Golf coach Lonnie Barton passes away

8/31/04 -- Lonnie Barton, whose inspiration as Long Island's men's and women's golf coach helped turn this season into its most memorable, passed away Sunday following a long bout with cancer at age 51.

Barton lost his three-year battle with soft-tissue sarcoma, a form of juvenile cancer, in his lungs and pelvis. He had been undergoing chemotherapy almost two years and only missed one tournament prior to last spring.

One tournament Barton did not miss last spring turned out to be his crowning achievement as the men's squad won its first Northeast Conference title and advanced to its first NCAA Tournament. Barton was named the NEC Coach of the Year for his second time with the men's squad (he also won with the women's team in 2002).

A passionate coach with a determined work ethic, Barton took over the reins as coach of the men's squad in 1996 and turned the program into one of the NEC's most formidable. He coached seven all-conference players over eight years on the men's side, including three a season ago, and the Blackbirds consistently excelled against some of the region's elite teams on a weekly basis.

That energy carried over to the women's program, which began in 2001 and has finished second in the NEC all three years. Barton helped lead LIU to two tournament championships during that stretch and mentored eight All-NEC players.

A proud member of the U.S. Marine Corps and a Vietnam veteran, Barton also was a free-lance instructor and attempted to play on the Senior PGA Tour. He also played professional tennis as a member of the Converse Satellite Tour.

"The university community is deeply saddened by the passing of Lonnie Barton," director of athletics John Suarez said. "He was an inspiration not only for the entire athletic department, but also the entire campus."

A memorial service is being planned for next week.