Joe McCoy

[KCSTRONGMAN]

Joe McCoy

I'm the lyrical Jesse James

[Thom Van Vleck]

I met him long ago. Rest in peace.

Thom Van Vleck
Jackson Weightlifting Club
Highland Games athlete and sometimes All-Rounder

[Tom Ryan]

I am saddened, but not surprised, to read of Joe’s passing, as Wilbur Miller told me several weeks ago that he was not doing well. Even though he was in ill health, he was still planning to hold a deadlift contest and Wilbur told me that he was planning to drive down for the competition.

Joe was active, both as a competitor and in filming competitions, during the early days of the USAWA. There were times when he would step from behind his camera to make an attempt on the platform, then return to filming the meet. 🙂

Joe was also active in Missouri Valley competitions before the USAWA was formed. One lift at which he excelled was the one-arm clean and jerk. I assume that most of you guys do the lift by cleaning the bar to one shoulder, with the end of the bar facing forward. Joe cleaned the bar the same way one would do a two-hand clean, with the bar landing across his chest. It is impressive to see someone use that technique. I don’t recall exactly how much he lifted that way, but I’m sure it was over 150. Phil Anderson was his protege and he taught Phil to do the lift that way. Phil was an impressive athlete with a tiny waist and a trim, muscular physique. I don’t recall what Phil did in the one-arm C&J at the meet at which I met him, but I believe it was about 187 — a stout poundage, needless to say, which was only about 10 pounds less than he weighed. I recall that he did a two-hand C&J of 320 at that meet.

I bought virtually all of the videos that Joe offered for sale, and I recall him once mentioning that he thought I had bought everything.

At one time Joe was talking about taking over Clark’s newsletter and had discussions with Bill about it, but that never happened.

RIP Joe!

Tom

[Denny Habecker]

I met Joe many years ago at the National Masters. I always bought a video from him when he was filming those meets. He did a nice job at that. Since I have been President of the USAWA, Joe has been calling me every couple of months to tell me how he was doing and let me know about what he was planning in the near future. I just talked to him about 5 or 6 weeks ago and he told me he was doing fine and was planning to hold this big deadlift meet. It was a shock to here of his passing.

[Author]

Posts