Fans, Friends and Neighbors Say Goodbye to Johnny

He was a gentleman. A man's man. A lady's man.

Visitors to wake in Lynn on Sunday afternoon said goodbye to the Red Sox legend, walking away remembering the extraordinary ways in which he interacted with all people.

The anecdotes they told wove a theme — as crisp as a well-chucked baseball zipping around the horn. 

General contractor Frank Obey and his father worked at Johnny's homes over the years — first in Lynn and later in Swampscott — and knew the Pesky family well. 

Frank remembers sitting with Johnny inside his Parsons Drive home in Swampscott talking baseball while outside his crew sawed and hammered away on a porch or some such project.

One time they talked so long Frank was thinking he better get back on the job and tend to business.

John Hoffman of Lynn, whose father was public address announcer for the Red Sox and other professional teams in Boston, said Johnny connected to everyday people — sitting at breakfast or lunch or over coffee.

"He took delight in being around senior citizens and kids," he said. 

Bruce MacRae said Johnny took delight in being around women.

Bruce stayed at the same Danvers senior living community where Johnny stayed for the past year or so.

"He loved the women," said Bruce, who took lots of pictures of Johnny with nurses and other women at the residence.

Bruce arrived to the  in a cab.

The cab driver, Joe Bingham, said he, too, was a Johnny Pesky fan, and has been following the Red Sox since 1967.

Several people leaving Johnny's wake recalled times they sat with Johnny at a ball game or when Johnny gave them a signed baseball.  

Red Sox fan Victoria Glidden, 14, of Lynn has an autographed baseball from Johnny, her mom said.

Lane Foreman and his parents, Sumner and Marsha, of Marblehead showed off some of the signed baseballs Johnny had given them.

Johnny was also always willing to sign a bat or ball or glove for a charity auction event.

One of the visitors to calling hours has a unique Johnny Pesky charity connection.

Swampscott resident Neil Bernstein wears a handmade tape-cardboard-and-wire model of the when he runs the Boston Marathon to raise money for the Jimmy Fund.

Johnny was one of the few ballplayers — perhaps the only one — to have a foul pole nick-named after him at a major league ballpark (Fenway).

Johnny endorsed the hat idea — anything to help strike out cancer — and had his picture taken with Neil and his pole-hat.

It was that kind of good humor that characterized Johnny, visitors said.

Johnny, of Swampscott, was 93,

Swampscott neighbors Gene and Barbara Barden knew Johnny and his family over the years.

He was a good guy, they said.

Driving by he would blow a kiss to Barbara, she said.

For the past several days, Swampscott, New England and Red Sox Nation  havebeen blowing a kiss goodbye to Johnny.