We celebrate the life of Mauro Panaggio, husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, coach and teacher, who left us on April 11. Mauro passed away peacefully in the home he shared with his wife of 68 years, Rita, who passed away on March 16. While his public legacy is that of a successful and intense basketball coach, his family and close friends knew him as a warm, welcoming man and the consummate teacher, who demanded as much from himself as he did his players. Whether it was dissecting one of his grandson’s jump shots or showing his daughter-in-law the correct way to slice a block of cheese, Mauro’s passion was teaching others to perform to the best of their ability. Born January 19, 1928, Mauro is the son of Italian immigrants and was the first in his family of 6 to attend college, of course to play basketball. He was always grateful for the generosity of his sisters for helping to pay his tuition. A star athlete at Madison High School in Rochester, NY he excelled in all sports, but it was basketball that grabbed his heart and would be the driving force that shaped his life. After graduating from Brockport State in 1952 he spent the next 40 plus years as a successful basketball coach winning championships at Franklin High School, East High School, Brockport State, and with the Rochester Zeniths in the Continental Basketball Association, of which he is the winningest coach in the league’s history. He was a winner at every level. Unquestionably what he cherished more than all of his victories, more than the accolades, and more than the success was his family. Mauro is survived by his 6 children Michael (Jennifer), Daniel (Ellen), Kathy (Mike), Tom (Shemi), Jim (Kay), Mary Beth (Michael); 23 grandchildren; and 27 great grandchildren. And his sense of charity and a calling to help those who needed an extra hand in life saw him bring into the home Norman Bounds and Virgil Cotton in an effort to allow them the opportunity for success. All received his abundant love and attention.
