FAIRMONT — John Veasey thought his publisher might take him out to lunch for his 50th anniversary Friday with the Times West Virginian, but the newspaper editor ended up getting more than a meal.

He got accolades from top officials, including Gov. Joe Manchin; expressions of gratitude from co-workers; and surprise visits from out-of-town family members, including his son Chance, who flew in from Minnesota.

“I’m just totally overwhelmed,” Veasey said between a morning ceremony that included a proclamation from the governor and an afternoon open house in which friends and admirers could drop in and visit.

“It’s so good to see all these people. Some I’ve known the whole 50 years, and others the last 10 or 20 years.”

Veasey arrived at work on the usually casual Friday wearing a tie, which he wore because he thought the editorial board would be meeting with the governor, who is up for re-election in a month.

Instead, publisher Andy Kniceley distracted him while Veasey’s co-workers finished setting up for a ceremony in which Manchin presented the editor with the Distinguished West Virginian Award.

“He’s been special in my life, special in my town’s life and special my family’s for many, many years,” Manchin said as he gave Veasey the award for “outstanding achievement and meritorious service,” noting that it was the highest award he can offer a citizen of the state, not just an ordinary document.

“Uncle Jimmy gave them away by the thousands,” Manchin joked in a reference to former secretary of state and state treasurer, the late A. James Manchin, known for giving citizens certificates declaring them a commodore on the Ship of State or a Mountaineer Millionaire.

Manchin recalled how supportive Veasey was to his hometown football team, the Farmington Farmers.

“John basically became part of our team because he was so optimistic and favorable toward us,” Manchin said. “We had someone to believe in us, and with his notoriety, we just kind of adopted him and it became a wonderful friendship. It took me through my young athletic career, my business and my political career, and it’s still as strong as ever.”

After the ceremony, Manchin noted how much he admires Veasey for the way he has approached his job in a positive way.

“He’s a classy person,” Manchin said. “He tries to help somebody. He doesn’t dwell on an individual’s misgivings or mistakes. He realizes everyone is human. He has done it for so long. You never have to worry about John attacking or doing a so-called character assassination. That was not his style. You could always get the facts and it was done in such a style.”

Veasey began as sports editor of The West Virginian newspaper in 1958, so other officials who attended Friday’s events also recalled him along with their own childhood teams.

Sen. Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, noted how Veasey sometimes actually helped the Monongah High School football team after he wrote how he did not believe the members could do a specific play.

“He might write that we’d not be able to run off-tackle, so our coach would tell us we were going to run off-tackle,” Prezioso said. “So sometimes, he had a part in developing our game plan.”

Delegate Mike Caputo, D-Marion, remembered how supportive Veasey was during the 1975 football season when the undefeated Rivesville High School football team had enough points to go to the state tournament, but because the team tied for fourth place with another team, neither went. Eventually, the rules were changed so more teams got to go to the state playoffs.

And representing Fairmont State University, athletic director Rusty Elliott noted that Veasey had “outlasted 40 coaches” in his 50 years at the paper.

“John has been so good to the school and to the coaches,” he said, recalling a state track meet held at East-West Stadium where only teams from Fairmont State and Glenville State College showed up. Glenville State ended up winning, Elliott said, leaving Veasey to wonder how he could put a good spin on that.

“He wrote, ‘Fairmont finishes second; Glenville next to last,’” Elliott laughed.

Friday’s event — and an eight-page bonus edition inserted into the paper celebrating Veasey’s achievements — were all done without the editor’s knowledge. His wife, Rita, made sure to get the newspaper before he did and hid it, telling him that it had not arrived.

“I told him to be sure to bring one home with him tonight,” Rita Veasey said.

The subterfuge had begun even earlier, however. On Thursday, she drove to Pittsburgh to pick up Chance and granddaughter Kaiya, almost 4, from the airport, telling Veasey that she would be going to lunch with a friend so he would not call her and become suspicious of her whereabouts.

Then she gave Chance Veasey her car to use, so she made up a story about that, too, which also provided her the opportunity to drive her husband to work with the pretense of needing his car.

When they arrived at the parking lot, very few cars filled the spots because employees parked elsewhere to leave room for guests.

“He asked where all the cars were, and I said, ‘Maybe they had to seal the driveway,’” Rita said later.

Rita Veasey had a big family dinner planned for Friday night, plus she had gotten tickets for everyone to attend the WVU-Rutgers game today. Other out-of-town family members who drove in included Veasey’s stepson Ryan and his son, R.T., who live in Sissonville; as well as Veasey’s brother, Allen, of Crofton, Md.

In honoring Veasey and introducing the guests, Kniceley noted that the event was “a celebration for a great man, someone that we all love and respect. In your paper today, if you got it — I know John didn’t — are highlights of a wonderful 50-year career — and counting.

“Words can’t express how we feel,” he told Veasey. “Words can’t express what you mean to the newspaper and words can’t express what you’ve done for this community.”

Marion County Commissioner Randy Elliott presented Veasey with the county flag; Fairmont Mayor Scott Sears declared Oct. 3 “John Veasey Day” and noted how hard Veasey had worked to help establish the “For the Kids” soccer complex.

Times West Virginian city editor Misty Poe had watched her son win a soccer game at the field the night before, she said in her remarks.

“I got tears in my eyes because I thought to myself as I looked at that wonderful soccer field that it could not have been possible without you,” she said.

Sports writer Mickey Furfari recalled how he knew Veasey when the latter was a student at West Virginia University and Furfari was sports editor at the Dominion News in Morgantown, where Veasey worked during his college years. Eventually, Veasey was vital in getting the retired Furfari to cover sports for the six West Virginia newspapers that were then part of the Thomson newspaper chain.

Veasey worked at The West Virginian for about eight years until he moved to the other side of the newsroom to The Times. On Jan. 1, 1975, the two papers merged.

“I’m just glad that my efforts at the Times West Virginian have meant something to so many people,” Veasey said.

E-mail Mary Wade Burnside at mwburnside@timeswv.com.