The Altobelli family will reportedly be honored in an upcoming memorial service at Angel Stadium. John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli were all killed in the helicopter crash that took the lives of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and four others. Two weeks later, there is a public memorial for the Altobellis in Anaheim, California.
The Altobellis were close with the Bryant family, and were traveling with them to the Mamba Sports Academy when their helicopter went down. Alyssa Altobelli, 14, played on the same basketball team as 13-year-old Gianna.
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John Altobelli was the baseball coach for the Orange Coast College baseball team, so it makes sense that his family will get a public memorial at the place where his team played.
According to a report by TMZ, the service will include speeches from the family and friends of the Altobelli family. There will also be a video tribute to them, and a religious speech of some kind.
The Costa Mesa Fire Department has reportedly brought fire trucks into the stadium as well, in order to hang giant American flags throughout the stadium in their honor.
John and Keri Altobelli have two more surviving children — a 29-year-old son and a 16-year-old daughter. The memorial begins at 4 p.m. PT, and will be livestreamed online.
Two weeks out from the helicopter crash, fans have learned a lot more about the tragedy in recent days. A report by The New York Times even revealed the calls and texts sent between other members of the Altobelli family as they learned what had happened to John, Keri and Alyssa.
John’s younger brother Tony told reporters that he received a call from his older brother Jim shortly before noon. Jim, who lives in Texas, had heard about the helicopter crash on the news.
“Did you hear about Kobe?” Jim asked.
Tony reached out to one of John’s co-workers at Orange Coast College, Sammy Doucette, who had previously coached at the Mamba Academy.
“Hey Sammy is it true about Kobe?” he asked in a text sent at 11:54 a.m.
“Where is John?” she replied at once. “Was he on board? Where’s Alyssa?”
“You better call John,” she went on. “His phone is off. I know he’s flown on the ‘copter before.”
Tony’s next text went to John at 11:55 a.m., asking: “Hey, are you there? Are you and the kids OK?” there was no response.
Finally, Tony learned the truth from another Orange Coast College baseball coach Tim Matz, who called him back in tears.
“They’re all gone,” he said.
“Who’s all gone?” Tony asked.
“John, Keri and Alyssa,” Matz said. “They’re all gone.”
