Marino, Joseph Michael ""Mickey"

Passed: 1988-07-07

Age: 25

Source: Jackson Herald

Death Notice:

Obituary Date: 1988-07-13

Information: Joseph Michael ""Mickey"" Marino, a star athlete at Ripley High School who won a football scholarship to West Virginia University, died Thursday, July 7, 1988, at the West Virginia University Medical Center in Morgantown of injuries suffered in a fall from a second-story apartment window 11 days earlier.  Marino, 25, was the son of Frank and Pat Marino.  He played football at Ripley under his father who coached football and basketball at Welch before moving to Ripley more than a decade ago.  A Morgantown police spokesman said an investigation indicated Marino ""was leaning out a window, fell onto an awning and his fall was broken by a friend who was on the sidewalk below"".  The incident occurred at 4:45 a.m. on June 26, police said.       In his first year at West Virginia University, Marino went to the Peach Bowl with the Mountaineers when they upset Florida 26-6.  His football career at WVU faded but he became active in student affairs and was runner-up when he ran for president of the student administration.  He played shortstop on Ripley's baseball team, which advanced to the 1980 state tournament.  He played for the South in the 1981 North-South Football Classic.  The Jackson County community was stunned by the death of the coach's son.  The Marinos' only other child, Lori, is a teacher at Ripley Elementary School.  He was a native of Welch and was employed by the National Safety Association.  He was a Protestant.  Also surviving:  grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. William Balcoe and Mr. and Mrs. Joe A. Marino, all of Welch.  Service was held Sunday at Epworth United Methodist Church, Ripley.  Burial was in Fairplain Cemetery, Ripley, with the Rev. Eddie Henson and the Rev. Herman Robinson officiating.