Edward Lee Sloniger (91) was born on February 16, 1930, to John Berton and Vernie L. Sloniger in Dayton, Pennsylvania. He was proud to have grown up in this small town which provided him with a great variety of life experiences and established many life-long friends.
Ed graduated in 1948 from Dayton High School where he developed a love of participating in sports competition. He became a foul shooting champion as well as contributing to his team’s many successes.
Following graduation, Ed enlisted and served honorably (1948-1952) as a Staff Sergeant. in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was always proud of being a marine. He served during the Korean War and took part in four major campaigns. He was part of the 1st Provisional Marine Brigade, a unit of 4500, which were rapidly deployed to help maintain the 50-mile Pusan Perimeter. The Brigade later met the remainder of the Division at sea which then made an amphibious landing at Inchon.
This success was followed by securing Kimpo airfield and the capitol Seoul. The Division then advanced rapidly up through North Korea to a point near the Manchurian Border. It was at this time that the Chinese army deployed several hundred thousand troops in support of their North Korean allies. As a result of being outnumbered (15-45), the Marines were surrounded at the Chosin reservoir. So, for the next two weeks, with temperatures of 45 degrees below zero, the Marines fought their way to Hungnam Harbor, where they were loaded on ships and sent to Pusan.
Ed was proud of the part he played in Korea to halt communist aggression. The end of the hostilities came to a conclusion at the 38th Parallel where it all started. All was not lost, however, because in the end, a very prosperous South Korea developed.
At some point, Ed was reassigned to state-side duty. For the remaining months of his military commitment, he was sent to school in preparation for becoming a Marine Corps recruiter.
Following his discharge, he spent the next months working for Ford Motor Co. in Buffalo and General Motors Co. in Cleveland. While in Cleveland, one of the most important events in his life came when the G.I. Bill of Rights became available which afforded Ed the opportunity to attend college.
He attended Slippery Rock University from 1953 to 1957 earning his Bachelor of Science Degree in Health and Physical Education. He then attended the University of Illinois in 1957-58 earning his Master of Science Degree in Health and Physical Education.
He then taught at Penn Hills High School from 1958-62. The school at this time was rated number one in the state. In addition to his teaching duties, he developed and coached the gymnastics team. There were few gymnastics teams at the time, however, he and other coaches developed a strong state-wide men’s gymnastics program.
In 1962 he returned to the University of Illinois where he completed his Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology.
It was at this time that he met Mary Elizabeth Kostelnik and later married. She was the love of his life and lifelong helpmate.
A “very” important part of his professional training was the five years learning from Dr. Thomas Cureton who was the most prominent Physical Fitness expert in the world. Dr. Cureton was considered the “Father of Modern Fitness.”
Dr. Cureton felt that this group administered the first stress test ever. It was not called a “stress test”, but did have the subject complete a series of increasing controlled levels of stress while being monitored to determine how the subject adjusted to each workload. One valuable use of this procedure was to administer the test to subjects with cardiac risk factors. Later, it prompted him and others at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) to develop a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. Next, he was employed at Norfolk State College from 1966-68.
In 1968, IUP was approved to offer a Health and Physical Education Major Program which prepared students to teach these subjects in public schools. Ed was employed, along with others, to develop the curriculum for this program. For the next 30 years, Ed’s responsibilities were teaching and coaching students and helping to develop the program so that graduates could meet societal needs. He retired in 1998 as a professor emeritus.
During his tenure at IUP, he served the University in many ways such as:
- Serving on many departmental and University committees;
- As a Senate Member
- Member of the curriculum committee, both University and departmental
- Student advisor, especially those preparing for acceptance into Physical Therapy School
- Directed the Faculty Fitness Program for 12 years.
- Helped to develop the Human Performance Lab.
- Started a Physical Education Majors Club and initiated the outstanding Major award.
- Established the Cardiac Center which was the first center in IUP history.
