July 25, Paul Tepley age 86 passed away in Utah at his daughter's home in Utah. Paul is survived by his daughter Christine and husband Gary Pratt. Paul's wife Karen passed away a few years ago. Both were active friends of Lakewood Library, Karen had worked for Judge Carroll and the City of Lakewood.
I had the pleasure of knowing Paul through his amazing sports photos that had appeared for decades in the Cleveland Press and when it closed the Plain Dealer. I was also lucky to share office space and studio space with him in Rozi's building on Detroit Ave. in Lakewood. When I first moved my studio there September 11, 2001, Paul came to the office to watch TV as we all were in awe of what was unfolding that morning. It would become a habit of Paul, starting the day in my office over coffee and conversation. He became a friend, mentor and almost father figure to me.
Lakewood Public Library Director James Crawford with Paul Tepley.
Paul had started out studying Journalism at Kent State hoping to be a writer, but ended up in the Navy as a photographer during the Korean War. Where they would put him in the nose of a plane to take pictures of enemy installations. Coming home he took a job with United Press International and eventually the Cleveland Press. Where he became one of the best sports photographers of all time, and was a proud member of Journalism Hall of Fame, was featured on ESPN, and in the pages of the Lakewood Observer something he always would joke was the pinnacle! He was also the author and photographer for the book "Cleveland's Browns" documenting the Cleveland Browns first 50 years, from their beginning to end.
Years ago Paul gave his amazing collection of sports photos to Getty Images, where they will live on forever...
Including...
Infamous Beer Night
The Browns
Donnie Rodgers just before his overdose.
Nearly every great photo of Jim Brown, Brian Sipes, Bernie Kosar and most of the others ever taken.
And other sports...
Muhammad Ali versus Chuck Wepner (Getty Images)
Muhammad Ali versus Chuck Wepner (Getty Images)
Muhammad Ali versus Chuck Wepner (Getty Images)
Paul, was a total class act, someone that realized it was all about the other person. The person he was photographing, working with, even sharing space with. He always worked and succeeded in bringing out the best of others while never putting himself first. The day he was inducted into the Hall of Fame he was embarrassed to speak of it, and instead told one of his favorite stories, a story that truly underlines who he was, and what he was all about.
A kid who lived near by hadn't been to a baseball game in years, so Paul gave him his ticket to the game. Paul figuring, it will not be the end of everything if he missed a game and certainly his boss would understand as the Indians were not doing real well that year. So Paul gave him the ticket and went about spending the night with his wife and enjoying life at home with her. Well Paul turned on the radio to see how the tribe was doing, and he was shocked to find out, Lenny Barker was but two outs away from his perfect game. He spent the next 15 minutes hoping it wouldn't happen as he would have to face the fact he was not there, and had given his ticket away. Well as we all know Lenny pitched that perfect game to make history, and the PD was able to acquire another image. They completely understood what Paul had done and why. He was a person that never quit given of himself to others, the community and those who needed his help. Paul never regretted given that ticket away, and as he would tell the story you could feel that this was truly a beautiful human being. Then with a smile he would stop and say, "For a couple outs I was thinking, there goes my job. But I am so glad the kid got a chance to see the game it really didn't matter."
His daughter has asked in lieu of flowers, cards or donations, "Please pray the Indians win the World Series'" his lifelong dream, and/or give donations to Lakewood Public Library.
Total class act.
Paul also told one of my favorite Lakewood stories of all time that Paul loved to tell and was always quite animated while telling it. It seemed Paul had a neighbor that was getting ready to put his house up for sale. Paul went down and talked to him about why he was moving "John, you love Lakewood, why are you moving?" His neighbor answered, "You know Paul things are changing and Lakewood is changing, and I think it is time to move on." Paul would then say, "John what do you mean things are changing?" His neighbor would say, well the world is crazy, and Lakewood if following it." Paul with a question look would go one with, "Crazy, I know the world is getting crazy, but how is Lakewood crazy?" He would go one with, "Well Paul it is getting rough, and it is spreading West and Lakewood is getting tougher." Paul would say, "Tougher? What do you mean tougher?" And his neighbor John would say, "You know what I mean, open your eyes, look around, you know what I am talking about..." Paul would make that story go on and on until the person hearing it would inevitably jump in and say, "Well get to it, what happened, what happened to your neighbor?" and with a smile he would say always making his point, "Oh John, he died about 30 years ago."
Paul made everyone better, happier, comfortable and at peace. Paul and his wife Karen would take people into their lives and make them feel like family. They never stopped giving their time, their work, their trade and their love to those around them. I watched as Paul would take the time to teach others his craft of photography, putting them first, even giving them his equipment to use and later to own. Deriving peace and pleasure from the accomplishments of others that he had worked with and mentored.
After ten years of nearly every morning with Paul, he finally closed down his studio and retired, and there ended some of the best mornings at work I had ever experienced. Damn I miss Paul and Karen, and now we add his name to a growing list of Lakewood superstars that have moved on but left behind an amazing legacy, history, and big shoes for all of us to try and fill.
God speed Paul Tepley.
.