Mario B. Columbaro, 76, Schoolteacher

Mr. Columbaro was born February 21, 1927 in Lorain and has been a life long area resident.

Mr. Columbaro was a schoolteacher with Elyria Catholic High School, Lorain City Schools and Erieview Elementary School, Avon Lake; he then became principal of Avon East Elementary School from 1967 to 1977 and then returned to the Avon lake School System as principal of Eastview and Westview Elementary Schools. He retired from the school system in 1985. Upon his retirement, Mr. Columbaro drove charter busses for SBS Transit/Cleveland Lorain Highway Coach, Lorain.

He was a US Air Force Veteran, serving from 1945 to 1948 with the 862nd E.A.B., Corp. of Engineers during the occupation of Germany following WWII. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1953 with BS in Education and received his MA from Kent State University in 1966.

Mr. Columbaro was a football and basketball official at the high school level. He was President of the Lorain County Football Officials Association, President of the Lorain County School Administration Association, President of the Avon Lake Teachers Association. He attended Christ evangelical Lutheran Church, enjoyed travel, reading, sports, music, gardening and driving charter buses.

He is survived by his wife Quella Marie (nee Couch), whom he married June 24, 1967. Other survivors include daughters Terri M. Frederick (Jeffrey) of Bay Village, Norina L. Rothacker (Phillip) of North Ridgeville; sons Richard F. of West Park and Dean A. of Dallas; grandchildren, Janette and Kurt Frederick, Samuel Rothacker and Nicholas Columbaro. Mr. Columbaro is preceded in death by his first wife Jeanette M. (nee Jacovetti) parents, Ferdinando and Norina (nee D'Alberto) and brothers Renardo, Albert and Anthony.

Friends may call at the Busch-Burmeister Family Chapel, 163 Avon-Belden Road, Sunday, March 16th from 1 to 4 and 6 to 9 p.m. Funeral Services will be in Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church, 32747 Lake Road, Avon lake, Monday at 11:00 p.m. Rev. Lynn Schlessman of the church will officiate.

Interment will follow in Calvary Cemetery Lorain.

Memorial may be forwarded to the Christ Evangelical Lutheran Church Memorial Fund, the Lorain Public Library System, 351 6th Street, Lorain 44052 or the Avon Lake Public Library, 32649 Electric Blvd., Avon Lake 44012.