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Andrew John Cerra Sr.

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Andrew John Cerra Sr.

Birth
Carbondale, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, USA
Death
11 Sep 2013 (aged 89)
Scranton, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, USA
Burial
Carbondale, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, USA Add to Map
Memorial ID
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Andrew John Cerra, Sr., 89, of Carbondale, PA., died peacefully Wednesday afternoon, September 11, 2013 at Moses Taylor Hospital, Scranton, PA. His wife, the former Gloria Mazza died in 1990. Born April 4, 1924 in Carbondale, he was the son of the late Joseph and Philomenia Leo Cerra. He was a 1941 graduate of the Benjamin Franklin High School, Carbondale and a 1949 graduate of East Stroudsburg State Teachers College with a bachelor's degree in Health and Physical Education. He served in the European Theatre of Operations in World War II from November 1943 until June 1945 as a Private First Class in the 335th Ordinance Battalion. He was a lifelong member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Carbondale. He was employed in the Carbondale Area School District as a science teacher for 35 years retiring in 1990. He served as Athletic Director, from 1974 thru 1989 at Carbondale Area High School, head football coach from 1955 thru 1968, assistant football coach from 1969 to 1975 and head baseball coach from 1955 thru 1981 and assistant basketball coach to close friends, the late Pete Turonis and the late Frank "Cappy" Burnett throughout the early 1960's to the early 1970's. He was humbled and appreciative of the action by the Carbondale Area School Board in August 1990 of the naming of the Districts sports complex in his honor. Andy was an avid sports fan particularly of high school and youth sports in the Carbondale Area where he spent his career. He was the Director of the Carbondale Teener Baseball League in the 1960's to the early 1970's. He coached the winning County Football All Stars in the 1962 Dream Game at Scranton Memorial Stadium. His junior varsity basketball teams won seven Northern Division JV basketball titles, baseball teams won seven Lackawanna County Northern Division Baseball championships from 1955 thru 1981 and the 1981 PIAA District 2 Class AA Championship title and advanced to the State Quarterfinals in the final year of his coaching career. He received the Joseph M. Butler Award from the Scranton Times for Dedication to High School Athletics in 1983 and was presented the Lions Club Man of the Year Award at the Annual Lackawanna County Dream Game and the Chick Feldman Sports Hall of Fame Award. He valued the relationships he had with former players and students long after retirement from both coaching and teaching and the family would like to thank all the former players and students who expressed condolences. He especially valued his family and mostly his grandchildren. He was preceded in death by three brothers: Joseph, Felix and Frederick Cerra; two sisters: Rosa and Phyllis. The funeral will be held Monday, September 16, 2013 at 9:00 AM from the Carmine J. & Louis C. Parise Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc., Farview and 41st Streets, Carbondale, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 9:30 AM in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 15 Fallbrook Street, Carbondale. Interment, Our Mother of Sorrows Cemetery, Greenfield Township, PA. Friends may call Sunday, September 15, 2013 from 5-9 PM.
Andrew John Cerra, Sr., 89, of Carbondale, PA., died peacefully Wednesday afternoon, September 11, 2013 at Moses Taylor Hospital, Scranton, PA. His wife, the former Gloria Mazza died in 1990. Born April 4, 1924 in Carbondale, he was the son of the late Joseph and Philomenia Leo Cerra. He was a 1941 graduate of the Benjamin Franklin High School, Carbondale and a 1949 graduate of East Stroudsburg State Teachers College with a bachelor's degree in Health and Physical Education. He served in the European Theatre of Operations in World War II from November 1943 until June 1945 as a Private First Class in the 335th Ordinance Battalion. He was a lifelong member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Carbondale. He was employed in the Carbondale Area School District as a science teacher for 35 years retiring in 1990. He served as Athletic Director, from 1974 thru 1989 at Carbondale Area High School, head football coach from 1955 thru 1968, assistant football coach from 1969 to 1975 and head baseball coach from 1955 thru 1981 and assistant basketball coach to close friends, the late Pete Turonis and the late Frank "Cappy" Burnett throughout the early 1960's to the early 1970's. He was humbled and appreciative of the action by the Carbondale Area School Board in August 1990 of the naming of the Districts sports complex in his honor. Andy was an avid sports fan particularly of high school and youth sports in the Carbondale Area where he spent his career. He was the Director of the Carbondale Teener Baseball League in the 1960's to the early 1970's. He coached the winning County Football All Stars in the 1962 Dream Game at Scranton Memorial Stadium. His junior varsity basketball teams won seven Northern Division JV basketball titles, baseball teams won seven Lackawanna County Northern Division Baseball championships from 1955 thru 1981 and the 1981 PIAA District 2 Class AA Championship title and advanced to the State Quarterfinals in the final year of his coaching career. He received the Joseph M. Butler Award from the Scranton Times for Dedication to High School Athletics in 1983 and was presented the Lions Club Man of the Year Award at the Annual Lackawanna County Dream Game and the Chick Feldman Sports Hall of Fame Award. He valued the relationships he had with former players and students long after retirement from both coaching and teaching and the family would like to thank all the former players and students who expressed condolences. He especially valued his family and mostly his grandchildren. He was preceded in death by three brothers: Joseph, Felix and Frederick Cerra; two sisters: Rosa and Phyllis. The funeral will be held Monday, September 16, 2013 at 9:00 AM from the Carmine J. & Louis C. Parise Funeral Home and Cremation Services, Inc., Farview and 41st Streets, Carbondale, with a Mass of Christian Burial at 9:30 AM in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, 15 Fallbrook Street, Carbondale. Interment, Our Mother of Sorrows Cemetery, Greenfield Township, PA. Friends may call Sunday, September 15, 2013 from 5-9 PM.


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  • Created by: John P. Birosak
  • Added: Sep 16, 2013
  • Find a Grave Memorial ID:
  • Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/117167150/andrew_john-cerra: accessed ), memorial page for Andrew John Cerra Sr. (4 Apr 1924–11 Sep 2013), Find a Grave Memorial ID 117167150, citing Our Mother of Sorrows Catholic Cemetery, Carbondale, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by John P. Birosak (contributor 47241770).