Who was Joe Walton's wife? Former Jets, Robert Morris University coach dies at 85
Former Robert Morris University and New York Jets head coach Joe Walton died on Sunday at the age of 85, Robert Morris University announced on Sunday, August 15. In a statement, Robert Morris' sports department confirmed the news.
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Walton, 85, is the franchise's all-time leader in coaching victories. He became the Jets' head coach after two years as the team's offensive coordinator under Walt Michaels. Rich Kotite, Bud Carson, Joe Theismann, Fran Tarkenton, Norm Snead, Ken O'Brien, and Richard Todd are among Walton's NFL protégés. Walton died on Sunday, according to an obituary on Robert Morris' website. There was no mention of a cause of death. Here's what we know about his wife.
Sending our condolences to the @RMU_Football family after hearing of the passing of legendary coach Joe Walton. pic.twitter.com/eCNOMQKXka
— Monmouth Hawks (@MonmouthHawks) August 15, 2021
Who was Joe Walton's wife?
Joe Walton's wife is Patty Sheehan Walton. She is Walton's second wife. The couple married on December 10, 2011. She is the second of Neil and Jean Sheehan, according to this obituary. She and Walton lived in Beaver Falls. Her mother, a longtime resident of Oak Park died of pancreatic cancer in 2019.
According to this 2013 article by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, Walton, who was 78 years old at the time, had battled prostate cancer in 2001 and colon cancer in 1999. He experienced a heart attack while rehabilitating after having his right knee replaced a year ago. The article added that Walton and Patty will spend the winter months in their paradise, Puerto Rico.
“I’ve been going for January, February and March for years,” Walton said to the website. “I always came home in early March to get ready for spring ball. This time, I’ll be able to stay the whole month.” Walton's first wife Ginger died in 2007 after 47 years of marriage. The couple had three children, daughters Jodi and Stacy as well as a son named Joe, and six grandchildren. The New York Jets head coach is also survived by his wife Patty.
The RMU Department of Athletics is sorry to learn of the passing of Joe Walton, the architect of @RMU_Football.
— RMU Athletics (@RMUAthletics) August 15, 2021
Walton was inducted into the RMU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2013, and he is seen pictured here with former Washington quarterback @Theismann7.#RMUFB | 🔵🏈🔴 pic.twitter.com/8br1Fn5IJP
“Joe Walton poured his heart into this franchise for nine seasons,” the Jets said in a statement, according to ABC. “Joining us as an offensive coordinator before taking over as the head coach, Joe fielded some of the franchise's most productive offenses and helped the teams to four playoff appearances during his tenure. He was a good man who cared for his players and loved the game of football.”
Robert Morris senior associate athletic director Marty Galosi said: “Coach Walton took our football program from nothing to something special. The fact that he built it from scratch and won early on was a bonus. He was a great coach, but he was a better man as well as a role model for all of the student-athletes and coaches that were under his tutelage. His legacy at RMU will last a long time.”