March 23, 1999

Legendary Junior Home player, coach dies

CLEARWATER, Fla. - John L. Starrett, 96, legendary Junior Home athlete and coach, died Wednesday afternoon, March 17, 1999, in his retirement village home in Clearwater, Fla.

Considered foremost among many outstanding Junior Home athletes, he entered the Home in 1914 and graduated in 1923.

He was persuaded by the late coach, ''Suz'' Sayger, to continue his education at Heidelberg and became a star performer for the college.

In 1926 he was summoned to the offices of the late Home superintendent, Charles H. Kernan, and abruptly notified that he would become the football coach and athletic director for the Home.

He remained in that position for 11 years, resigning after the 1937 season to become head baseball coach and freshman football coach at Kent State University.

At the onset of World War II, Starrett became a field director for the American Red Cross, eventually becoming director of operations for military units attached to Gen. George Patton's Third Army. He returned to the Ohio area after the war and became director of Boys Clubs of Cleveland.

An avid golfer in his retirement years at Largo, Fla., he regularly attended the annual Homecoming pro- grams here and was considered as the most revered personage by adoring Junior Home alumni.

He corresponded regularly with dozens of alumni here and kept abreast in all activity of the alumni group.

Known affectionately by Homekids and coaching colleagues as ''Rabbitt,'' a nickname he acquired because of his swiftness, he coached all sports at the Junior Home and through his tireless efforts developed the expansive athletic plant at the Home.

He challenged and accepted football games, particularly with any and all Ohio and area powers, bringing his Junior Home team wide popularity and acceptance.

His teams played powerhouses from Massillon (coached by Paul Brown), Canton, Steubenville, St. Ignatius, Collingwood, Cathedral Latin, Toledo Central Catholic and Elyria, among others.

The highlights of his tenure as coach were the annual games with Tiffin Columbian and Calvert, the latter coached by one of his closest friends and college teammate, ''Wish'' Kramer.

His annual games with Mooseheart attracted some of the largest crowds ever to witness games here.

Remembered by most as a football coach, he also produced superior basketball teams and once took the Junior Home team to the state semi-final game. Many also remember ''Rabbitt'' for his baseball skills, considered his favorite sport.

When visiting here, ''Rabbitt'' was always reminded of his famous faux pas in 1932 when he inadvertently scheduled two football games on the same Friday night.

Rather than forfeit, he divided his team, sending one team to Sandusky and the other team to Ashland. It is the only recorded instance in Ohio high school sports history that one team lost two games on the same night.

Jess Williams of this city, retired sports editor of The A-T from 1930-43, covered the Junior Home teams during most of Starrett's career. He was a student friend at Heidelberg and a teammate on the Tiffin sandlot team.

His duties as sports writer and as the first public announcer of the Home's magnificent Redwood Stadium, furnished him insight into Starrett and the Home teams.

He said today: ''What I remember, and have always kept in my mind, about Rabbitt's teams, were their desire, pride, superb conditioning and above all, their determination not to lose, but to win.''

Junior Home Alumni memorial services for Starrett will be in May.

His remains were cremated and were taken to Knoxville, Tenn. for burial next to his wife, Ruby, who died many years ago.