JULIE ANGELUCCI, HERO OF 1952 STATE FOOTBALL TITLE, PASSES AWAY

 

Julie Angelucci, Class of 1953, passed away Monday, April 11. He was buried today in Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Cemetery in Annapolis, Maryland.

Angelucci is Italian for “Light of the Angels,” which Julie is now.

It was Julie’s pass to Dennis Jones, who lateraled to Larry Rankin, that brought Monongah High the first of its FIVE West Virginia high school state championships in 1952. Winfield High was the 20-14 losing team.

Julie once explained to me how the game-winning play came about. Julie, not Coach Jim Feltz, called it, in the huddle.

 

 “Coach (Earl) Keener used it against us and almost beat us that year when he was coaching Rivesville. I remembered it and made up that hook and lateral play in the huddle.”

When Julie got to the sidelines after the play, Coach Jim Feltz said, “Where did you get that?”

Julie pointed to Keener, Coach Feltz’ friend since their Fairmont State football-playing days together, who was on the sidelines. “I went over to the sidelines and thanked him for that play.”

“Coach Feltz replied, ‘Nice job.’

“Me, Coach Feltz and Coach Keener are the only ones who knew how the play was created.”

Before the final game-winning play Julie scored a Lions touchdown on a quarterback-sneak play.

That 1952 Lions team out-scored its opponents by ALMOST TWO HUNDRED POINTS! Astounding!

Julie didn’t return my phone call for a while because he spent 10 days cruising down the Mississippi River like Mark Twain, but in a much larger paddleboat. A trip that I hope to take when covid is no longer a problem, from Pittsburgh to New Orleans in my case.

Julie won TWELVE M letters for his sports activities at Monongah High in football, basketball and baseball. He played baseball for Fairmont State. He was a small QB, which works better in high school as a brainy QB than in college where you can’t see over the offensive and defensive linemen.

When I posted Julie’s account on this Monongah High Alumni blog and sent a copy of my friends, the late Fairmont Times editor John Veasey, he reprinted the information in his famous column in the Fairmont newspaper.

Julie was more than just a multi-sport athlete at Monongah High. He was student body president and in both the junior class and senior class plays.

Feltz also won the 1955 state title. Keener came to Monongah and won the 1968 and 1969 championships. Feltz’ son, Jay Feltz, quarterbacked the 1973 team to the fifth state title for the Lions.

His wife of 32 years is Stella Kootsikas Angelucci, a widow from Mitchell, South Dakota — famous for its Corn Palace — that he met in Baltimore. They had 6 children, 20 grandchildren and 1 great-grandson.

They have 180 minature houses in their Severna Park, Maryland home. I used to put my dozen or so out for Christmastime with bulbs inside each to light them up for the holidays.

Nick Saban, Sr., the father of Alabama’s legendary football coach Nick “Brother” Saban, who has won more national college championships (7) than anyone in history, paid Julie to wash cars at Papa Saban’s garage. Brother’s dad, who bought an old school bus that he used to transport his Pop Warner youth football league players and his baseball teams, had Julie as one of his players when Brother was a batboy for the team.

Julius taught industrial arts and driver’s education for 37 years at Maryland’s Brooklyn Park High School, Andover High School in Linthicum and at Crofton Middle School. He did extensive woodworking at his favorite hobby.

 

He wasn’t shy about giving his opinions, either. He frequently had his letters to the editor published in local Maryland newspapers.

Julie’s obituary:

Julius “Julie” Gregory Angelucci, 86, of Severna Park, Maryland passed away on Monday, April 11, 2022.

 

Julius was born July 13, 1935 in Carolina, West Virginia. He was preceded in death by his parents, Virgilio and Antonia Angelucci, Italian immigrants from Trisungo, Ascoli Piceno, Italy and his siblings, Veronica Angelucci Allowatt, Joseph Angelucci and Frances Angelucci Fontana.

 

He is survived by his wife of 32 years, Stella Kootsikas Angelucci, their six children, Jay (Kathy), Rocky (Laura), Nick, Toni (Jim), Georgia and Tom (Lauren), their 20 grandchildren, Tony, (Abby), Cera, Laura, Sophia, Mazie, Chelsea, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Steven, Chance, Zane, Nicholas, Andrew, Michael, Conor, Ryan, Liam, Stella, Alexandra, and George; and one great-grandson, Mason.

 

In his youth, Julius was quite the athlete, lettering twelve times collectively in baseball, basketball and football. As quarterback for the Monongah High School Lions, he threw the winning touchdown pass for their first state football title in 1952.

 

He continued to play baseball at Fairmont State College, earning his Bachelors there and then his masters at West Virginia University. He was a member of the Tau Beta Iota fraternity, maintaining close ties with his fraternity brothers over the years.

 

Julie was a longtime fan of the Detroit Tigers and West Virginia Mountaineers, but had a soft spot for the Crimson Tide, as Nick Saban was a friend of the family. Nick Saban Sr. gave Julie a job and sponsored a farm league baseball team that Julie played on, while Nick Saban Jr. served as bat boy.

 

Julius taught industrial arts and driver’s education for 37 years; first at Brooklyn Park High School, Brooklyn Park, MD, then at Andover High School in Linthicum, MD where he was a beloved member of the faculty, known to all as “Mr. A.,” and finally at Crofton Middle School, Crofton, MD.

 

Julie was a member of the Masonic Lodge #213 in Glen Burnie.

 

Julius, with his wife Stella were long standing members of and very active in their community of Fair Oaks on the Magothy, Severna Park. They were involved with the Annapolis Villagers who collect Department 56 miniatures where they met and made many friends who shared their interests.

 

His Letters to the Editor of local newspapers were famous, expressing his strongly held opinions with its readers.

 

Julius enjoyed woodworking and was a master craftsman, able to build or fix most anything; abilities he passed on to his sons. He was well loved, much respected, and enjoyed a rich and extraordinary life. He will be missed by his family and many, many friends.

 

Family and friends may visit on Thursday, April 14, 2022 from 2:00-4:00pm and Friday, April 15, 2022 from 10:00-11:00am at Barranco Severna Park Funeral Home & Cremation Care, P.A., 495 Ritchie Highway, Severna Park, MD, 21146.  A Funeral Service will be held on Friday at 11:00am at the Funeral Home. Internment services will immediately follow at Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Cemetery, 2457 Riva Rd, Annapolis, MD 21401.

 

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Since 9/11, Tunnel to Towers Foundation help America’s heroes by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families and are committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and aiding the victims of major U.S. disasters.