Robert “Bob” Tomaszewski

Robert “Bob” Tomaszewski

Robert “Bob” Tomaszewski, a fixture on the Lorain County high school football scene for 50 years, passed away peacefully at the age of 78, on Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022 at The Avenue in North Ridgeville, OH.

Born Oct. 15, 1944, he was the son of Raymond and Irene Tomaszewski. A lifelong resident of Lorain, he was a member of the second graduating class of Admiral King High School in 1963. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Education from Pennsylvania Western University, California (formerly known as California State University) in 1970 and a Master’s Degree in Education from Cleveland State University in 1975. He proudly served his country with the U.S. Army assigned to postal duty guarding U.S. mail trucks in Germany. 

Bob spent the entirety of his educational career teaching mechanical drawing and woodshop in the Avon Lake School System; first at Troy Middle School and later at Avon Lake High School. He was recognized by his peers and students with several teaching awards, a first for the industrial arts department. 

A football player in high school, Bob was involved in the sport he loved in some fashion for over 50 years. As a player, he was the anchor of the Admiral King offensive line during the 1962 season. At 6’3” tall, Bob was a towering figure at center and helped what is considered one of the finest teams in school history to a 9-1 record. He traded his helmet for a whistle and began coaching at the middle school level before eventually becoming the head coach at Avon Lake and Lorain Catholic high schools. A standout among his peers on the sideline, Bob was honored by the Cleveland Plain Dealer as the football Coach of the Year in 1990 for guiding the Shoremen to the Southwest Conference title. He later transitioned to the broadcast booth calling games for WEOL and WDLW radio. To some, he was the John Madden of Lorain County; to most, he was simply “Coach.” He is enshrined in several sporting halls of fame, most notably, the Lorain Sports Hall of Fame, where he also served a term as president. 

Bob used the football off-season to remain involved in high school athletics by officiating wrestling matches. Again, he proved to be among the best as he routinely won official of the year awards at the county and district level and was elected to the Lorain County Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2001.

He was known as a skilled craftsman in carpentry, landscaping,and stained glass, completing myriad projects including chairs, lamps, decks and over 360 clocks. 

Bob loved the Cleveland Browns and Guardians and would regularly be seen at games. A former Browns season ticket holder, he was also present when President Bill Clinton tossed the first pitch at then Jacobs Field in 1994 and watched from the third-base line as the Indians contested the 2016 World Series. 

Bob is survived by his wife of 49 years, Christine (nee Martinka); sons, Jason (Dawn) of Woodbridge, Ct. and Matthew (Terrilyn) of Cranberry Twp., Pa.; grandchildren, Benjamin, Cooper, Madison, Mason and Matthew; brothers, John (Jane) of Tiffin, Raymond (Sharon) of Lorain, Terrence (Monica) of Amherst, and Mark and his partner, Diane Kish of Foothill Ranch, Ca.; and dozens of nieces and nephews.

Bob’s family will receive family and friends at Reidy-Scanlan-Giovannazzo Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 2150 Broadway, Lorain, OH 44052 on Friday, November 25, 2022 from 3:00 – 7:00 PM. Funeral Mass will be held at 9:30 AM, Saturday, November 26, 2022 at Nativity B.V.M. Parish, 415 West 15th Street, Lorain, OH, Fr. Craig M. Hovanec, Parish Administrator, officiating (meet at Church on Saturday). Military honors will follow the Mass by Amherst Military Veterans Honor Guard. Online condolences may be sent to the family using www.rsgfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a donation be made in Bob’s memory to the Wounded Warrior Project woundedwarriorproject.org.

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