At the end of the funeral service Saturday, Jan. 9, for Josh Linthicum, the speakers above the Kenton Ridge High School gym roared to life with “Old Wabash” the fight song of Wabash College.

“Long in our hearts, we’ll bear the sweetest mem’ries of thee,” the song goes. “Long shall we sing thy praises, Old Wabash!”

Linthicum, a 2008 Kenton Ridge graduate, spent just a year and a half with the Wabash football team before his death on Monday from heart failure during hip surgery, but he left an impression that will last a lifetime.

As the song played, all eyes turned to the Wabash players and coaches in attendance. They joined the chorus, as they might on a Saturday afternoon in the fall. Only this time, they sang for their teammate, a 6-foot-3, 315-pound offensive linemen who had a personality as large as his body.

“He had a way of disarming individuals,” said Rev. David M. Reeves. “His size was intimidating, but his smile and laugh could put you at ease.”

Linthicum’s lifetime in athletics was on display outside the gym in several photo collages. One photo showed Linthicum in front of Northridge Middle School in 1999, wearing a hat with the Cleveland Indians logo and holding a baseball trophy. Another showed him in his No. 70 Wabash jersey, shouting from the sideline as a Wabash wide receiver ran past him.

Reeves described Linthicum as “huggable” and “a big, ornery teddy bear.”

Linthicum’s uncle Daniel Hoy said, “Josh was born with a smile on his face. I’ve never seen a happier child.”

Chad Linthicum, six years older than his brother, said Josh was always bigger and better at sports than him.

Still, “I looked up to my little brother,” Chad said.

Linthicum battled injuries during his time with the Cougars, Kenton Ridge football coach Joel Marratta said, but he was one of the strongest players because he spent so much time in the weight room.

“He was willing to do all the little things it took to get to the next level,” Marratta said.