A public memorial will be held next week forthree members of the Altobelli family who were killedin the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that also took the lives of NBA legendKobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant and four others.The service for baseball coachJohn Altobelli, his wife Keri Altobelli and their daughter Alyssa Altobelli is scheduled for Feb. 10 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, John’s brother Tony Altobelli announced in aFacebook post on Tuesday.“Needless to say… there will be plenty of room so if you’d like to be a part of this, we’d love to have you!” he said in the posting.Along with Alyssa, their daughter Alexis Altobelli and son J.J. Altobelli, John and Keri were known as the “first family” of Orange Coast College. John had coachedbaseball at the school for 27 years.“[They were] the First Family of OCC,” the school’s acting head baseball coach, Nate Johnson, told theOrange County Registerof John, 56, Keri, 46, and Alyssa, 13.“All three of [John’s] kids grew up here,” he added.The Altobelli family.Facebook (2); Orange Coast College/TwitterOver his nearly three decades at the helm of Orange Coast’s baseball team, John remained steadfastly dedicated to his players, and worked constantly to raise funds for their scholarships, Orange Coast College Foundation Executive Director Douglas Bennett told theRegister.“He was a perfectionist and he demanded a lot of his kids,” he said of John. “But also he really cared about them. He worked to build them up as young men.”Added Tony Altobelli in an interview with PEOPLE: “You want to live how my brother did, he was straight and narrow, he worked hard and he earned the respect of everybody who ever knew him and he left a legacy that will go way beyond his time spent in Orange Coast. … I don’t know how you can not want to live a life like that.”Alyssa and Gianna were teammates at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy.Their helicopter was headed to a basketball tournament at the academy’s Thousands Oaks location before it went down in foggy conditions on the morning of Jan. 26.Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, her daughter Payton Chester and pilot Ara Zobayanalso died in the accident.Bryant previously shared that he began using helicopters while he still played for the Los Angeles Lakers as a way tospend less time stuck in traffic and more time with his family.If you would like to help the families of the victims of the crash, consider donating to theMamba on Three Fund. Contributions to theMamba Sports Foundationwill help support youth sports.
A public memorial will be held next week forthree members of the Altobelli family who were killedin the Jan. 26 helicopter crash that also took the lives of NBA legendKobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna Bryant and four others.
The service for baseball coachJohn Altobelli, his wife Keri Altobelli and their daughter Alyssa Altobelli is scheduled for Feb. 10 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California, John’s brother Tony Altobelli announced in aFacebook post on Tuesday.
“Needless to say… there will be plenty of room so if you’d like to be a part of this, we’d love to have you!” he said in the posting.
Along with Alyssa, their daughter Alexis Altobelli and son J.J. Altobelli, John and Keri were known as the “first family” of Orange Coast College. John had coachedbaseball at the school for 27 years.
“[They were] the First Family of OCC,” the school’s acting head baseball coach, Nate Johnson, told theOrange County Registerof John, 56, Keri, 46, and Alyssa, 13.
“All three of [John’s] kids grew up here,” he added.
The Altobelli family.Facebook (2); Orange Coast College/Twitter
Over his nearly three decades at the helm of Orange Coast’s baseball team, John remained steadfastly dedicated to his players, and worked constantly to raise funds for their scholarships, Orange Coast College Foundation Executive Director Douglas Bennett told theRegister.
“He was a perfectionist and he demanded a lot of his kids,” he said of John. “But also he really cared about them. He worked to build them up as young men.”
Added Tony Altobelli in an interview with PEOPLE: “You want to live how my brother did, he was straight and narrow, he worked hard and he earned the respect of everybody who ever knew him and he left a legacy that will go way beyond his time spent in Orange Coast. … I don’t know how you can not want to live a life like that.”
Alyssa and Gianna were teammates at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy.
Their helicopter was headed to a basketball tournament at the academy’s Thousands Oaks location before it went down in foggy conditions on the morning of Jan. 26.Christina Mauser, Sarah Chester, her daughter Payton Chester and pilot Ara Zobayanalso died in the accident.
Bryant previously shared that he began using helicopters while he still played for the Los Angeles Lakers as a way tospend less time stuck in traffic and more time with his family.
If you would like to help the families of the victims of the crash, consider donating to theMamba on Three Fund. Contributions to theMamba Sports Foundationwill help support youth sports.
source: people.com
