Angelo Vic Varallo's Obituary
Angelo Vic Varallo, age 89 passed away November 25, 2011 at Sumner Regional Medical Center. He was an outstanding athlete, coach, teacher and mentor. Throughout his long career, Vic had an immense and long lasting impact on shaping young peoples’ lives and working for the Nashville community. He was preceded in death by his parents, J.B. Varallo, Sr. and Catherine Punaro Varallo; sister, Aurelia “Rae” Bundy and nephew, John Varallo. He is survived by his beloved wife, Shelia Diane Varallo; step-daughter, Crystal (Bob) Ezell; granddaughter, Kaley “Tigerbell” Ezell; sister, Teresa Freeman; brothers, Frank J.B. Varallo and John B. (Mary) Varallo, Jr.; aunt, Eva Reale Varallo; nieces and nephews, Aurelia “Rae” Collier, Karen Huff, Cathy Bratton, Jay Rains, John B. Varallo III, Ricky Bundy and many devoted cousins. Vic attended Holy Name Catholic School in East Nashville. Boyhood friends included Bill Redmon, Owen Howell, Lyle Fulton and William Hofstetter. From Holy Name, Vic attended Father Ryan High School where he starred in football and basketball. He was named to the All-Decade team of the 1940’s. Vic started at Ole Miss University, where he again excelled in football and basketball. World War II interrupted his college years from 1942-1945. During the war years, Vic served in the China-Burma-India theatre of operations. He was an aerial gunner, one of a six-man crew, flying in B-25’s for 47 combat missions, assigned to the 22nd Bomb Squadron of the 341st Bomb-Group. As a result of his service, he was awarded the American Campaign Medal, the Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, and the World War II Victory Medal. After World War II, Vic entered Middle Tennessee State University and he again excelled in football and basketball. He became captain of the football team and was named MVP All-Conference. He was elected Most Popular Senior and was listed in Who’s Who of American Colleges and Universities. Upon graduation from college, war and conflict again played a part in Vic’s life. He was recalled to active-duty during the Korean conflict and served as a member of the 306th Air Base Group for a period of one year in 1950-51. The first teaching assignment was at Tom Joy Elementary School. In 1952, he began his career at East High School and became “Coach Varallo”. He taught physical education and co-op programs in distributive education from 1952 - 1974. He coached football, basketball and track. And it was in track and field that he really helped push East High to the forefront of Nashville athletics. Coach Varallo was instrumental in running the Optimist Relays. Along with Edgar Allen (East, class of 1942) of the Nashville Banner, they started the Banner Relays. These two meets were the state’s most elite track events. East High won the Optimist and Banner Relays several times; including winning the Banner Relays four years in a row. Coach Varallo, along with Jackie Ray Davis from Lipscomb High School, established Girls Interscholastic Track and Field in Nashville. Two state-championship teams in track highlighted Coach Varallo’s career at East. But it is the athletes that ran for him that he remembered well. To have a championship team, you have to have championship individuals. Throughout the years, these names have included: John and Phillip Griffin, John, Bobby and Charlie Dahlgren; Junior and Ronnie Ward; Pete Cannon; Butch Stewart; Homer Huffman; Johnny Gregory; James Gaddes and Ricci Gardner. These athletes as well as others received scholarships offers to major universities. After leaving East High in 1974, Coach Varallo taught at Pearl, Hillsboro, Dupont, Hunters Lane and Overton High Schools before retiring in the early 1990’s. During Coach Varallo’s teaching and coaching years he stayed busy in other areas as a business owner, a championship water-skier (seven national ski jump titles and a speed skiing title – 89mph) and as a basketball official for 39 years. A hip replacement surgery finally curtailed the skiing and the officiating for him. Coach Varallo was inducted in Middle Tennessee State University’s Hall of Fame in 1983. In 2005, he was elected to the TSSAA Hall of Fame. Retirement from teaching did not mean actual retirement for Coach Varallo. Besides working at the famous family-owned Varallo’s Restaurant, Vic bought a farm near Carthage, where he raised cattle, goats, and several crops. While working at Varallo’s Restaurant, which was a haven for local and state politicians, Vic was encouraged to run for political office. In 1991, Vic ran for Metro Councilman at Large and won that berth on a first ballot vote. Four years later, he was again elected on a first ballot vote. If term limits had not been put in place, Vic would most likely have been elected to a third term. A Celebration of Vic’s Life will be conducted at 2 PM, Tuesday, November 29, 2011 from the Chapel of Spring Hill Funeral Home with Dr. Bill Sherman officiating. Interment with Military Honors will follow in Spring Hill Cemetery with Junior Ward, Butch Stewart, Melvin Black, Judge Randall Wyatt, Dr. Michael Dunham and Ham Wallace serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Alumni of East High. The family will receive friends from 4 PM until 8 PM, Sunday, Nov. 27, 2011, from 4 PM until 8 PM, Monday, Nov. 28, 2011 and from 12 PM until 1:30 PM on Tuesday, prior to the service at Spring Hill Funeral Home. Memorial contributions should be made to the Alzheimer's Association.
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