Joseph “Chick” Wisocky (1920-1984), was one of Palmerton’s “star athletes” of the 1930s, lettering in football, basketball, baseball and track (pole vault) over his four years in high school. In 1939 he was named the most valuable football player for that season.
Joe Wisocky, 1940 Palmerton High School yearbook photo
In 1939, Palmerton's football team scored 122 points during the season. Wisocky was involved in eleven touchdowns (threw a touchdown pass, returned an interception for a touchdown, and ran for nine touchdowns). That totaled to 66 Wisocky points out of Palmerton’s 122 points that season, more than half!
On Palmerton’s Lehigh Valley League basketball championship team of 1938-39, Wisocky was one of the leading scorers in the league. Palmerton lost to Hazleton in the District XI title game. For the 1939-40 season, Wisocky was counted on as a returning senior when he suffered a compound fracture of his arm in a game against Allentown in the Little Palestra in Allentown on Friday, 29 December. He was in the Allentown Hospital for almost a month recovering, with the cast coming off only in April. He still participated in track that spring.
Wisocky grew up on Hazard Road (aka Mauch Chunk Rd.) as one of six children.
He died in 1984 at the age of 63. He was survived by his second wife Catherine née Boruta and two daughters.
He was a veteran of World War II, serving with the 221st Airborne medical company, 11th airborne division.
He retired in 1980 after 39 years at the New Jersey Zinc Co.