Akron Beacon Journal (OH) - November 12, 1992
Deceased Name: RUNNER FROM TALLMADGE FINALLY LOSES TO CANCER BYRON FIKE , WHO BEGAN COMPETING AT 68, WAS NATIONAL RECORD-SETTER FOR TRACK, FIELD EVENTS IN HIS AGE GROUP
Byron Paul Fike did not start running until he was 68. He took up the sport to have something to do in retirement.
He went on to win national attention as he set records in virtually every track and field event in his age group, including the Senior Olympics.
Only cancer stopped Mr. Fike from competing.
The longtime Tallmadge resident, who would have been 85 on Nov. 21, died WednesDAY, at his home.
Mr. Fike was diagnosed in 1991 as having prostate and bone cancer.
On Oct. 6, Mr. Fike, who had picked up the nickname 'The Iron Man of Tallmadge,' and Dr. Allan C. Jackson, 65, also a runner, were inducted into the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame, the first to be named as senior division award winners by the organization.
Mr. Fike had always been proud of his age, wearing it on his caps, looking ahead eagerly to the next age group he would go into.
In a recent interview, he said: 'I have at least 1,300 medals and 250 T-shirts from all over the United States. I've got 13 boxes of trophies and plaques in my daughter's garage. I was always very competitive. I always ran for an age-group record. I didn't play around.'
He not only participated in races of various distances, but also the shot put, long jump, discus, basketball toss, baseball toss and football toss.
Mr. Fike didn't run until after his retirement, but had been a 'pretty good baseball player' in his younger days, a son, Paul Fike of Macedonia, said. 'He made it (his running) difficult on the rest of us. He was so dedicated and enjoyed it. He traveled all over the country.'
A native of Glady, W. Va., Mr. Fike was 5 when his family moved to Akron.
He had lived in Tallmadge the last 49 years.
Mr. Fike's father, Benjamin, had operated a grocery store and the son followed in that business for a while.
Before that, he had worked at Goodrich and in the 1930s had his own wholesale distribution business, selling candy, peanuts, pickles and similar products to Akron-area groceries.
Mr. Fike retired as a car salesman in about 1970 after working several years for different car dealers.
In addition to his wife and son, he leaves daughter, Gaile Hinkle of Tallmadge; 13 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. SaturDAY, at the First Baptist Church in Tallmadge.
Friends may call from 6 to 8:30 p.m. FriDAY, at the Hennessy-Bagnoli funeral home in Tallmadge. Burial will be in Crown Hill cemetery in Twinsburg. slb
Deceased Name: RUNNER FROM TALLMADGE FINALLY LOSES TO CANCER BYRON FIKE , WHO BEGAN COMPETING AT 68, WAS NATIONAL RECORD-SETTER FOR TRACK, FIELD EVENTS IN HIS AGE GROUP
Byron Paul Fike did not start running until he was 68. He took up the sport to have something to do in retirement.
He went on to win national attention as he set records in virtually every track and field event in his age group, including the Senior Olympics.
Only cancer stopped Mr. Fike from competing.
The longtime Tallmadge resident, who would have been 85 on Nov. 21, died WednesDAY, at his home.
Mr. Fike was diagnosed in 1991 as having prostate and bone cancer.
On Oct. 6, Mr. Fike, who had picked up the nickname 'The Iron Man of Tallmadge,' and Dr. Allan C. Jackson, 65, also a runner, were inducted into the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame, the first to be named as senior division award winners by the organization.
Mr. Fike had always been proud of his age, wearing it on his caps, looking ahead eagerly to the next age group he would go into.
In a recent interview, he said: 'I have at least 1,300 medals and 250 T-shirts from all over the United States. I've got 13 boxes of trophies and plaques in my daughter's garage. I was always very competitive. I always ran for an age-group record. I didn't play around.'
He not only participated in races of various distances, but also the shot put, long jump, discus, basketball toss, baseball toss and football toss.
Mr. Fike didn't run until after his retirement, but had been a 'pretty good baseball player' in his younger days, a son, Paul Fike of Macedonia, said. 'He made it (his running) difficult on the rest of us. He was so dedicated and enjoyed it. He traveled all over the country.'
A native of Glady, W. Va., Mr. Fike was 5 when his family moved to Akron.
He had lived in Tallmadge the last 49 years.
Mr. Fike's father, Benjamin, had operated a grocery store and the son followed in that business for a while.
Before that, he had worked at Goodrich and in the 1930s had his own wholesale distribution business, selling candy, peanuts, pickles and similar products to Akron-area groceries.
Mr. Fike retired as a car salesman in about 1970 after working several years for different car dealers.
In addition to his wife and son, he leaves daughter, Gaile Hinkle of Tallmadge; 13 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. SaturDAY, at the First Baptist Church in Tallmadge.
