Angelo A. Prassa, beloved teacher and football coach, passed away Friday, Nov. 15, 2002. Born Jan. 24, 1931 in Chicago to Clemente and Caterina Prassa. He attended Saint Leo Catholic High School and moved to Oklahoma to attend Tulsa University on a football scholarship. Coach Prassa, as he was known to all outside of his family, served in the U.S. Air Force after graduation and then went on to teach and coach football at Cascia Hall (1957-1960). In 1960 he married Dorothy Karleskint. That same year they moved to Michigan where Prassa took a job with Phillips Petroleum Company. It was here that he became convinced that his true calling was to work as an educator. So, in 1962 he returned to Chicago for a year to teach and coach at Mendel Catholic High School, and then went to St. Louis in 1963 where he served as coach and teacher at Augustinian Academy. Also, in 1963, Prassa and his wife had their son, Thom. In 1966, Prassa returned to Tulsa to coach once again at Cascia Hall. Soon after he obtained his Master’s Degree in History at the University of Tulsa. Prassa took his talents to Bishop Kelley High School in 1975. There he served as a history teacher, football coach, athletic director, dean of students and business office administrator. He was inducted into the Bishop Kelley Hall of Fame in 1991 and then the Oklahoma State High School Coach’s Association Hall of Fame in 1994. Evan after retiring in 1996 Prassa continued to serve the Tulsa community in countless ways as a volunteer: coaching junior high school football at Bishop Kelley, delivering bread for Catholic Charities and driving patients to appointments for the American Cancer Society. Prassa will be remembered for many things, but surely his greatest contribution was his passionate and unwavering commitment to young people. He will be missed by all whose lives he touched, and above all, by his family. Survivors include his loving wife of 42 years, Dorothy; son, Thom and daughter-in- law, Lisa Eckenwiler. Rosary was held 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, 2002 at Church of the Madalene. Mass of Christian Burial will be held 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2002 at Holy Family Cathedral. The family requests that those wishing to honor his memory do so by making do- nations to the Angelo Prassa Scholarship Fund at Bishop Kelley High School, 3905 So. Hudson Ave., Tulsa, OK 74135 or charity of choice. The Fitzgerald Ivy Chapel, 918-585-1151 .
