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Hall of fame sports writer Jesse Isenberg dies at 78

By MIKE MASTOVICH
The Tribune-Democrat

Former Tribune-Democrat sports writer Jesse Isenberg played a big part in one of the most important days of Jim McElroy’s life 45 years ago.

That’s why McElroy, like many people involved in the local sports scene, was saddened by Monday’s news that Isenberg had died at age 78 after a lengthy illness.

“We went back a lot of years,” McElroy said during a telephone interview from his Brooklyn, N.Y., home. “In 1963, when I was managing the Brooklyn Cadets, I had my phone from Brooklyn hooked into the press box phone at Point Stadium, and I listened to the full AAABA Tournament game when we won the national championship. Jesse gave me all the updates.”

McElroy had good reason to miss the AAABA Tournament championship contest. His son, Jimmy, was born on that Aug. 21, 1963 day in New York. Isenberg’s ability to juggle his sports reporting and telephone updates forever touched the McElroy family, who are dealing with their own hardships as the younger Jimmy McElroy battles cancer.

“My son was born that day. There were good memories and good friendships. Even though we’re having our own problems here, we send our regards to Cory and the Isenberg family,” said AAABA Hall of Famer McElroy, referring to Jesse’s daughter, Cory, a Tribune-Democrat sports writer. “Jesse was a good person for amateur sports, and for Johnstown. He even bailed out Altoona, too.”

Isenberg joined The Tribune-Democrat sports department in 1958 and covered Johnstown sports until his retirement in July 1991. He continued to produce free-lance work for the paper for several months after his retirement before becoming a correspondent for The Altoona Mirror in his native Blair County. He covered the AAABA Tournament for both newspapers and was inducted into the AAABA Hall of Fame in 2003.

Cory Isenberg presented Jesse for his induction into the AAABA Hall, and “Dad” was particularly moved when his four daughters – Cory, Lori, Cindy and Lindy – sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” to officially induct him. The sisters form a singing group that often performs the national anthem at sporting events.

Area football and basketball coaches respected Jesse Isenberg for his reporting abilities, especially the support he offered to the then-fledgling Appalachian Conference in 1969-70 and during the two decades that followed.

“I would say he was almost like a founding father,” said former football coach Frank Krevetski, who had a powerhouse at United in the Appalachian Conference. “He was at every important event when the Appalachian Conference was going on. He was very instrumental in the formation and the success of the conference.

“He covered a lot of our ballgames. He was just a kind person, the type of guy who would do anything for you. He never had a bad word to say. I don’t think he ever did say anything bad. I thought he was one of the best.”

Former Conemaugh Valley football coach John Jacoby also felt Jesse Isenberg and the newspaper’s support of the Appalachian Conference, as well as its popular Appalachian Bowl, were pivotal in the early days of the conference, which since has broken into parts of the WestPAC and Heritage conferences.

“Jesse was the guy who reported on the Appalachian Conference. As far as the publicity goes, he was the guy responsible for giving the Appalachian Bowl the exposure to everybody in the area,” said Jacoby, now a radio color commentator. “The Appalachian Conference and the Appalachian Bowl were really a nice thing. He was like the Appalachian PR man. He was one of the first guys I came in contact with when I was coaching. He was a pretty gracious guy to be around, asking tough questions, but never putting in anything mean-spirited that I can remember.”

Veteran Laurel Valley football coach Jerry Page reiterated what most coaches who knew Jesse Isenberg felt.

“Jesse not only was an outstanding newspaper writer, but a real gentleman,” Page said. “It was always a pleasure to talk to him. He was so down-to-earth and just a real good person. I loved to read his columns. He was great for high school football and high school sports in general.”

Retired Tribune-Democrat news and sports writer Jim Siehl of Schellsburg recalled initially being a rival of Jesse Isenberg’s when the two covered scholastic sports.

“I was a competitor with him at first because he worked for the Altoona Mirror back then,” Siehl said. “I remember us covering a Johnstown High School basketball game over at Altoona. It was a game where George Hanna of Johnstown ended the game with a shot that was controversial. The shot went in but it wasn’t counted. Jesse wrote his story and I remember thinking his story was a lot better than mine. Jesse had a nice style. He liked sports, and he did a nice job for us.”

Siehl also laughed when recalling Jesse’s fashion sense in the office.

“I don’t think anyone ever accused Jesse of being a fashion plate or a clothes hound,” Siehl said, referring to Isenberg’s often wearing button-down, colorful Hawaiian shirts. “He had his obligatory tie in his desk drawer for when he went out on assignment. It was multi-colored and definitely not something he was concerned about matching his attire. He had a good sense of humor, and that was an example of it.”

The slightly tattered and worn, light blue and gold striped tie still hangs from a bulletin board in The Tribune-Democrat sports department.

“He was a soft-spoken, non-confrontational person,” Siehl said. “Jesse was talented and people liked him. He also was very proud of Cory. He told me one time it was hard for him because he said she is a better writer than he was.”

In addition to his daughters, Jesse Isenberg is survived by his wife of 55 years, Alma (Rouzer). There are three grandchildren.