'Got to keep fighting': Federal League honors former commissioner Joe Eaton in IPF battle

There's still too much life to live.

Grandchildren to hug. Poker hands to play. Love and friendship to share.

Joe Eaton is not going out easily. He is in a fight for his life because of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), and the Federal League is honoring its former commissioner for the way he's battling.

The league has established the Joe Eaton Federal League Courageous Student-Athlete of the Year and will give out the award later this academic year for the first time.

"It was a total surprise," the 76-year-old Eaton said about the award by phone from his home in Raleigh, North Carolina. "I can't put into words how much it means to me.

"It kind of puts everything into perspective. We have a lot of athletes out there in the Federal League that struggle with health issues and other things, but they persevere. They keep going. It will be a great honor for a deserved athlete."

Each Federal League school will nominate a male and female athlete, and from those nominees one overall winner will be chosen by a selection committee. The league plans to attach scholarship money to the award in the near future.

Current league commissioner Terry Peterson, who took over the job in 2019 when Eaton stepped down after 16 years, drove to North Carolina recently to surprise him with the news. Peterson wanted to recognize his friend and mentor's contributions to the league, and he wanted to do it sooner rather than later.

"A lot of times, somebody is honored after their passing," Peterson said. "They never get to know. We wanted Joe to know."

IPF is a chronic, progressive lung disease that damages and scars the lung tissue. Breathing becomes increasingly difficult. Extreme weight loss and fatigue are common.

There is no cure for the disease and the lung tissue cannot be repaired. Lung transplants are possible, but patients must maintain a certain level of health to stay eligible for the difficult procedure.

Eaton was taken off the transplant list a while ago.

There is no known cause for IPF, and it certainly snuck up on Eaton.

He was golfing in December when he suddenly had trouble breathing and had to be helped out of a bunker. Eaton, who felt like he was in maybe the best shape of his life at the time, was diagnosed with IPF shortly thereafter.

"It was really a shock at first and it was a total paradigm shift in our life," Joe's wife, Carole, said. "We went to a whole new realm, from never even hearing about this disease.

"But we're both on the same page as far as there are two ways you can deal with it: You can moan and groan, say poor me and be sad for the rest of your life, or you can just make the best of it."

Joe Eaton describes every day as a "challenge." He has difficulty breathing and is on oxygen full-time. He's lost significant weight. A short walk across the house leaves him gassed.

"But it's a challenge I face. It's a challenge I cannot give up on," Eaton said. "I've got to keep fighting, keep persevering, because I'm not ready to leave my wife. I'm not ready to leave my children. And I'm not ready to leave this world."

As much as they miss Stark County, the Eatons love their new home in Raleigh, where they moved full-time in 2020. Their children — daughter Dana and son Jeff — and five grandchildren are just 15 minutes away.

They live in a 55-and-older community and have made quick friends with many residents, whose support Joe described as "unbelievable."

The Eatons also estimate they've received more than 100 cards from friends back in Ohio.

Joe and Carole admit to enduring some dark moments and shedding some tears, but their positivity through it all is striking to those close to them.

"Anytime you call Joe, whether it's me or someone else, you get off there thinking, 'Oh my gosh, he just made me feel better,'" Peterson said. "It's true. He's going through all this, and everytime I call Joe, he makes you feel better. He's just so positive going through this and knowing the end is near. You wouldn't know it."

Peterson and assistant commissioner Carl Davidson started thinking over the summer of ways to honor Eaton. The Federal League already has the Sam DiBlasi Commissioner's Award, named in honor of the league's first commissioner and given annually to the league's top male and female senior scholar-athletes. (DiBlasi, Eaton and Peterson are the only three commissioners in the league's 60-year history.)

Peterson considered naming the player of the year award in basketball or golf — Eaton's two favorite sports — after him. But he wanted something more meaningful.

As ideas were brainstormed during a league meeting, GlenOak athletic director and football coach Scott Garcia came up with the courage theme, seeing how Eaton is handling his condition.

"As soon as Scott brought up that courage word, we all jumped on board," Peterson said. "We liked that we could tie in an athlete's story from within our own league, maybe a story that's never been told."

Eaton owns a deep understanding of Federal League schools and Stark County sports in general. But his greatest strength as commissioner (and the long-time Hoover High School athletic director) might've been his generosity.

Peterson, who was Jackson High School's athletic director from 2002-19, remembers Eaton being the first person to call him when he got the job. Garcia had a similar experience as a novice AD.

"He was so willing to help anybody," Garcia said. "When I took over as AD, he was one of the first people I talked to. He helped me a lot in that first year. It's one of those jobs you get thrown into the fire and you're like, 'What in the hell am I doing?' He was one of those guys that really helped me through it."

A native of Catlettsburg, Kentucky on the Ohio River, Eaton found his way to Northeast Ohio via a Kent State University basketball scholarship. As a junior, he transferred to then-Walsh College, where he met Carole.

They were married the summer before their senior year. They recently celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary.

Eaton was a teacher and coach for many years, notably leading the 1974-75 St. Thomas Aquinas boys basketball team to a state semifinal appearance. He was Hoover's athletic director from 1986-2003.

Eaton also directed many golf and basketball tournaments for the Ohio High School Athletic Association.

"That's what I thrived on: Being an organizer," Eaton said. "I loved to see everything fall into place. I loved to see people walk in the door happy. I didn't like when they came in and said, 'What in the world are you doing? (laughs).'"

Eaton became Federal League commissioner when DiBlasi died unexpectedly in 2003. During Eaton's tenure, the league secured several media broadcast contracts. There were numerous state championships by league teams across a variety of sports. He started a league basketball tournament at Memorial Civic Center that was very lucrative for the league but not very popular with its coaches. Maybe most significantly, McKinley (2004) and Green (2015) entered the Federal League along with Fitch (2004-12) and Boardman (2004-15) coming and going.

"We really felt during his 16 years he brought us to another level," said Peterson.

Carole feels her husband's legacy will be more of an intangible nature. She thinks of his love for family, friends and people in general.

"He's a real people person," she said. "Being an athletic director and the commissioner just fueled that passion in him. That's how he's living on."

"Living" is an appropriate word. However much time he has left, Joe Eaton plans to live those days. His grandkids (ages 5-11) are active in sports and cheerleading.  His friends bring the poker games to him now. He holds out some hope that he can get back out on the golf course a little bit.

And just like she's been since they were college students, he has Carole by his side.

"Carole and I want to cherish our last moments together and every minute we have left," Eaton said. "That's pretty much my attitude. Stay positive. Stay focused. It's got to prolong your life, and I'm hoping it does."

Reach Josh at josh.weir@cantonrep.com 

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: Joe Eaton Federal League Courageous Student-Athlete of the Year