RIP Mole--One of the Redskins Singers

[Bill-DC]

Just thought I'd pass this along. Not sure if it was posted earlier but Mole was a good guy who loved the Redskins. Me and my buddies used to talk Redskins with him at the Malt Shop, the bar above the Dancing Crab Restaurant. One Mole story I have was in '93. I didn't have a ticket to see the 'Skins-Cardinals and he said to meet him at the Malt Shop. I rode to the stadium with him and we got to the band/singer entrance and he just said after we entered to have fun and enjoy the game. Might not seem like a lot but that was Mole, always looking out for his friends. Read on, he had an interesting life.

Richard "Mole" Janigian, 78, who taught and coached sports at D.C. public schools and who also directed the Redskin Singers for more than a dozen years until the late 1990s, died June 16 of cardiac arrest at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore. He was a longtime District resident.

Mr. Janigian taught physical education and biology at Bell Vocational High School for 22 years and later at Dunbar and Wilson high schools. He also coached basketball, football and baseball at Bell and Wilson. He took the head baseball coaching job at Wilson in 1984 and led the team to three championships. He also coached sports at Bishop O'Connell High School in Arlington.

Early in his teaching career, Mr. Janigian testified before a congressional committee and was instrumental in getting Congress to pass legislation awarding high school teachers extra pay for coaching. At that time, coaches were limited to teachers willing to volunteer.

Mr. Janigian was born in Washington, the youngest son of Armenian immigrants who operated the Mount Vernon Hotel at Fourth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW.

At Wilson High School, from which he graduated, Mr. Janigian lettered in baseball, football and basketball. He was elected to the D.C. All High School Team and Jocks Hall of Fame. About 1945, he won a regional Golden Gloves Championship in Chicago.

He also earned letters in baseball and lacrosse at Washington College in Chestertown, Md., before graduating from D.C. Teachers College. He served two years in the Navy and in the mid-1950s received a master's degree in education from American University.

Mr. Janigian was a past president of D.C. Coaches Association.

He was volunteer of the year at St. Mary Armenian Apostolic Church, where he was a member and served on the board of trustees.

For more than 35 years, Mr. Janigian was involved with the Redskin Singers, also known as the Precisionists. He started at the old Griffith Stadium and continued with the ensemble group at RFK Stadium into the late 1990s, his brother said.

"His only claim to fame was that he went 26 years in a row without missing a Redskins home game," said Paul Janigian of the District.

Survivors include his brother.

[georgiaredskin]

RIP Mole. Sounds like he was quite a good man who led an equally fulfilling life. HTTR forever, brother. :helmet: And thoughts and prayers go out to his surviving brother, family & friends.

Thanks for posting and sorry for the loss. The world always seems colder when another good one leaves.

[Burgundy&Gold4Ever]

Mole sounded like a good guy. RIP. Thanks for posting this.

[Kurd Cudins]

I had the pleasure of knowing him, being a former regular at the Malt Shop. I'll miss you Mole. Good times.

[RFKFedEx]

Too bad our younger ESers will never get to hear the Redskins singers covering James Brown and Junior Walker among the many great Rock-n-roll tunes they used to sing b/f the DJs and Mark Kessler infiltrated the gameday air waves.

I would have loved to have rapped out w/ Mole.

[J.Campbell17]

Sounds like a good man, RIP Mole.

[SkinsJackpot]

Sounds like a good man passed. RIP!

[Jimbo]

I miss the old days in the 70's and 80's when the Redskins singers would sing before the game and during timeouts. Mole would probably get a laugh out of the cheesy song they used to do that's running through my head now. "Cuando, Cuando, Cuando". :laugh:

RIP Mole. Us older fans miss you.

[Bill-DC]

Thanks for checking in with your comments. I'll figure out some way to get them to his brother.

One Mole story I remember. After the Super Bowl win against the Broncos, the Redskins organization gave every member of the band and singers a very nice commemorative watch. It was very cool and it had the 'Skins logo on it and Washington Redskins Super Bowl XXII Champions. Mole wore it everywhere and was proud to have received it.

[China]

RIP Mole, you'll be missed.

[HapHaszard]

I'm sorry to hear that the Redskins faithful is short one more person. Mr. Mole sounds like the type of person all of us aspire to be but often fall short.

[Gary Clark Fan]

Too bad our younger ESers will never get to hear the Redskins singers covering James Brown and Junior Walker among the many great Rock-n-roll tunes they used to sing b/f the DJs and Mark Kessler infiltrated the gameday air waves.

I would have loved to have rapped out w/ Mole.

So true....when i was younger i use to laugh when they would sing to Michael Jackson and so on but would give anything to have them back now instead of the club music crap they blast now.

RIP Mole

[hondo9]

The Redskins Singers really were a part of the overall great atmosphere that was RFK Stadium.

I seem to remember them singing "Proud Mary" quite a bit.

RIP Mole. You are a part of Redskins history. :point2sky