John S. Champion

John S. Champion, 77, of Southwinds Dr., died Thursday,July 21, 2011 at South County Hospital, surrounded by his loving family. He was the beloved husband of Marie A. (Pucella) Champion for 52 years. Born in Wakefield, RI, he was the son of the late Ernest G. and Kathleen (Bowler) Champion. Mr. Champion graduated from Westerly High School in 1952. After serving 3 years in the United States Marine Corps, he continued his education at the University of Rhode Island graduating in 1961 with a BA and then a MA. Upon graduation he was hired by the South Kingstown School Department as a 5th and 6th grade teacher at the Hazard School while awaiting the completion of the new Junior High School on Curtis Corner Rd., where he was appointed as the first physical education teacher. He held this position until his retirement after completing 33 years of teaching and coaching. He began his coaching career in 1961 and remained a basketball coach at the South Kingstown High school for 25 years. He also coached the Junior High School Baseball Team for many years. Mr. Champion spent his summers supervising camps for the children in South Kingstown, beginning with the South Kingstown Recreation Department and moving on to the South Kingstown YMCA camps at Camp Fuller. He was an avid South Kingstown Schools sports fan and after retirement worked at the game gates selling tickets to the various sports events, where he continued to keep in touch with the students, parents and fans. He continued this position until his illness. Mr. Champion, while a basketball coach at the high school was inducted into the Rhode Island Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, an honor which he greatly cherished. Besides his wife he is survived by a son, James J. Champion and his wife Alicia Verdi of Wakefield, daughters, Jennifer Gray and her husband Donald of Wakefield, Carol Bard and her fiancé Charles Moore of Exeter and Amy Davis and her husband Stephen of Wakefield; grandchildren, Teddy Champion, Patrick Gray, David and Emilie Bard, Brad Davis and Jill Davis Lambert; great grandson, Nicholas Lambert and a sister, Mary Brown and her husband Sam of Westerly. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Monday at 10:00 AM in St. Francis of Assisi Church, 114 High St., Wakefield. Burial will be in St. Francis Cemetery, Peace Dale. Visiting hours Sunday 1-4 PM in the Avery-Storti Funeral Home, 88 Columbia St., Wakefield. Donations in memory of Mr. Champion may be made to S. K. Boosters Club, 215 Columbia St., Wakefield, RI 02879. For guest book and condolences, averystortifuneralhome.com.