Joe Paterno, the iconic former Penn State football coach whose legend was tarnished when he was fired in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, has died, his family confirmed Sunday. He was 85.
Doctors had said Saturday that Paterno's condition had become ''serious'' in recent days after he experienced complications from lung cancer.
"His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled," the Paterno family said in a statement Sunday. "He died as he lived. He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been.
"His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community.
"He has been many things in his life — a soldier, scholar, mentor, coach, friend and father. To my mother, he was and is her soul mate, and the last several weeks have shown the strength of their love. To his children and grandchildren he is a shining example of how to live a good, decent and honest life, a standard to which we aspire."
The winningest major-college football coach of all time with 409 victories and two national titles, Paterno was diagnosed shortly after Penn State's Board of Trustees ousted him Nov. 9 following the child sex-abuse charges against Sandusky, his former assistant.
The firing marked the stunning end of Paterno's 61-year career at Penn State — 46 of them as head coach.
Critics charged that Paterno, when told years ago of the Sandusky allegations, did not take appropriate action.
Paterno had been getting treatment since his cancer diagnosis. His health problems were worsened when he broke his pelvis.
On Saturday, the Washington Post, quoting individuals close to the family, reported on its website that the family had been weighing whether to take Paterno off a ventilator on Sunday.
As word spread Saturday of Paterno's condition, some 200 Penn State students and townspeople gathered at a statue of Paterno just outside a gate at Beaver Stadium. Some brought candles, while others held up their smart phones to take photos of the scene. The mood was somber, with no chanting or shouting.
''Drove by students at the Joe statue,'' Jay Paterno tweeted. ''Just told my Dad about all the love & support — inspiring him.''
Penn State student David Marselles held a candle in his right hand and posed next to a life-sized cardboard cutout of Paterno that he keeps at his apartment. A friend took a photo on the frigid night.
"I came to Penn State because of Joe Paterno. Since I was a little kid, I've been watching the games . . . screaming 'We Are ... Penn State' because of him. . . . He inspired me to go to college," Marselles said. "With such a tragic event like this, I just thought it was necessary to show my support."
The pelvis injury forced the Hall of Famer to spend most of his last season coaching from the press box — until trustees dismissed him.
Paterno won 409 games and took the Nittany Lions to 37 bowl games and two national championships, the last in the 1986 season. More than 250 of the players he coached went on to the NFL.
Throughout his coaching years, Paterno maintained that, yes, winning was important, but even more important was winning with honor.
"When he decided to forego a career in law and make coaching his vocation," the family statement said, "his father Angelo had but one command: Make an impact.
"As the last 61 years have shown, Joe made an incredible impact. That impact has been felt and appreciated by our family in the form of thousands of letters and well wishes along with countless acts of kindness from people whose lives he touched. It is evident also in the thousands of successful student athletes who have gone on to multiply that impact as they spread out across the country.
"And so he leaves us with a peaceful mind, comforted by his "living legacy" of five kids, 17 grandchildren, and hundreds of young men whose lives he changed in more ways than can begin to be counted."
In lieu of flowers or gifts, the family requests that donations be made to the Special Olympics of Pennsylvania or the Penn State-THON, The Penn State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon.
