Obituaries
George B. Shue - Passes May 6, 2025
We are deeply saddened by the passing of George B. Shue, a cherished member of our Hall of Fame family. As both an inductee and a dedicated board member, George exemplified the spirit of excellence, leadership, and service that defines our community. His contributions to the game, both on and off the field, have left a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire generations to come.
Our thoughts and heartfelt prayers are with his family, friends, and all those whose lives were touched by George’s remarkable presence. He will be profoundly missed but never forgotten.
George B. Shue, 78, of Hanover, PA, entered into God’s eternal care on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at York Hospital, surrounded by his loving family.
A proud 1964 graduate of South Western High School and a 1968 graduate of Mansfield State College with a B.S. in Elementary Education, George devoted his life to education, athletics, and guiding young people. His remarkable 35½-year career in education began in 1968 at Maple Avenue Elementary, followed by his tenure at Littlestown High School, where he taught Driver’s Education and served for a time as Athletic Director. In 1998, George joined Red Lion High School, where he continued to teach until his retirement in 2004. Alongside his public school work, George operated the George B. Shue Driver Training School for over 40 years, teaching generations of students to drive safely.
George’s coaching career left a lasting impact across York-Adams counties and beyond. He began at Littlestown, where he served as Assistant Varsity Football Coach (1968–1970), Head Varsity Football Coach (1971–1994), and Head Track and Field Coach (1968–1992). He later coached at South Western as an Assistant Varsity Football Coach (1995-1997) before taking on coaching roles at Red Lion, where he served as Head Varsity Football Coach (1998–2003) and the Head Boys Track and Field Coach (1999–2003).
He also served the Pennsylvania State Football Coaches Association as District III Director and as State Association President from 2001–2004. His leadership extended further through roles as Executive Director of the York-Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association (2012–2016), member of the PIAA Football Steering Committee, and Board Member of the Big 33 Foundation.
George’s overall football coaching career record was 226-98-5, the largest win total of any York-Adams coach. Under his leadership, Littlestown teams captured Blue Mountain League championships (1973, 1974, 1976, 1983, 1985, 1989), District III titles (1984, 1989), and Red Lion earned YAIAA titles (1998, 2003). George also led five championship track teams and was honored with numerous local Coach of the Year awards. Highlights included serving as an assistant coach in the prestigious 1990 Big 33 Football Game and as Head Coach for the East in the 2004 PSFCA East-West All-Star Football Game.
In recognition of his lifelong contributions, George was inducted into the Pennsylvania Football Coaches Hall of Fame (2004) and is a member of the York-Adams Sports Hall of Fame, the Adams County Chapter of the South Central PA Hall of Fame, and the South Central PA Sports Hall of Fame. South Western High School honored him with its Hall of Excellence award in 2022—a meaningful recognition of his lifelong dedication to young athletes and his community.
Beyond his professional accomplishments, George was a member of Bethel United Church of Christ in Spring Grove, the Hanover Republican Club, and the Hanover Home Association. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather who enjoyed life on his farm, caring for his animals, classic cars, hunting, cheering on his grandchildren at their sporting events and most of all, gathering with his large family for birthdays and holidaysAt South Central Chapter PA Sports Hall of Fame, our vision is to create a community where mental health is a top priority and individuals can access the resources they need to achieve optimal well-being.
Robert B. Kenworthy - 9/28/1935 - 1/27/2025
Robert B. Kenworthy, long-time sports information director and assistant public relations director at Gettysburg College, died Monday, January 27, at 9 a.m. at Gettysburg Hospital. He was 89.
Kenworthy was the son of the late Robert J. and Elizabeth P. (Piccola) Kenworthy. Born Saturday, September 28, 1935, in Norwalk, CT, he was the husband of Margaret M. (Redding) Kenworthy. They were married 63 years and had four children.
Kenworthy contracted polio in 1948 and went on to graduate from Delone Catholic High School in 1954 and attended Gettysburg College and Mt. St. Mary's University. He began writing sports for the Gettysburg Times while in high school and also served as a stringer for the Hanover Evening Sun and Harrisburg Patriot News. When Radio Station WGET first went on the air in 1950, he and Gettysburg High School student, Jim Coleman, conducted a Saturday morning sports show which was the longest sustaining program at the time. The two were also play-by-play announcers for high school and college football games.
In 1959, Kenworthy was named Gettysburg College's first full-time sports information director. He served in that position until his retirement in 1999. He also continued his ties with the Times, writing the “Out of the Past” column for 51 years. During the Eisenhower years at Gettysburg, he served as a stringer for Newsweek Magazine, covering young David Eisenhower's activities.
During his time at Gettysburg College, he became deeply involved with the fledgling new national organization, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), serving on many committees and panels at the annual conventions. He received CoSIDA's 25-year Award in 1985, in 1989 the organization's Warren Berg Award as the college division's top SID, was inducted into CoSIDA's Hall of Fame in 1990, and received CoSIDA's Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999. He served on CoSIDA's board of directors for three years. Kenworthy has been elected to the Adams County and South Central chapters of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fames, Gettysburg College Hall of Athletic Honor, and Delone Hall of Honor.
