Love returns to area, keeps himself busy, plans to remain here

MONESSEN - Wearing a lot of different hats has never been a problem for Willis Love.

Back in his high school days at Monessen in the early 1970s, Love wore two hats very well, one as a football player and one as a basketball player at MHS.

He earned a full-scholarship in football from the University of Cincinnati, where he lettered three of his four years while playing tight end.

Today, Love wears so many hats that he needs a rack just to keep track of them.

For starters, the 49-year-old Monessen resident is a behavioral specialist with the Washington School District.

He also does therapeutic counseling for at-risk students in the evenings.

Another hat he wears signifies that he's a good son to his mother, Bettie.

After all, it was because of his mother that he chose to return to his hometown in 1997.

"At that time, I was a distribution and operations manager at the Philadelphia Airport," Love recalled.

"But my step-father had just passed and my mom was still in Monessen and I decided to focus my time on being around her."

Even though the above tasks take up a considerable amount of time in his life, Love still manages to fit time in for two other hats, err, hobbies.

He sings gospel music with a group in Washington and admits to having enjoyed singing for years.

Plus, he also does a little acting.

"I dabble with acting a little," he said with a smile.

Love's involvement with acting began by fulfilling a request of a drama club teacher in the Washington School District.

"The students were preparing for a musical and the drama teacher knew I liked to sing, so she asked me to play a role in the play," he said.

"I liked it and I have acted in some plays through the Little Lake Theatre near Canonsburg."

Love says he participates in "about one play a year."

Yet another hat Love wears is that of proud father.

It doesn't take much coaxing from him to talk about his daughters, Kellie, 23, and Tonya, 21.

"Kellie is a graduate of Ohio State University and Tonya is a senior at Ohio State," he said.

While Love says the biggest reason he returned to his roots was to look after his mother, there is also another good reason for the former Greyhound to be in the area.

"I still follow the teams," he said of his alma mater. "That's definitely one of the good things about being back in Monessen."

While Love sees no options to slow down in the future, he does think his future will include staying in his hometown.

"Especially while my mom is here," he says.

"Unless somebody blows me away with an offer I can not refuse, I'm satisfied with the area."