- He suggested establishing a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program, along with Dr. Moore, Dr. Browe, and Dr. McDowell, and excellent nurses. This program offered students the opportunity to gain experiences in preparation for employment in this area. The program was later transferred to Indiana Hospital.
- Established the Noon Hour Basketball program in 1968, which provided exercise opportunity and is still going strong.
- Initiated the gymnastics programs which provided classroom students needed assistance. This later became a club and then a varsity sport.
- He and Dr. Moore developed the Sports Program, which offered students a more in-depth understanding of exercise which better prepared the students for job opportunities involving exercise. This program has developed into a significant aspect of Major curriculum.
- Published an article “Shoveling Hazards Discussed”.
- Published an article “Scientific Basis of Variable Resistance”.
Another aspect of his service was that of Golf Coach. He was appointed as Golf Coach in 1970 and served for 17 years. He was considered by many to be the most successful Coach ever, in any sport, for men or women when considering, level of competition, number of wins in District, State, and National competition. The following is a summary of the program’s record during his tenure as Coach. IUP Golfers were required to be academically sound; they never received scholarship money, competed against approximately forty percent division 1 players, and competed almost entirely against fully-funded competition. The first two years the program was Division 1. During this time, IUP was rated number one in the East. Chris Adams won the National Long Drive competition. Later, Ron Milanovich and Ben Witter won similar championships.
- He was named NAIA District 18 top coach five times in eight years.
- Was named NCAA Division II coach of the year fifteen times.
- Became the only Division II coach to have his team qualify for the National Tournament for seventeen consecutive years.
- He amassed a Dual Meet record of 113-10-1. Later, he campaigned to have coaches set up Invitational Tournaments and end Dual meets.
- IUP placed in the top ten in the NCAA nine times finishing third on two occasions.
- Finished in the NAIA top ten five times in eight years, including final placement of 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th.
- IUP won the PSAC title 10 times in 15 years.
- IUP won the ECAC tournaments twice. This competition involved teams of all Divisions from Maine to Alabama.
- Won the IUP Invitational many times.
During his tenure as Golf Coach, the team competed in tournaments consisting of 10 to 30 teams. IUP won 52, placed second 40 times, and third place 15 times for a total of 107 tournaments. The team was rated in the top 40 teams of all divisions and as a result, was invited to participate in the St. Andrew Intercollegiate Tournament in Scotland. The team was also invited to play in the all-expense-paid tournament in Cape Coral, Florida. With respect to his coaching tenure, Ed was most proud of the fact that he was able to provide his golfers with a great golf experience. He was so appreciative of the lifelong friendships he developed with many of his golfers and their families.
Above all, Ed loved the Lord, his family, and his friends. He cherished any opportunity to gather with those close to him and was often the one to initiate those opportunities. He enjoyed traveling with his wife and organizing golf outings with family and friends. In more recent years, he took great joy in spending time with his grandsons. In turn, his grandsons loved their Pap Pap. Ed had a great influence upon countless lives. He took a great interest in maintaining his relationships with family, friends, students, and golfers. We will always remember and admire a man who was strong, kind, encouraging, and fun-loving. He will be greatly missed by those who knew and loved him.
Ed is survived by Mary Beth, his wife of 57 years, one son, Mark and wife Stephanie Sloniger along with his grandsons Graham and Benjamin. Also surviving is a sister, Betty Lou Sloniger, brother Kenneth Sloniger, many brothers and sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, and wonderful friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, Gene, Carl, and Barry Sloniger, three sisters, Golda Adaire Jamison, Lois Coleman, and Margaret Van Horn, and his granddaughter Kara Elise Sloniger.
The family would like to thank the doctors, nurses and staff of the VNA Family Hospice for their kindness and excellent care shown Ed during his illness.
At Ed’s family’s request, all services will be private and have been entrusted to the care of the Bowser-Minich Funeral Home. To send an online condolence to the family, please visit www.bowserminich.com.
