John Altobelli was one of eight victims of the helicopter crash that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and now those close to Altobelli are coming forward sharing what kind of a man he was as a person and coach. Ryan Evans, one of the baseball players Altobelli coached, referred to the him as a a father figure since he didn’t have one in his life.
“I didn’t have a father in my life,” Evans told ESPN. “Alto played the role of my father. He may not have known it, but I know it. Coaches can be fathers to us kids without knowing it. He was one of mine. I love him and his family for sharing him with us.”
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It’s said that family was of the utmost importance to Altobelli. His own father, Jim, was known for attending his sons games, even feeding the dogs of fans that would attend, while his brother Tony was the program’s sports information director.
Not only was Altobelli on board, his wife Keri Altobelli and their daughter Alyssa Altobelli were as well. Today, thousands gathered to support the family as they were laid to rest. The Altobelli family was honored with a memorial service that was held at Angel Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Angels. The service was open to the public and thousands showed up to show their love and support to celebrate their lives.
Buck Taylor, the former San Marcos Palomar College coach and current Kansas State pitching coach who was a longtime friend of Altobelli’s shared a few sweet words saying, “JJ, Lexi, I know the time you had together with all of them doesn’t seem like it’s enough, but I know you’ll cherish it.”
“You two are strong enough to work through this,” he added.
JJ Altobelli, who is the son of Altobelli and stepson of Kerry, spoke at the service saying, “On behalf of me, Lexi, [fiancรฉe] Carly, I can’t thank everyone here enough. The amount of love and support we’ve received these past few weeks has been truly amazing. Each text, call, donation or act of kindness has not gone unnoticed. It really shows the impact my dad, K and Alyssa had on everyone here.”
Alyssa’s best friend Sammy Forbath, who also played basketball with her, got up to share a few words as well.
Bryant and his daughter Gianna were also laid to rest on Tuesday in a private funeral ceremony just two weeks after their unexpected and shocking death.
