Obituary for Robert "Bob" Sudyk
Longtime Cleveland Sports Writer, Editor and Columnist, Robert “Bob” Sudyk, 85, passed away peacefully June 27, 2019.
He was born Sept. 7, 1933, in Cleveland
Bob graduated from Rhodes in 1951, enrolled and earned a degree in Journalism from The Ohio State University, where he played first base for the 1955 OSU Big Ten Championship team. He wrote: “Me and The Spitter,” with major league pitcher, Gaylord Perry. He was also a longtime friend of the late New York Yankee owner, George Steinbrenner, who pressured him for years to join the Yankees public relations staff.
Mr. Sudyk worked as a Sporting News correspondent 15 years, National Sports Columnist five years for Newspaper Enterprise Association, produced “Profiles,” a daily sports cartoon feature for NEA that was nationally syndicated in more than 30 newspapers, and at the Cleveland Press, Bob was an Indians baseball writer from 1962 to 1977, and named Sports Editor and Columnist in 1977. In 1981, he became a National Columnist for the Hartford Courant, and years later, a Sunday magazine staff writer for “Northeast.” Bob received the “Masters Reporters Award” for a lifetime of work by the New England Society of Newspapers Editors (1994).
Bob had written a magazine piece about the first woman soldier to die in the Iraq war which was put in nomination for the Pulitzer Prize by the Courant. A New Jersey film company then purchased the movie rights to the story, “A Soldier’s Honor.” He also covered 25 World Series, a dozen Super Bowls, the Masters, U.S. and British Open Golf Tournaments, Wimbledon Tennis, Horse Racing’s Triple Crown and Olympic Games at Lake Placid, NY and Sarajevo.
He was the loving father of Steven (Jeanne) Sudyk, Susan Scruton, Brad (Karen) Sudyk and Barbara Goggins; cherished grandfather of Katie Padgett (fiancé, Joel Murphy), Stone Sudyk, Betsy and Chris Scruton, and Julia, Emily and Veronica Goggins; great-grandfather of Ashley Padgett; brother of James Sudyk; and former husband of Arleen Sudyk.
Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Linda Sudyk; and parents, Stephen and Emily (nee Pilger) Sudyk.
Family will receive friends from 2 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at McMahon-Coyne-Vitantonio Funeral Home, 6330 Center St. (Route 615, north of Route 2), Mentor.
Funeral Mass will be held 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Gabriel Catholic Church, 9925 Johnnycake Ridge Road, Concord Township. Burial will be in All Souls Cemetery in Chardon Township.
To leave condolences for the family, order flowers or participate in the Memorial Tree Program, visit www.MCVfuneralhomes.com.
He was born Sept. 7, 1933, in Cleveland
Bob graduated from Rhodes in 1951, enrolled and earned a degree in Journalism from The Ohio State University, where he played first base for the 1955 OSU Big Ten Championship team. He wrote: “Me and The Spitter,” with major league pitcher, Gaylord Perry. He was also a longtime friend of the late New York Yankee owner, George Steinbrenner, who pressured him for years to join the Yankees public relations staff.
Mr. Sudyk worked as a Sporting News correspondent 15 years, National Sports Columnist five years for Newspaper Enterprise Association, produced “Profiles,” a daily sports cartoon feature for NEA that was nationally syndicated in more than 30 newspapers, and at the Cleveland Press, Bob was an Indians baseball writer from 1962 to 1977, and named Sports Editor and Columnist in 1977. In 1981, he became a National Columnist for the Hartford Courant, and years later, a Sunday magazine staff writer for “Northeast.” Bob received the “Masters Reporters Award” for a lifetime of work by the New England Society of Newspapers Editors (1994).
Bob had written a magazine piece about the first woman soldier to die in the Iraq war which was put in nomination for the Pulitzer Prize by the Courant. A New Jersey film company then purchased the movie rights to the story, “A Soldier’s Honor.” He also covered 25 World Series, a dozen Super Bowls, the Masters, U.S. and British Open Golf Tournaments, Wimbledon Tennis, Horse Racing’s Triple Crown and Olympic Games at Lake Placid, NY and Sarajevo.
He was the loving father of Steven (Jeanne) Sudyk, Susan Scruton, Brad (Karen) Sudyk and Barbara Goggins; cherished grandfather of Katie Padgett (fiancé, Joel Murphy), Stone Sudyk, Betsy and Chris Scruton, and Julia, Emily and Veronica Goggins; great-grandfather of Ashley Padgett; brother of James Sudyk; and former husband of Arleen Sudyk.
Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Linda Sudyk; and parents, Stephen and Emily (nee Pilger) Sudyk.
Family will receive friends from 2 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at McMahon-Coyne-Vitantonio Funeral Home, 6330 Center St. (Route 615, north of Route 2), Mentor.
Funeral Mass will be held 10 a.m. Wednesday at St. Gabriel Catholic Church, 9925 Johnnycake Ridge Road, Concord Township. Burial will be in All Souls Cemetery in Chardon Township.
To leave condolences for the family, order flowers or participate in the Memorial Tree Program, visit www.MCVfuneralhomes.com.