James A. Myers III – May 23, 1977 — Jun 6, 2026 – Obituary
Tribune Democrat Article
‘Going to be missed’: Bishop McCort softball coach remembered fondly
By Jake Oswalt joswalt@tribdem.com Jun 9, 2026
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The Bishop McCort Catholic and local softball community is grieving the loss of coach Jimmy Myers. Myers, 49, a graduate of Greater Johnstown High School, completed his second season leading the Bishop McCort program this year and was president of PA Elite Softball. Myers, who underwent a kidney transplant in 2025, passed away Saturday after suffering a heart attack while returning home from a softball tournament.
His passing left a massive void in the local softball community. “Jimmy was all heart,” said Bishop McCort dean of students Chris Pfeil, whose daughter Hannah played for Jimmy Myers and with his youngest daughter Lariah Myers. “He coached the girls with his heart. He treated those girls like they were his own daughters. He took care of them beyond the softball field. He made sure that they were growing up to be good students and good people off the field. He was a very knowledgeable coach of the game. He coached local softball for two decades.
“Both of his daughters were standout players. Lariah was an allstate player last year as a freshman. Shae had a great career at Seton Hill. He really instilled a work ethic. The thing about Jimmy was if you played for him, you better be ready to go to practice and work hard every day.” Jimmy Myers is survived by his girlfriend Beth Thomas and daughters Shaelynn Myers, who hit a program- record 27 homers at Greater Johnstown and played collegiately at Seton Hill University, and Lariah Myers, who is a rising junior at Bishop McCort with a .489 average and 15 homers at the plate and a 2.57 ERA with 272 strikeouts in 191 innings. Lariah Myers was named to the 2025 Pennsylvania High School Softball Coaches Association Class 1A all-state second team. Under Jimmy Myers’ tutelage, Bishop McCort advanced to the District 6 Class 1A softball quarterfinals in each of the past two seasons. His positive outlook rubbed off on everyone he was around.
“Every time you saw Jimmy, he had a smile on his face,” Pfeil said. “Wherever he was, he lit everybody up. He was always joking around, giving everybody a boost. He was a pretty fierce competitor, but he enjoyed every moment of his life. His family meant the world to him. He was so proud of them.” Jimmy Myers did his best to help every one of his players. “He just wanted to help everyone and make them better,” Lariah Myers said. “He was just always proud of everyone for trying their hardest. He just always had confidence in everyone. He always wanted everyone to succeed.”
Shaelynn Myers echoed her sister’s thoughts. “He was just so supportive and just wanting everyone to succeed,” Shaelynn Myers said. “He was really stern. It was just his energy. He was hyped. He was very serious in that he wanted to win. He wanted the girls to do good. When they did good, it was just so accomplishing on his part because he knows that they can do it. He loved seeing them practice off the field and then see what they worked on happen in the games.”
Jimmy Myers was a pick-up player with Principle Development in the 1996 All American Amateur Baseball Association Tournament under coach Dee Dee Osborne. He earned the respect of his peers. “We played against each other,” said Rick Roberts, who was Myers’ teammate on Principle Development in 1996.
“He’s a great athlete, a great competitor. I just recently started getting into softball and got to coach against Jimmy. We always had a mutual respect. He raised two really good daughters that were great in the softball world. He made a big impact on girls in travel softball in this area. He was one of the first guys to start it. I thought he did a good job with the kids. He’s definitely going to be missed.” His playing style matched his coaching personality. “He’s hard-working, very dedicated,” Roberts said of Myers. “He put in a lot of time. He wasn’t afraid to put in the work.
“He made sure his kids were all taken care of that way. He ran a very good program, kept them working hard, kept them doing the right stuff. He was a great athlete when he played. He was just super-fast and a tough out. It stinks when local guys who do good things in the community pass away way too young.”
Jake Oswalt is a copy editor for The Tribune-Democrat. Follow him on Twitter @TheWizOfOz11.
