`Guv': End Of A Life Of Service -- Former Lt. Gov. John Cherberg, 81, Remembered For Dignity, Fairness

John Cherberg, who held office for more years than any other lieutenant governor in American history, died yesterday. He was 81. .

For 32 years, the man known as "Cowboy" and "Guv" presided over the state Senate and played host to visitors in his gold-and-green office in a corner of the state Capitol.

Flags in Olympia were immediately lowered to half staff yesterday in honor of the man who served in public office for nearly a third of the state's history. Services are scheduled for 1 p.m. Saturday at St. James Cathedral, Ninth Avenue and Marion Street, Seattle.

Before entering politics, Mr. Cherberg was a civics teacher and football coach at Cleveland and Queen Anne high schools and was head football coach at the University of Washington.

As lieutenant governor, Mr. Cherberg filled in for the governor whenever he or she left the state. It was estimated that he spent 4 1/2 years as acting governor - longer in the state's highest office than most of those elected to the post.

He didn't mind the extra duty, because when the governor was gone, he was paid the considerable difference between their two salaries.

Mr. Cherberg never lost a statewide election, outpolling all other state candidates in 1984, despite spending only $26,000.

Failing health and impaired hearing accomplished what opposition candidates could not, convincing Mr. Cherberg not to run for re-election in 1988.

"John Cherberg was one of the truly great citizens of the state of Washington and set an example for anyone interested in public service," said Gov. Booth Gardner in a statement. "He served as a source of inspiration and information for new governors, including me, and he performed all those duties with wit, grace and charm."

A MORE GENTLEMANLY ERA

Mr. Cherberg was a product of what seemed, at least on the surface, a more gentlemanly era in legislative politics.

He was widely credited with bringing a new sense of decorum and purpose to the lieutenant governor's post. While presiding over the Senate, he chastised those who dressed too casually or spoke disrespectfully of others.

In the early 1970s, he admonished a then-novice senator for wearing flowered pants on the Senate floor. The senator was Gardner.

"John Cherberg brought respect and dignity to government," said Stan McNaughton, chief executive officer of PEMCO Insurance Co. who ran Mr. Cherberg's campaigns. "He wasn't someone who cared about the normal political machinations, he cared about people."

Mr. Cherberg also worked for 15 years as a salesman for KIRO-TV. In 1963, he ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Seattle.

The "gentleman's Democrat" was a fiscal conservative and a social liberal, respected and trusted by senators on both sides of the aisle.

As a member of the state Finance Committee, he was in no hurry to approve numerous bond-sale proposals. But in 1957, he cast the tie-breaking vote to create a home for retarded children in Eastern Washington.

Mr. Cherberg served as a voting chairman of the Senate Rules Committee and personally sponsored a number of bills: to require open meetings by public agencies, Social Security for teachers, a statewide Medic One program, and legislation to protect children against sexual abuse.

MAKE-OR-BREAK RULINGS

As president of the Senate, his Parliamentary decisions could make or break amendments to bills. Mr. Cherberg usually came down on the side of strict interpretation of the Constitution, saying that if a bill was worthy of passage it should be able stand on its own and not have to ride in on the coattails of other legislation.

In one of his most heralded rulings, Mr. Cherberg turned thumbs down on an amendment in 1959 that would have authorized construction of a bridge across Puget Sound. He said privately that he'd like to see the bridge built, but what he perceived to be the law had to take precedence.

Mr. Cherberg's many rulings - seen as monuments to fair play - eventually were codified to guide future Senate presidents. In 1986, the Senate voted unanimously to name the state's Public Lands building in his honor.

Mr. Cherberg expanded the traditional ribbon-cutting and ceremonial duties of the lieutenant governor's post beyond state boundaries, leading numerous trade missions abroad.

He also personalized the job, hosting countless visitors and giving them an "Honorary Golden Key" to the state Capitol.

Many people who never met him felt good about the man because of the prompt answers they received to letters or personal telephone calls requesting information on state government or where to go to solve a problem.

"John was the state's first unofficial ombudsman before anybody heard of the word," said state Sen. Sid Snyder, who worked closely with Mr. Cherberg while serving nearly two decades as secretary of the Senate. "People who came through his office thought they were the most important people in the world. It didn't matter if they were dignitaries or not."

Mr. Cherberg was born in Pensacola, Fla., the youngest of 12 children. His father, a native of Yugoslavia, was a butcher. The future lieutenant governor was 9 years old when the family moved to the Pacific Northwest.

As quarterback of the UW's football team in 1932, "Cowboy Johnny" returned a punt for 88 yards against Stanford, a school record that stood until 1950.

After graduation, Mr. Cherberg went into teaching and coaching. At Cleveland High, he inherited a team that had won just one game in six years. Four years later, he led Cleveland's Eagles to their first - and only - city football title, following a stunning 2-0 victory over highly favored Garfield.

He and his wife, Elizabeth, were married on Aug. 17, 1935. She survives.

The Cherbergs lived for 56 years in the same Queen Anne neighborhood. They had a son, James Cherberg of Seattle; two daughters, Kay Cohrs and Barbara Tonkin, both of Seattle; and two grandchildren.

James Cherberg said that people who knew his father in his public roles would not be surprised at his private side.

"I think what characterized his public life was fairness and that was the way he was with his family," said James Cherberg. "A private person, emotionally, but very supportive and very proud."

In 1938, John Cherberg moved to Queen Anne High, his alma mater. Four years later, Queen Anne won its first championship in 13 seasons. Two years later, the school won the title again.

TROUBLED YEARS AT UW

Mr. Cherberg's success led to a call from Ralph "Pest" Welch, head coach of the Huskies, who named him backfield coach. Several years later, Mr. Cherberg became coach of the freshman team, compiling a brilliant record - 22 wins in 23 games.

When Welch left in 1953, Mr. Cherberg was his natural successor. But this time there was no winning record. Mr. Cherberg lasted just three seasons. He was ousted first in 1955, after some of the team's players revolted against what they termed his "dictatorial methods." He was then rehired by the Board of Regents, only to be fired again a year later.

Mr. Cherberg, who had remained silent, finally spoke out after the second firing. He said he had inherited an unhealthy situation in which financial favors were bestowed on players from outside the university, with the knowledge of some university officials. It was the beginning of a highly publicized scandal.

The public generally felt Mr. Cherberg had been wronged, and when he decided to run for lieutenant governor in 1956, he had a ready-made constituency. He won eight consecutive four-year terms to the office.

-- Times staff reporters Jim Simon and Joe Haberstroh contributed to this report. Material from The Associated Press also was used.