As a junior in the 1961-62 season, Anello appeared in 23 games and averaged 2.2 points for a team that finished 24-6. The Flyers beat St. John’s 73-67 to win the NIT at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Anello played his final season in 1962-63, averaging 3.6 points. That was the last full season for coach Tom Blackburn, who died of cancer on March 6, 1964, a day before the season finale. Don Donoher coached the last three games of that season.
A Cleveland native who graduated from Cleveland Lutheran High School, Anello went on to work in the Dayton Public School system for 36 years as a teacher, coach and athletic director. He was hired at Stivers in 1983 and retired from the school in 2000. He coached five different sports over the years and served as athletic director.
Earlier in his career, Anello worked 10 years as a teacher at Fort McKinley and McNary Elementary School and 10 years at Meadowdale Elementary, during which he was also the head track coach for two years.
According to his obituary, Anello had a passion for basketball and “enjoyed the simple pleasure of reading the newspaper on his front porch, the challenge of completing sudoku and crossword puzzles, watching Family Feud and Fox News, sipping red wine ‘for his blood,’ and listening to 40′s and 50′s music, especially Sinatra and Elvis — but above all, he was devoted to and adored being with his family.”
Anello is survived by his wife of 61 years, Carole; daughter, Katie (Chris) Brookshire; son, Tony (Tracy); granddaughters Evelyn and Estelle; siblings, Gloria Priebe and Eileen Anello; nieces Kelly Stonecypher, Angela Rosati, and Tracy Pitz; and, nephews Scott Priebe, Mark Priebe, and Steve Zienka.
A funeral will be held at noon Saturday at St. Charles Borromeo Church. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Dayton, 324 Wilmington Avenue, Dayton, OH 45420 or the Champions & Scholars Fund at the University of Dayton, 300 College Park, Dayton, OH 45469-7051.
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