Silence punctuated a night commemorating four Butler athletes.

Assistant Superintendent Brian Slamecka asked for a moment of silence before he talked about the late Calvin Littlejohn.

“Everyone will always remember his smile,” said Slamecka, who was a teacher when Littlejohn attended school.

Littlejohn was one of four to be inducted as the 10th class of the Butler Area School District Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday.

Calvin Littlejohn's nephew, Javon Littlejohn, spoke on behalf of his uncle, who died in 2016 after a long battle with lupus at the age of 30.

“He was something else when he got onto that football field,” said Javon, an 11th grader at Butler.

Javon said he was thankful to the people who shaped his uncle's life. Javon thanked his cousin, and Calvin Littlejohn's son, Braylon, a Butler eighth grader, for carrying his father's torch in athletics.

Javon also thanked his father and Calvin's brother, Rodnell Littlejohn, who taught him much about sports and life.

“He always had a smile, always,” Javon said. “I know he's in a better place.”

A 2004 Butler graduate, Calvin Littlejohn was a four-year letterman in football, basketball and track.

Littlejohn rushed for more than 1,100 yards during his senior year, and he was a WPIAL champion and PIAA finalist in the long jump, which included a school record jump.

Javon had found the Hall of Fame lacking his uncle's smile.

“I thought I had to take charge to put him up there,” Javon said. “When I got the letter, I was really happy.”

Also inducted were Bill Fay, Jared Farabee and Jason Cherry at the ceremony, which took place in the high school cafeteria and later saw them recognized before the crowd attending the boys varsity basketball home game against North Hills.

Bill Fay is the first person from the bowling program to earn a place in the hall.

“First of all, it's really unexpected. It is an honor,” Fay said.

With a bowling career beginning in 1955, Fay has a 843 series to his credit, one of the highest in county history, and rolled 11 perfect games.

Fay also coached the inaugural high school bowling teams, coaching both the boys and girls teams for four years. The girls went 40-0, winning a state championship in 2013.

Fay said the program continues to thrive, and there will be other bowlers to join him in the hall.

“To work with the kids was just an honor,” he said. “It was a pleasure doing so.”

Former professional football place kicker Jason Cherry was flanked by his family and friends.

“There's so many people to thank in all of this,” he said. “I wouldn't have been able to do this without the opportunities people gave me.”

A 1998 graduate, Cherry was a three-time all-conference place-kicker for the Golden Tornado, a national championship winner with the University of Massachusetts and a seven-year pro in the Arena and Indoor Football.

“It's a great night for Butler sports overall,” Cherry said.

Another 1998 graduate, Jared Farabee, became the third person in his family to join the hall, preceded by his father, Mark, and his sister, Rachel.

“I'm very blessed and humbled to be standing here,” Jared Farabee said.

Jared Farabee was a record-setting track and field athlete, specializing in the pole vault. He also played football, and competed in both sports at the University of South Carolina. “As much fun as pole vaulting was, I was always a football player,” he said. “I just kind of happened to be good at pole vaulting.”

Farabee's school record of 15 feet, five inches stood until it was broken last year by Jack Codispot.

Jared Farabee said he withstood the struggle of being small for his age, and he will always be thankful to those who pushed him to become the man he is today, including two special fans.

“I owe a lot of my success to my mom and dad,” he said. “They believed in me when I didn't.”

Slamecka said he is always amazed by the diversity of sports represented by each class of inductees, and this year was no different.

He said the program has become something he looks forward to every year as those honored gain a legacy in the walls of the school and the community forming its foundation.

“I take great pride in Butler Area School District and the Butler Community,” Slamecka said. “Whether or not the individuals realize this, the inductees inspire young people at this district.”

Slamecka closed the night by asking for more nominations for future classes.

“The Hall of Fame doesn't exist without recommendations,” he said. “We need those nominations.”