John B. Masterson, a retired high school teacher and coach, died Thursday (Oct.
5, 2006) at St. Louis University Hospital. He was 85 and lived in St. Charles.

Mr. Masterson was born in St. Louis. He entered the Army, serving in the 178th
Signal Repair Company and was part of Gen. George S. Patton's 3rd Army. He took
part in the Battle of the Bulge, where he was wounded on Christmas Day, 1944.
Among his military medals were two Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart.

Mr. Masterson received a bachelor's degree in physical education from the
University of Missouri at Columbia and a master's degree from the University of
Southern California.

He taught history at Normandy Senior High School from 1954 until his retirement
in 1985. He also coached the basketball B-team at Normandy. In 1967, he took
over as head basketball coach.

After leaving Normandy High School, Mr. Masterson continued coaching basketball
at St. Charles High School. He then became the head coach at Aquinas-Mercy High
and later at Hazelwood East. At the time of his death, he had returned to St.
Charles High School, where he was a volunteer assistant coach.

Mr. Masterson received honors including the 1984 Denver Miller award for
outstanding contributions to high school basketball. Last year, he was inducted
into the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame.

He was married for 40 years to the former Lorraine H. Creamer. The couple
raised a son, Thomas Gibson, who died in 1953, and a daughter, Patricia Gibson,
who died in 1998. Lorraine Masterson died in 2001.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until the funeral at 11 a.m. today at O'Sullivan
Muckle Mortuary, 13996 Olive Boulevard, Chesterfield. Interment will be at
Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery.

Among the survivors are three grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; and
three great-great-grandchildren.