Joseph Michelich, Jr.

Joseph Michelich, Jr., 96, of Auburn died June 11 at Sunrise Nursing Home in Virden.

A Celebration of Life is planned for Sunday, June 28 from 3 to 6 p.m. at Edgewood Golf Course in Auburn. All friends and family are invited to attend.

He was born December 2, 1929 in Auburn, the only son of the late Joseph and Ida (Spagnoli) Michelich. He married the former Joyce D. MacKellar in 1951 in Detroit, Michigan.

His parents, needing to find gainful employment, moved from Auburn to Detroit to work in the auto industry. He graduated from Southeastern High School in Detroit in 1947. While in high school and with his love of sports, he wrote sports for the East Side Shopper. He served In the U.S. Navy in Norfolk, Virginia for four years and returned to Detroit and graduated from Wayne State University with a degree in journalism.

In 1959, he moved his family back to Auburn to purchase the Auburn Citizen and Divernon News newspapers.  He went on to add newspapers The Chatham Clarion, The Pawnee Post and The Rochester Times in the 1960’s and 1970’s. Known then as South County Publications, he purchased The New Berlin Bee and The Pleasant Plains Press in 2000 and added The Riverton Register, Williamsville Sun-Times and the Tri-City Register in 2007.

He was active in the Southern Illinois Editorial Association (SIEA) served as president and was a member of the Illinois Press Association (IPA). The Auburn Citizen was a consistent award winner, taking first place in the General Excellence category in 1972, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1990, 1991, 1997, 1998 and 2000 as well as numerous awards for Best Editorial Page, Best Original Column (The Bystander) and Best Sports Coverage.

He was instrumental in the formation of Edgewood Country Club in Auburn, in 1963 serving as president. An avid golfer, he won the Edgewood club championship in 1965, 1966, 1969, 1975 and 1980.

He was also very involved in youth baseball, coaching the local PONY (Protect Our Nation’s Youth) league team for over 20 years and was the coach for the Central Illinois PONY League All-Star team for many years. He went on to be a member of the PONY Baseball and Softball International Board of Directors 1982-2006, serving as its Chairman of the Board in 2001-02, was named to the PONY Baseball and Softball Wall of Fame in 1982 was the Colt League World Series Tournament Director in Lafayette, Indiana from 1996-2006.

He was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1988 and was honored by the Illinois Athletic Directors Association as a Friend of the Association in 2004.

He received many community awards over the years including Auburn VFW Service Award in 1976, the Auburn Ministerial Alliance service award in 1970, the Auburn Sertoma Service to Mankind Award in 1982, and was honored as a Friend of the County by the Sangamon County High School Principal’s Association in 2004.

Survivors include three children, Janet Deatherage of Auburn, Jill (Randall) Boomer of Jerseyville and Joe Michelich of Auburn; two granddaughters, Elizabeth (Jeff) Bowen of Townsend, Vermont and Katherine (Dennis) Pascall of Bloomington; seven great-grandchildren, Isabella, Jules and Lily Bowen and Patrick, Casey, Duncan and Ida Pascall and other extended family.

He was preceded in death by his parents and wife; son-in-law, Michael Deatherage and daughter-in-law, Connie Michelich.

Memorials may be made to the Auburn Emergency Squad or the Auburn Fire Department.

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