Angel Stadium holds memorial for Orange Coast College coach John Altobelli

Speakers, among them friends and family of the Altobellis, spoke on John Altobelli’s character and legacy at the Feb. 10 memorial

A Feb. 10 memorial was held for Orange Coast College Pirates baseball head coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri Altobelli and daughter Alyssa Altobelli, who died in a helicopter crash Jan. 26. JACK CLENDENDING Staff Photographer

Mourners streamed into Angel Stadium, all wearing different outfits. Some had collared shirts, ties and slacks; some had casual t-shirts and jeans; some had athletic attire, with baseball jerseys, hats, and Kobe Bryant apparel. The multicolored mass may have all come from different backgrounds, choosing different garments, yet they’d ultimately all assembled for the same purpose - to pay tribute to the life and legacy of John Altobelli.

At 4 p.m. Feb. 10, the Los Angeles Angels organization held a memorial service honoring Altobelli – coach of the Orange Coast College (OCC) Pirates for 27 years – as well as his wife Keri Altobelli and daughter Alyssa Altobelli, all of whom were victims of the Jan. 26 helicopter crash in Calabasas, California that killed six others.

The ceremonies opened with the Altobellis’ family friend, Erik Rees, welcoming those who came to remember those who’d passed. Afterward, Altobelli’s son, J.J., offered thanks for the show of support in this time of hardship. Approximately 1,500 people listened from the stands, nearly 150 of whom were current or former OCC students. Their presence embodied a phrase oft-repeated throughout the memorial: “Always a Pirate.”

After Rees opened the ceremony, speakers chosen by Altobelli’s family took the stage. Afternoon turned into early evening as friends of the Altobellis remembered John’s sense of humor and kindness, Keri’s devotion to her family and Alyssa’s work ethic and dedication to basketball. A persistent theme throughout the speeches was John’s, affectionately known as “Alto,” impact on the community.

“Alto taught young men the skills required to be great fathers, husbands, brothers and sons. He polished your strengths and mitigated your weaknesses,” said Jeff Piaskowski Jr., a former coach of Altobelli during his playing career. “He was the best of the best. He was my coach, my mentor and my friend.” As the coach of the Pirates, Altobelli garnered widespread respect from the greater baseball community including his own players, umpires and players from rival colleges.

“He was a mentor of young men. We try and make (the players) into better versions of what we were – Alto was no different,” said Joel Gonzalez, head football coach for OCC. “I looked up to him as a new coach and I hope to touch as many lives as he had in my career.”

Video tributes were mixed in between the speeches. Photos of Altobelli and his family on the Pirates’ baseball field and on vacation marked the interconnection of two major roles in his life — that of a coach and a father.

“Alto was nothing short of a saint. In my relationship with Alto I saw a man who sacrificed tremendously because of the love and devotion he had for his family,” Derek Sanders, Keri’s older brother, said in a speech memorializing John. “From my perspective, he was a spectacular father and husband. Frankly, we all idolized him.”

As the ceremony ended and the stadium lights went out, the only remaining light came from a family portrait of the Altobellis displayed on the left field jumbo Tron. Against a night sky, attendees shined the flashlights on their phones toward the field as a sign of love and solidarity for J.J. and Alexis Altobelli, his daughter. The nearly 1,500 lights blinking across the darkened field created a visual of how many lives Altobelli had touched – a metaphor for hope in a time of darkness.