Friends may call from 6 to 8:30 p.m. FriDAY, at the Hennessy-Bagnoli funeral home in Tallmadge. Burial will be in Crown Hill cemetery in Twinsburg. slb
Akron Beacon Journal (OH) - November 12, 1992
Deceased Name: RUNNER FROM TALLMADGE FINALLY LOSES TO CANCER BYRON FIKE , WHO BEGAN COMPETING AT 68, WAS NATIONAL RECORD-SETTER FOR TRACK, FIELD EVENTS IN HIS AGE GROUP
Byron Paul Fike did not start running until he was 68. He took up the sport to have something to do in retirement.
He went on to win national attention as he set records in virtually every track and field event in his age group, including the Senior Olympics.
Only cancer stopped Mr. Fike from competing.
The longtime Tallmadge resident, who would have been 85 on Nov. 21, died WednesDAY, at his home.
Mr. Fike was diagnosed in 1991 as having prostate and bone cancer.
On Oct. 6, Mr. Fike, who had picked up the nickname 'The Iron Man of Tallmadge,' and Dr. Allan C. Jackson, 65, also a runner, were inducted into the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame, the first to be named as senior division award winners by the organization.
Mr. Fike had always been proud of his age, wearing it on his caps, looking ahead eagerly to the next age group he would go into.
In a recent interview, he said: 'I have at least 1,300 medals and 250 T-shirts from all over the United States. I've got 13 boxes of trophies and plaques in my daughter's garage. I was always very competitive. I always ran for an age-group record. I didn't play around.'
He not only participated in races of various distances, but also the shot put, long jump, discus, basketball toss, baseball toss and football toss.
Mr. Fike didn't run until after his retirement, but had been a 'pretty good baseball player' in his younger days, a son, Paul Fike of Macedonia, said. 'He made it (his running) difficult on the rest of us. He was so dedicated and enjoyed it. He traveled all over the country.'
A native of Glady, W. Va., Mr. Fike was 5 when his family moved to Akron.
He had lived in Tallmadge the last 49 years.
Mr. Fike's father, Benjamin, had operated a grocery store and the son followed in that business for a while.
Before that, he had worked at Goodrich and in the 1930s had his own wholesale distribution business, selling candy, peanuts, pickles and similar products to Akron-area groceries.
Mr. Fike retired as a car salesman in about 1970 after working several years for different car dealers.
In addition to his wife and son, he leaves daughter, Gaile Hinkle of Tallmadge; 13 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. SaturDAY, at the First Baptist Church in Tallmadge.
Friends may call from 6 to 8:30 p.m. FriDAY, at the Hennessy-Bagnoli funeral home in Tallmadge. Burial will be in Crown Hill cemetery in Twinsburg. slb
Deceased Name: RUNNER FROM TALLMADGE FINALLY LOSES TO CANCER BYRON FIKE , WHO BEGAN COMPETING AT 68, WAS NATIONAL RECORD-SETTER FOR TRACK, FIELD EVENTS IN HIS AGE GROUP
Byron Paul Fike did not start running until he was 68. He took up the sport to have something to do in retirement.
He went on to win national attention as he set records in virtually every track and field event in his age group, including the Senior Olympics.
Only cancer stopped Mr. Fike from competing.
The longtime Tallmadge resident, who would have been 85 on Nov. 21, died WednesDAY, at his home.
Mr. Fike was diagnosed in 1991 as having prostate and bone cancer.
On Oct. 6, Mr. Fike, who had picked up the nickname 'The Iron Man of Tallmadge,' and Dr. Allan C. Jackson, 65, also a runner, were inducted into the Summit County Sports Hall of Fame, the first to be named as senior division award winners by the organization.
Mr. Fike had always been proud of his age, wearing it on his caps, looking ahead eagerly to the next age group he would go into.
In a recent interview, he said: 'I have at least 1,300 medals and 250 T-shirts from all over the United States. I've got 13 boxes of trophies and plaques in my daughter's garage. I was always very competitive. I always ran for an age-group record. I didn't play around.'
He not only participated in races of various distances, but also the shot put, long jump, discus, basketball toss, baseball toss and football toss.
Mr. Fike didn't run until after his retirement, but had been a 'pretty good baseball player' in his younger days, a son, Paul Fike of Macedonia, said. 'He made it (his running) difficult on the rest of us. He was so dedicated and enjoyed it. He traveled all over the country.'
A native of Glady, W. Va., Mr. Fike was 5 when his family moved to Akron.
He had lived in Tallmadge the last 49 years.
Mr. Fike's father, Benjamin, had operated a grocery store and the son followed in that business for a while.
Before that, he had worked at Goodrich and in the 1930s had his own wholesale distribution business, selling candy, peanuts, pickles and similar products to Akron-area groceries.
Mr. Fike retired as a car salesman in about 1970 after working several years for different car dealers.
In addition to his wife and son, he leaves daughter, Gaile Hinkle of Tallmadge; 13 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
Services will be at 11 a.m. SaturDAY, at the First Baptist Church in Tallmadge.
Friends may call from 6 to 8:30 p.m. FriDAY, at the Hennessy-Bagnoli funeral home in Tallmadge. Burial will be in Crown Hill cemetery in Twinsburg. slb
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