Bruno Rositano leaves behind a lasting legacy from a fulfilling life around sports

LORAIN — They called him "Pops." Bruno Rositano may not have set any records during his playing days at Lorain High in the late 1940s, but his legacy will never be forgotten. Rositano, 94, died this past weekend, but he'll be remembered and missed by hundreds of athletes and families and fans from the old and new Lorain High, Admiral King and Amherst High. His sons, John and Dr. Dave, along with his grandson, Matt, gave him the incentive to attend, not only all their games, but about every practice as well. He would have turned 95 in May and was an active firefighter for the city of Lorain from 1955 until 1988. "Thirty-four years, and he delivered 13 babies on the rescue squad," said John. "He was proud of that." "Up until a few years ago, one mother would send a birthday card from the baby that he delivered," Dave said. "Like a thank you card. He was so proud of that." Bruno, an Air Force veteran, organized and competed in the Ohio Firefighters Softball tournaments, beginning in 1978. His Lorain team won the state championship in 1984 and 1986 and finished runner-up in 1987 while competing against larger departments from Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus. John was a long-time boys coach at both the old and new Lorain High and Admiral King. He also coached the Amherst girls basketball team for many years. Meanwhile, Dave and his son, Matt, have been involved with the Comets' baseball team for many years. "After his retirement from firefighting, I really believe it was one of the things that kept him going," said Matt. "Whether my uncle was coaching at Admiral King or Lorain High or the Amherst girls or with me and baseball, he was at every practice, every game. I think being able to be around John and my dad and then me, and all the kids whether it was Lorain kids or Amherst kids, they all loved him. All the Lorain basketball players would call him 'Pops.' They'd light up when they'd see him in the gym. "All my guys, when he'd come to practices, would all come up and say hi. Before games, they'd all come over and shake his hand through the fence. He just loved being around all the kids. I really think that's one of the things that kept him going for so long. He'd even tag along on the bus rides with the team for away games. He loved following the teams." "When everybody heard, you can't believe how my phone went nuts with former players," said Dave. "The baseball players know me at Amherst. The phone just blew up with all the players, not just this year's players, but players from the past, offering their condolences." In 2014, Bruno lost his wife, Joan, but he continued to be a staple at Lorain sporting events. He'd sit in one of the corners of the gym with his half-smoked but unlit cigar hanging from his mouth. "It was his pacifier," said Dave. "He would light it occasionally," Matt said. "Most of the time, he would smoke it a little bit in the morning or maybe the afternoon and then he'd just have it to chew on. Kind of one of his signatures." "We had to get permission from Hospice on Friday morning to have his cigar," said John. "It was never lit. He was in Hospice with a cigar hanging out of his mouth. That was just who he was. He'd walk into the gym and no one would question him. It wasn't lit. It was just an old-school guy thing." "We had a Halloween game this year," said Dave. "Three of the players dressed up as him. It was so funny. I was so glad he got to see the state semifinal game. The next game was 10:15 at night, so he couldn't go to that one." The only time he'd miss a practice or a game was on Thursdays, when he and his close friends gathered at his house for a weekly card game. "As a matter of fact, this past Thursday, they all showed up thinking they were going to play," Dave said. "They couldn't play but to me it was so good. He got to see them all. They all got to spend some time with him. "Toward the end there, he couldn't remember what he had for breakfast, but he was still winning at poker. The last three Thursdays that he played, he won. There's seven people that played. They play different games and they all said he was winning right up to the end." "He'd never miss a practice, never missed a game all those years I was coaching," John said. "I retired from basketball and then he picked up the baseball with my nephew and my brother. The thing about it, he genuinely cared about the kids. When he walked in the gym, the players gave a hug, and I'm talking every one of them. He brought in the candy, the donuts, the chips, and they really appreciated it. I really believe it helped create that family culture. My dad was with me every day. It just created that family culture and family atmosphere. I think it really helped us." "No matter what we did, he was always there," said Dave, a retired dentist. "When I was working, a couple evenings a week where I couldn't go, he was at more practices than I was. I'd miss maybe a couple practices a week. He was at every practice." Bruno used to talk about his playing days and playing against Elyria's Vic Janowicz, who won the Heisman Trophy while playing at Ohio State. Bruno was proud to say he tackled Janowicz during the game when Lorain nearly spoiled Elyria's undefeated team in 1947. A year later, Bruno and the Steelmen got their revenge. A running back for Lorain, he was 5-foot-9, 135-, 140-pounds, but picked up several big gains as Lorain defeated Elyria, 7-6, at Recreation Field, where it's now known as George Daniel Field. He carried the ball nine times for 69 yards. According to reports from the game, it was played in a steady rain in the mud. Ironically, the final score was exactly the opposite of the previous year at Ely Stadium. Elyria was led by Tony Curcillo, who joined Janowicz at Ohio State and became Woody Hayes' first quarterback. Bruno wound up an honorable-mention selection on the All-Lake Erie team. In that 1948 game, Bruno claimed he had broken free and was headed for a touchdown, but one of the Elyria players grabbed him by the nose and tackled him. "There was a lot to grab there," said John, laughing. "He was a tough, hard-nosed, old-school guy." "They didn't have facemasks, but they still had his nose," Dave said. "They were the leather ones that folded. He told me, 'When they passed out my helmet, they slid it under the door.'" Bruno used to kid Matt about his speed back when he played. Matt, an All-Ohio center fielder at Admiral King who also played football and basketball, was the Admirals leadoff hitter with plenty of speed on the bases. "Back when I was an athlete, I was pretty fast, with the stolen bases and on the football field," said Matt. "He'd give me that 'Back in my day, if we raced, I'd beat you.'" Bruno leaves his two sons, a daughter, Diane Kish of Lorain, six grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. He's also survived by a sister, Joanne Conley. "The last couple weeks was kind of hard on him," said Dave. "It's tough. I'm going to miss looking over there and not seeing him by the fence, watching the games. It'll be a little tough this year. Just like we have a chair sitting there for my wife (Loretta), who died (2018), we'll have a chair for him. He'll still be there." "What a life he had," said John. "Ninety-four and up until four months ago, he did everything. He told me this years ago, 'It's better to wear out than to rust out.' To this day, I remember that. Just keep going. Stay busy, stay active. That's what he did." Contact Tim Gebhardt at 329-7135 or timothygeb@msn.com.