NEAH BAY — The Neah Bay community lost a sports icon when former longtime coach and athletic director Ron Johnson died Thursday night.
Johnson, who coached football, boys basketball and track and field for many years at Neah Bay High School, passed away at Harborview Hospital in Seattle after an illness. He was 72.
Dwayne Johnson, the Port Angeles High School athletic director, is Ron Johnson’s son.
Ron Johnson, athletic director at the high school for several years, also was a past West Central District executive board member and president.
The district honored him with the Meritorious Award.
David Bingham, Crescent athletic director and associate principal, wrote in an email: “Ron [Johnson] coached football, basketball and track at Neah Bay for many years.
“Ron was a winner in the truest sense of the word.
“On a personal note, Ron was a great mentor to me. I loved to coach against him, I enjoyed his passion for sports, kids and community.
“He had a great heart, sense of humor and dedication for school, community, the North Olympic League, sports and most importantly his family.
“I cannot say enough about how Ron influenced me as a coach and how he educated me about his native culture and the kids he taught and coached for many years.”
Bingham coached against Ron Johnson in football for about 10 years and the Red Devils and Loggers had some epic battles during that time.
“Dwayne Johnson and I have been discussing about nominating Ron for the WIAA Hall of Fame, and driving into work Friday morning I was thinking a lot about Ron.”
It wasn’t soon after that Dwayne called Bingham on Friday morning to give him the bad news about his father.
Gary Kautz, a former Crescent standout football player who watched Ron Johnson play football for Neah Bay, later coached against Ron Johnson in football, Crescent vs. Neah Bay.
Kautz wrote the following in a blog about Ron Johnson: “I can remember watching [Ron Johnson play for Neah Bay in mid-50s] when I was in [Crescent] grade school in the old building.
“The old cracker box gym back then. Ron would run laps around the gym the minute he arrived, then at halftime and even after the game was over, just to keep in shape.
“He was my motivation to start basketball in elementary school — the old gym was always stocked with basketballs to play with.
“Soon as recess started, I would sprint to the gym to grab one before anyone else could get there, never giving it up till forced to go back to the classroom.”
Services for Ron Johnson are scheduled for Friday at 1 p.m. at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Port Angeles.
Dwayne Johnson wasn’t available for comment.
