A Family Split Through Tragedy: The Loss of John Altobelli, His Wife, and Daughter
John Altobelli, 56, his wife Keri Altobelli, 46, and their daughter Alyssa Altobelli, 13, were among the nine people killed in the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash this past Sunday, January 26th. One of the most heartbreaking parts of this story is that these parents have left behind a daughter and a son.
John Altobelli, via ABC News
J.J. (John James) Altobelli, the son of John and his ex-wife, is a scout for the Boston Red Sox. While he has remained quiet online, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom issued a statement sharing that “The Red Sox are devastated by the news of yesterday’s tragic helicopter crash in Southern California. We are heartbroken for the victims and their families, including John Altobelli, father of Red Sox scout J.J. Altobelli, John’s wife Keri, and their daughter Alyssa.” Their middle child, daughter Alexis, is in junior high.
via Twitter
Altobelli, known by Alto to those close to him, was a baseball coach at Orange Coast College where he helped guide the California state community college team to win more than 700 victories in his 27 years at the school. He was actually the longest-tenured baseball coach in the college’s history. Nate Johnson, former assistant coach to Altobelli at OCC and now acting head coach, referred to the Altobelli’s as “the ‘First Family’ of Orange Coast College”.
A makeshift memorial lies on home plate at the Orange Coast College baseball field in Costa Mesa, Calif., Jan. 26, 2020, for Orange Coast College baseball Coach Altobelli, his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa who were killed in the helicopter crash that also killed former Lakers star Kobe Bryant. via ABC News
As shared in an article posted by the Los Angeles Times, “Altobelli [...] helped hundreds of players earn scholarships to Division 1 programs over the past three decades. The American Baseball Coaches Assn. named him the national coach of the year in 2019.” These kind words and accolades have shown to be widespread in the wake of his passing. Orange Coast College Foundation Executive Director Douglas Bennet told the Register, “he was a perfectionist and he demanded a lot of his kids [...] But also he really cared about them. He worked to build them up as young men.” Every statement that’s been shared really shows that Altobelli was more than just a coach, he treated everyone around him like family.
From left to right: Gianna Bryant, Payton Chester, and Alyssa Altobelli were all teammates on the Mamba basketball team. All three died on Sunday’s helicopter crash. Via Celebrity Insider
His daughter Alyssa was on the same club basketball team as Bryant’s daughter Gianna, which is how the families got to know each other. Her basketball coach from Ensign Intermediate School, Todd Harrell, says “she always had a smile on her face” and credits her as a key player in the team’s success. We are sure she had a bright future ahead of her.
From, left to right: Keri Altobelli, Alexis Altobelli (survived), John Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli.
While it is difficult enough having to process three losses at once, having to mourn the loss of both parents and a sister is unfathomable. Our hearts go out to not just the Altobelli and Bryant families and friends, but also the family and friends of the Mauser’s, Chester’s, and Zobayan’s who are all mourning the loss of loved ones from this devastating accident.