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LINCOLNTON––“You don’t have to say Johnny was good. He was good. He was one of the best.”

That’s how retired principal Diand Canipe put it Monday. A Crouse native who spent many years at the helm of Love Memorial Elementary, Canipe spoke from her home in Sugar Mountain and from her heart about her longtime friend, the late Johnny Colvard, the much-loved phys-ed coach at the school. He spent some three decades as a respected staffer of the Lincoln County Schools.

The school’s gymnasium will be dedicated in memory of Colvard on Oct. 15. Ceremonies kick off at 3 p.m., as Canipe informed.

According to friend Tammy Cloninger, Colvard was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer not long before Christmas of 2021. Pancreatic cancer is sadly and notoriously swift, and Cloninger added that Colvard died Jan. 18, 2022. He was 71.

“It was so sad,” Cloninger recalled. “He was so full of life. He was one of the best.”

Canipe knew Colvard for some 35 years.

“Johnny was wonderful!” she declared. “He was a staff member and a team player. He was also my friend. He was a sweet, sweet man.”

In addition to his duties as a dedicated PE coach, as Canipe added, Colvard wore a lot of other hats. One was as a referee for local Optimist Club baseball games. And he also sold insurance on the side.

“I still have it today!” Canipe observed.

How dedicated was Johnny Colvard? Canipe recalled how her friend would come into Love Memorial in the early-morning hours, to avoid the heat of the day, in order to prepare the school’s athletic fields. A time or two, this attracted the attention of members of the local constabulary, who mistook him for a trespasser before they realized it was just Coach Colvard doing what he did best: serving others.

He ensured that students had drinks and snacks, and he would himself go to local stores to get it all, just to make sure every child had something. He gave kids money for shoes, sodas and more. Canipe says he made sure every child was included in PE activities, regardless of ability levels. A very humble man, he never took credit for anything.

“He was totally inclusive of all children and their needs,” said Canipe. “He could take chaos and make it run smoothly. That was Johnny Colvard. Johnny was a real doer. He wanted to be in the background and didn’t like a lot of praise. He’d say, ‘Just show me what I need to be doing,’ and he’d do it. He would also say, ‘I appreciate it. But you didn’t have to do that.’”

A local legend

According to the Neptune Society, Colvard is survived by his wife, Vickie; a daughter, Amie Millsaps and husband Frankie; a son, Ron Colvard; and his stepdaughters, Tonya West and husband Derrick and Amy Chaney and husband Shawn. The coach is also survived by his grandchildren: Kachae Mayo, Kaiyah Millsaps, Megan and Dylan West and Ashlynn and Aubrey Chaney, as well as his beloved pet, Louie.

A member of the Lincolnton High class of 1969, Colvard was known as the school’s busiest athlete. He was renowned as a stand-out player of and a coach for many sports, including football, basketball, soccer and, as a pitcher, baseball. He was also an amateur boxer.

At Gaston College, he pitched for the baseball team and ran cross-country. On a baseball scholarship, he attended Stetson University in Deland, Fla., where he was also known for his pitching skills. He earned a degree in elementary education, with a concentration in physical education. He was inducted into the Stetson University Sport Hall of Fame in 2001.

Colvard continued in his love of sports by coaching and playing. He was an avid golfer for more than 30 years, and he played on several softball leagues. He played racquetball and some pickleball in his spare time. He was also a referee for recreational basketball.

Awards and accolades include several Golden Gloves championships between 1964 and 1970. Colvard earned several MVP and Most Valuable Pitcher awards throughout high school and college. He achieved all-state selection at Gaston College for two years. In golf, he made the first hole-in-one at Glen Oaks Country Club, shot a score of 69 at Sandpiper Bay Golf Club and achieved a double-eagle at Regent Park Golf Club. Colvard was inducted into the Lincolnton Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.

It was during his well-known disc jockey and dancing work that his larger-than-life personality truly shone. Colvard was not the life of the party; he was the party.

Possessed of a heart of gold, he routinely volunteered his DJ services at day-care centers and events for Least of These Carolinas, Lincoln County Special Olympics, Relay for Life and Purple Stride. He was also involved in many events for the Down Syndrome Association of Charlotte. He loved and cared for his family and friends deeply.

Colvard was a member of City Church in Gastonia. He served it every Sunday as an usher, and he loved going on the church’s golf trips.

Canipe summed up her friend.

“He loved our kids, and he loved our school,” she said. “I have nothing but great things to say about Johnny Colvard!”

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