Kenworthy was active in the Middle Atlantic States, Centennial, and Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conferences (ECAC), serving on the SID boards of all three.
Because of his involvement in community organizations, both CoSIDA and ECAC established national awards in his honor, presented annually to a sports information director for civic involvement and accomplishments. Kenworthy has served on the boards of the Gettysburg/Adams County Chamber of Commerce, College-Community Relations; a long-time member of the Gettysburg Little League, serving three years as president; Gettysburg Recreation Board; St. Francis Xavier Parish Council and Delone Catholic High School Board of Directors; chaired Delone's 75th Anniversary campaign and was president of the Delone PTO. He was one of the original lectors at St. Francis and became an instructor for future lectors.
Surviving, besides his wife, are his children Stephanie Justen (Keith), Fairfax, VA; R. Bradley (Kim), Hanover; Christopher (Jeanne), Blue Bell; and Andrew, Harrisburg, as well as eight grandchildren, Abigail, Caleigh, Peter, Bridget Justen; Zachery (Maranda), Hannah, Alison Kenworthy, and Lexie (Jeremy) Poe. Also surviving is a brother Wayne V. Kenworthy (Margaret), Hanover, and a number of nieces and nephews along with three great-grandchildren. He was predeceased by a brother and sister-in-law Philip H. and Mary M. Kenworthy.
Tim Rimpfel passes at age 73
Tim Rimpfel passes in September 2021
Former Cumberland Valley, Bishop McDevitt and Trinity football coach Tim Rimpfel died Tuesday at age 73. No cause of death was given.
Rimpfel was a legendary coaching figure, particularly in central PA, where he led Bishop McDevitt and Cumberland Valley to multiple district titles, and helped the Eagles capture the 1992 state title. Along the way, the Rimpfel coaching tree sprouted roots, too, with Zell among several that followed his lead into program-leading gigs.
Rimpfel, 73, died Tuesday, according to a statement by Cumberland Valley, leaving those who knew him grieving but also remembering the enormous impact he made on so many lives.
“I’m not sure (who I’ll call now),” Zell said. “It won’t be easy. When you hold someone to as high of a standard as I held him … there’s a big hole. “I loved that guy,” he added. “He was a helluva mentor and a helluva guy.”
Rimpfel, a 1965 Bishop McDevitt graduate, has a legacy that stretches across 43 seasons of high school football and the demands of being a successful student-athlete. He not only emphasized commitment on the field, he championed a strong work ethic in the classroom and in the community as a longtime educator and mentor, those who knew him said.
Zell credited Rimpfel with pushing him into becoming a head coach, and when he took the job at Boiling Springs in 2018, Rimpfel joined his staff as an assistant for two seasons.
“He loved the game of football,” Zell said. “And he took time to teach you, whether you were a player or a coach. I got to learn from the very best, and not everybody has that opportunity. It’s very important to me to carry on things he taught me.”
Through his relationships at Trinity, where he also coached, Bishop McDevitt and Cumberland Valley, Rimpfel helped bolster the caliber and quality of the Mid-Penn Conference.
Countless former assistant coaches, including Joe Headen, Josh Oswalt, Zell and more are now continuing his legacy as head coaches in the MPC. Former Cumberland Valley coach and current Shippensburg University assistant Michael Whitehead remembered Rimpfel as a “father figure.”
“I learned so much from him,” Whitehead said, his voicing breaking at times. “I learned how to run a team, and all of those little things you think back on that mold you as a person. “I’m just very fortunate.”
Rimpfel went 307-100-3 in his career, leading Cumberland Valley to nine District 3 titles over 24 seasons and the 1992 PIAA Class 4A title, a 28-12 victory over Upper St. Clair, at Altoona’s Mansion Park Stadium. He is one of only 11 coaches in Pennsylvania is eclipse the 300-win mark.
“He was a passionate, old-school football coach,” Whitehead said. “He expected discipline, not only on the field but off the field, too. His record speaks for itself. You can’t question his results. It just hits you,” he said. “It’s just sad that it’s the end.”
Kathleen "Katie" Barber passed in 2015
Katie Barber: 10/24/1925 - 11/30/2015
Kathleen W. "Katie" Barber, age 90, of Carlisle, died Monday, November 30, 2015 at Chapel Pointe at Carlisle with her loving family at her side. She was born on October 24, 1925 in Glenolden, PA to the late Homer and Margaret Greene White and was the widow of Lewis C. Barber who died May 11, 1959.
Katie graduated from the Syracuse University, Class of 1947, with a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education. She was a Professor of Physical Education at Dickinson College where she coached women's field hockey, tennis, and at one point, women's basketball. While at Dickinson College, she was the Coordinator of Women's Athletics from 1974 until her retirement in 1988.
She was a former PIAA referee of field hockey and women's basketball. Katie was inducted into the Central PA Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Dickinson College Sports Hall of Fame. She was member of the Women's AAU.
Katie was a member of Second Presbyterian Church and the Carlisle Historical Society.