Seattle's `Godfather Of Boxing' Dies At 73

Joe Toro, described by one of his ex-fighters as ``a godfather of boxing in the Seattle area'' for more than 40 years, died early yesterday at Swedish Hospital after suffering a stroke. He was 73.

Toro, who coached such notables as Boone Kirkman, Ibar Arrington and Mike Lankester, ran the Eagles Gym at Sixth and Union from the early 1960s until the building was condemned in 1984. Since then, he had worked with a boxers' support group, Neutral Corner, said Mike Merriam, who fought under Toro for 15 years.

Born in Puerto Rico, Toro grew up in Jersey City, N.J. and was an amateur fighter during his youth. He was stationed in Seattle while in the Army during World War II and stayed after the war.

Before becoming involved with the Eagles Gym, Toro helped train fighters at the Greenwood Boys' Club.

``He grew up tough,'' said Merriam, who later worked with Toro training boxers at the Eagles Gym. ``He came from an era and a time where if you backed down, you were acknowledging defeat. He instilled some of those values in his fighters. He just loved boxing. It was a passion.''

``He basically was the backbone of Seattle boxing until '84,'' said Bob Jarvis, another of Toro's ex-boxers.

``He would work with the kids or with the older guys . . . He gave up his time to a lot of people. He will be missed in the Northwest, especially by the boxing community.''

Although he never trained a world champion, Toro had many fighters who fought world champions. Kirkman had a long career as a heavyweight. Arrington's bouts included a shot at heavyweight champion Larry Holmes. Lankester, a middleweight, fought ex-world champion Luis Rodriguez at the Seattle Arena in 1971.

Toro took his fighters around the world, and was a contemporary of world-famous trainers Eddie Futch and Angelo Dundee, among others.

``Joe Toro was more or less a godfather of boxing in the Seattle area,'' Merriam said. ``I say the word `father' because he was like a father to many of us.

``Everyone who Joe taught wound being a very good fighter or at least wound up being tough. He put his heart and his soul into it,'' Merriam said.

Toro suffered from diabetes. In his later years, he had heart surgery and had problems with his liver, said his widow, Blanche.

``I think that the only happiness he knew was boxing,'' she said.

Toro also is survived by eight children.

His funeral will take place at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Butterworth's Funeral Home, 520 W. Roy St. A wake will follow funeral services at 1 p.m. at the Seattle Eagles Club at Michigan and Corson.