Cancer survivor Johnny Weishar chats with Casey Coleman at the Westlake Relay For Life in June. (Photo courtesy of Jimmy Lee)

Coleman battled cancer to the end
By Kevin Kelley
Westshore
Published Nov. 29, 2006

Just a week after Casey Coleman learned he had only months to live, he told the hundreds gathered at Westlake High School’s football stadium for the annual American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life fund-raiser that he would fight cancer until the very end.

Casey Coleman

For the 55-year-old local sportscaster, the end came Monday morning after a year-long battle with pancreatic cancer.

Jimmy Lee, the Westlake resident who has run the Westlake Relay For Life for several years, said Coleman was very matter-of-fact in his attitude toward fighting the disease.

“He was very calm about talking about his diagnosis,” Lee told West Life. “Instead of talking about himself, he was talking about how he could help spread the message about fighting cancer.”

Lee recalled the poignant words Coleman spoke at the Westlake Relay on June 9.

Podcast Sportscaster Casey Coleman speaks about his battle with pancreatic cancer June 9 at Westlake Relay For Life. MP3 • 319KB • 2:43

“I don’t know how many months I have left,” Coleman said, “but I’m going to go kicking and screaming. I told people, don’t confuse serenity with surrender, because I’m not surrendering a bit. But by the same token, I have reconciled my life. I have been able to reconcile my life to the point where I know that I am truly blessed with the opportunity to serve as an example right until my demise and I am honored to do that.”

“Those were words spoken from a wise man,” Lee said.

Coleman said cancer’s biggest ally was indifference.

“Simply by caring, we can beat this thing,” Coleman said, “and will beat it.

“We’re not going to hold any pity parties. And in the time remaining, we’re going to do our level best — my wife, Mary, and I and a lot of friends and family — are going to do our best to battle cancer right up until the very end. Because, like I say, when we turn our back on cancer, cancer wins.”

Lee, who also runs the Bay Relay fund-raiser, contacted Coleman through a friend after reading about his diagnosis in The Plain Dealer. Coleman, who invited Lee over to his house, appeared at the Bay Relay in May as well.

On June 24, Coleman appeared at the PanCAN (Pancreatic Cancer) “Race to Make a Difference” walk and run in his native Bay Village. Coleman’s participation was credited with raising $60,000 — triple the funds raised in 2005.

“By coming today, you’re showing that you’re not going to let cancer win,” Coleman told the 800 participants — double the previous year’s turnout.

While it’s only the ninth most common cancer, pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common killer due to the low survival rate. Only 4 percent of patients diagnosed with the disease survive five years beyond the diagnosis.

“It’s an under-funded disease,” said John O’Hara, PanCAN Team Hope Manager told West Life in June.

Early detection of the disease has been elusive, he added.

“That’s the tragedy of the disease — people have no idea they have it until it’s too late,” O’Hara said.

Lee agreed, noting that pancreatic cancer is usually diagnosed in the later stages.

“There’s not a lot of money assigned for pancreatic cancer research,” Lee said.

Coleman, who most recently served as the sideline reporter for Cleveland Browns radio broadcasts, pre-game radio host for Indians games, and morning show host at WTAM, reported on Cleveland sports since 1979 when he took a job with radio station WERE.

He served as sports director and main sports anchor at WJW Channel 8 for nearly two decades.

His broadcasting career saw occasional setbacks. He succeeded Nev Chandler as the radio voice of the old Browns their last two years in town and experienced the ire of many fans by supporting unpopular head coach Bill Belichick. After battling alcoholism, Coleman later helped others defeat the addiction by becoming a counselor at Recovery Resources.

West Life sports reporter Matt Pawlikowski first met Coleman in the late 1990s after moving to Cleveland from his native Pennsylvania.

“I was always impressed by his demeanor and his knowledge of sports,” Pawlikowski said, “and his willingness to offer insight or help if you needed it.

Pawlikowski, like fellow sports reporters, said Coleman was known for his sense of humor.

“I always thought he was a class act,” Pawlikowski added. “He was fun to be around.”

Throughout 2006, Coleman received several awards and accolades from his media colleagues. He jokingly referred to the last year as “the Casey Coleman Farewell Tour.”

Just a month before his death, Coleman was inducted into the Press Club of Cleveland’s Hall of Fame.

Coleman said he took pleasure in joining his father, the late Ken Coleman, who broadcast Indians and Browns games during the 1950s and ‘60s, in the Press Club Hall of Fame.

“The way my life is these days, I eat dessert first,” Coleman said at the Oct. 26 ceremony held at Westlake’s LaCentre Conference and Banquet Center. “Unfortunately, we’ve kind of moved from ‘rounding third and heading home’ to ‘Hang On Sloopy’-mode.

“I’ve come to the reality of what this cancer is all about and what the results are going to be,” he said. “But my last days are going to be OK because of my (wife) Mary.”

At the local Emmy awards ceremony, held Sept. 9 at LaCentre, Coleman was given the Cleveland Regional Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences’ Silver Circle Award.

In addition to Mary, Coleman is survived by daughters Chelsea and Kayla and stepdaughters Jackie, Kate, Carly and Taryn McDonell.