Montclair football legend Angelo "Butch" Fortunato died last Friday in Florida at the age of 89, following a brief illness. Fortunato started as a player at Montclair High School in 1933, received a football scholarship to Fordham University, came back to coach football at the high school and became athletic director. A wake will be held Sunday from 2 to 6 pm at Caggiano Memorial, 62 Grove St., Montclair, with a 10 am Monday funeral at Immaculate Conception.
Full obit follows:
Angelo "Butch" Fortunato, formerly of Montclair, died on June 27 in St. Augustine, Florida, at the age of 89 after a brief illness. His career as teacher, coach and athletic director at Montclair High School spanned nearly 50 years, from 1940 to December, 1989.
He was born and raised in Montclair and attended its public schools. He graduated from Fordham University with a Bachelor of Science and received a law degree from Seton Hall Law School.
His football career started at Montclair High School as a 14-year-old sophomore guard in 1933. Known for his speed, he was named to the All-State Football team for two years and the All-Metropolitan team as a senior quarterback in 1935. Academically, he was among the high school's top students and he won a scholarship to Fordham. He quarterbacked some of the great Rams teams of the 1930s. While a 17-year-old freshman he had the opportunity to play behind Fordham's "Seven Blocks of Granite."
At Montclair, he was football coach from 1940 to 1983, when he became athletic director. He was part of the legendary coaching duo with Clary Anderson, who brought him to Montclair straight from college. While Anderson was in the Navy in World War II, Butch took over as head coach and produced four winning teams, including Montclair's first undefeated team in 1943 and another team that lost one game but still took the title. His record during that time, 1942 to 1945, was 26-7-2. In a 1983 interview with the Star Ledger, Butch recalled hearing his first cat call from the stands during the 1943 season when he was a 24-year-old head coach. "I wanted to quit then. But I have come to understand that fans are fickle." And he was no quitter.
In 1969, he took over for Anderson for good. He retired from coaching with a 115-56-7 record in his 19 years as head coach, but not before he guided the Mounties to their first-ever state playoff title in his final season at the helm, a 14-10 victory over Union. Although his name is synonymous with football, he also had great success and great teams when he coached basketball for a few seasons in the 1950s, including a perfect 20-0 season in 1953-4. In three basketball seasons, the team won 54 of 55 games.
Butch loved Montclair and although he had many opportunities to go elsewhere, including a call from Fordham friend Vince Lombardi to take over at St. Cecilia's in Englewood when Lombardi moved on, he stayed put. He was very active in a variety of civic organizations and was elected to the Town Commission for three terms from 1952 to 1964. He headed the Parks and Public Property department his first term, and then became Director of Public Safety, with oversight of the police and fire departments, for two terms.
He leaves his wife of 68 years, Ellen Good; three daughters Barbara Hurley of Verona, Ellen Smithson of St. Augustine, and Ann Bradley of Hamilton Square; and a sister, Mary Cusumano of Elmwood Park. He also leaves seven grandchildren: Jim Hurley, Karen Smith, Keigher Nazarian, Michael Smithson, Sarah Stone, Michael Fortunato, and Kate Bradley and seven great-grandchildren: Monica Hurley; Margaret Smith; Caroline, James and Christopher Nazarian; Mary and Andrea Smithson. He was predeceased by his son, Kenneth.
In Butch's memory, the family would be grateful for any donations to the Ken Fortunato Memorial Foundation scholarship fund.
A Funeral Mass will be held Monday July 7th, 10am at Immaculate Conception Church, Montclair, interment at St Johns Cemetery, Orange to follow. Visiting Sunday July 6th, from 2-6pm at Caggiano Memorial, 62 Grove St., Montclair.
... and took away the budget for the MHS Ski Team and gave it to the stupid football players. RIP.