Coach John Altobelli honored Tuesday on one-year anniversary of his death

John Altobelli led Orange Coast College to four state championships. (File photo courtesy OCC Media Relations)

Orange Coast College officials will hold a virtual memorial service on Tuesday, Jan. 26, on the one-year anniversary of the death of long-time legendary baseball coach John Altobelli.

The memorial will be livestreamed at 10 a.m. and shown on You Tube according to a release from Orange Coast College. Those wishing to see the memorial should go to the Orange Coast College website.

Altobelli, his wife Keri and daughter Alyssa, died in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26, 2020, that also included Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna and four others, including teacher and youth basketball coach Christina Mauser.

“The loss was felt not only through the Altobelli family and the OCC community, but throughout all of college baseball and the country,” the OCC release said. “On the one-year anniversary of this tragic event, OCC would like to pay homage to our longtime coach, his wife and his daughter.

“Please join us as we bring in special guests to share their experiences and memories and we will show the world, through photos and video, some of the reasons why John Altobelli left a lasting legacy in this area … and not just on the baseball field. A father, a son, a brother, a coach, a mentor, a leader … John Altobelli will be ‘Forever a Pirate.'”

Altobelli was about to begin his 28th season as OCC coach at the time of his death.

Altobelli led the Pirates to numerous conference and state championship titles with more than 700 wins during his career and four state championships.

In 2019, he was honored by the American Baseball Coaches Association as an ABCA/Diamond National Coach of the Year.