Joseph Widney - Later Years

Later Years

In 1929 Widney was injured by an automobile which was backing out from the curb. His hearing was severely impaired. By 1937 he was blind. Widney's biographer, Dr. Carl Rand, believes that the failure of his eyesight in latter years was due to the development of senile cataracts, which Widney refused to have removed. He wrote four books in this period with the assistance of his sister-in-law, Mrs. Anna Elizabeth "Hettie" D. Jenkins Widney and her sister, Mrs. Rebecca Davis Macartney. In 1935 Widney was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity (D.D.) degree from the University of Southern California in recognition of his life of scholarly contributions.

Widney died at 10:50 am on July 4, 1938 in his home at 3901 Marmion Way, Highland Park, Los Angeles, California, aged 96. After services held in his own home, he was buried in the Evergreen Cemetery at Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California on July 6, 1938 in his family plot. A replica of his Marmion Way bedroom is on display at the General Phineas Banning Residential Museum in Wilmington, California.

In March 1939 the new Crippled Children's High School (located at 2302 S. Gramercy Place, Los Angeles) was renamed the Dr. Joseph Pomeroy Widney High School. This school is for those aged 13 to 22 with special educational needs. The historic Widney Hall Alumni House (now located at 650 Child's Way (originally W. 36th Street) at the University of Southern California) Widney Hall, the university's original building, was declared a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (No. 70) on December 16, 1970. The University of Southern California honors its distinguished graduates by presenting the Widney Alumni Award. His portrait was painted by American artist Orpha Mae Klinker (born November 20, 1891; died May 23, 1964), and a bust of Widney was sculpted by Emil Seletz (1907–1999).