saw heavy combat in the battle of Okinawa and was awarded a Bronze Star. He then served occupation duty in Korea. While serving in Korea he played starting end for the undefeated all American G.I. football team, the Korean All-Stars, who competed in the Armed Forces Pacific Olympics. He additionally won the individual Armed Services Ping-Pong championship.

Warren's love and passion for sports would be the background of his life successes. He was a graduate of the University of Cincinnati's Conservatory of Music Radio Department and began what would become a lifetime career in radio broadcasting, sales and station management. Warren was a broadcaster during a historical time when families gathered around the radio to hear his voice bring their favorite sporting events to life in their own living rooms.

He spent 28 years and broadcast over 6000 games at WPFB in Middletown Ohio. He was best known as the "Voice of the Middletown Middies" and broadcast every Middletown High School football and basketball game from December of 1948 through October of 1976 which included the mostly sold out Middies 76 game winning streak led by Jerry Lucas. He also covered most of Fenwick High's football and basketball games along with other area high schools. He broadcast every State of Ohio Men's High School Basketball Tournament from 1949 through 1976.

He also broadcast the Miami Redskins football and basketball from 1949 through 1976 catching the Redskins action under such coaches as Bill Rohr, Dick Shrider, Woody Hayes, Bo Schembechler, and Ara Parseghian. Additionally he was behind the microphone calling Xavier University games for 3 years, Cincinnati Mohawks Hockey for 10 years and the NBA Cincinnati Royals for 10 years during the time of Oscar Robertson and Jerry Lucas.

Warren's broadcasting career would take on another meaning when his three sons all played high school sports and he found himself not only calling the games professionally, but containing his enthusiasm as he watched his sons play simultaneously.

In retirement Warren and Pat traveled extensively. However their true joy was watching their five grandchildren play sports. Warren enjoyed sharing his knowledge of sports and his lifetime of sports stories with his grandchildren.

Warren received the Media Award from the Ohio High School Athletic Association in 1997-98–for sportsmanship, ethics, and integrity in broadcasting and was presented a lifetime membership by the Ohio High School Basketball Association.

Warren was elected to the Butler County Sports Hall of Fame in 1995 and his legacy will remain part of history for generations to come.

On Saturday, December 13th at St. John's Church in Middletown, Ohio the family will receive relatives and friends from 9:30 to 11 am with a Memorial Mass at 11 am, followed by a graveside burial.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Holy Family Church or the American Cancer Society through Breitenbach-McCoy-Leffler Funeral Home, 517 S Sutphin St, Middletown, OH 45044 513 423-9443 http://www.breitenbachfuneralhome.com