WPIAL President Passes Away at 63

By: HSSN Staff
Tuesday, August 31, 2010 | 12:00 AM

Western Pennsylvania high school sports fans lost a true ambassador Sunday when WPIAL President and Uniontown High School athletic director Richard Constantine lost his battle with cancer and passed away at the age of 63.

Here is his obituary from the Uniontown Herald Standard:

Mr. Richard A. Constantine, age 63, passed away Sunday, August 29th, 2010 at his residence in Uniontown with his loving Family by his side.

Richard was born in Brownsville, Pennsylvania on April 1, 1947, the son of the late Robert N. Constantine and Evelyn (Pacione) Constantine of Smock.

"Rich" graduated in 1965 from Uniontown Area High School. He was a member of the "Big 33." He was the state runner-up in 1965 for wrestling, weighing in at 180 lbs.

He attended the University of Virginia on a full athletic scholarship where he played on the football team as a guard. He was Atlantic Coast Conference runner-up in the heavy weight wrestling class his sophomore year of college. As a senior year academic scholar, he lived on "The Lawn" his senior year at UVA.

After graduating from UVA in 1969, "Rich" joined the Uniontown Area High School as a social studies teacher. While teaching he earned his Master's Degree from West Virginia University and then went on to get his Principal Papers. He taught for ten and a half years, worked as an assistant football coach for eight years, ten years as the head wrestling coach, two and a half years as an assistant principal, nineteen years as principal, four years as assistant to the superintendent and five years as Administrative Director of Athletics.

In addition, he was a PIAA football and wrestling official. He was President of the WPIAL, sat on the PIAA Board of Directors, and was a PIAA District VII Chairman.

He was a member of The Knights of Columbus and the Uniontown Hospital Board.

He is survived by his loving wife of 39 years, Marcia Constantine; son, Dr. Richard Constantine, a dentist, and his wife Trisha of Greenville, South Carolina; three sisters: Doreen Constantine of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Maria Vecchione and husband Matt of Green Ridge, New Jersey, Donna Grote and husband Gib of Uniontown; mother-in-law, Jane K. Grote of Uniontown; nieces, nephews and cousins.

Friends will be received in the THOMAS M. DOLFI FUNERAL HOME, 136 North Gallatin Avenue, Uniontown, Pennsylvania on Tuesday, August 31, from 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, September 1, 2010 from 1 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. and Thursday, September 2, 2010 until 9:15 a.m. at which time a Blessing Service will be held.

A Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 10 a.m. in Saint Therese de Lisieux Roman Catholic Church, Mill Street, with Monsignor Michael W. Matusak, Pastor, V.F., as the Celebrant.

Interment will be private.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in memory of Rich to the YMCA Scholarship Fund, 1 YMCA Drive, Uniontown, PA 15401 or to a charity of choice.

Parish Wake Service will be held in the Funeral Home on Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.

Tags: Uniontown