During his 20 years of coaching football at Liverpool High School George Mangicaro proved he was a winner, a dedicated educator who could motivate and organize his young gridders and turn them into men. Some of them, such as defensive end Tim Green and tight end Chris Gedney, went on to pro careers. Mangicaro coached two undefeated football teams here, one in 1982 and one in 1987, both of which earned No. 1 state rankings and also fielded five sectional-title teams. Mangicaro took over as the school’s athletics director in 1993 and continued to coach the Warriors football team until 2002. He faced a brief hiatus when, after filing a complaint against Liverpool Central School District Superintendent Jan Matousek, he was suspended in April of 2007. The suspension lasted for three years before Mangicaro was reinstated. In 2009, Matousek retired and, according to lawsuit settlement papers, Mangicaro received $65,000, and his fiancé, LHS IT specialist Bonnie Ladd, received $40,000. Mangicaro was reinstated as athletic director that summer, but Ladd retired. She’s now Mrs. Mangicaro. Now 71, George has been on medical leave since last fall, when he underwent kidney surgery.
Frank Sofia, former Liverpool teacher and current varsity club advisor, called Mangicaro the “dean of athletic directors.” Sofia told Star-Review reporter Tyler Greenawalt that George “was always a step ahead of everybody as far as making things better.” George’s friends and colleagues plan to honor the man at 5:30 p.m. June 28, at the Holiday Inn on Electronics Parkway. Reservations are due June 13 and dinner costs $50 each; email [email protected]. At the tribute dinner, speakers will regale the audience with stories of brilliant coaching decisions and memorable plays made during Mangicaro’s 49 years in scholastic sports Two familiar names
Two members of prominent village families recently passed away.
Art Wyker Jr., former president of the Greater Liverpool Chamber of Commerce, died on May 11 at the NYS Veterans Home in Oxford. He was 86. Having served during WWII, Art was a member of American Legion Post 188 and he was also a Mason. I used to bump into Art on village streets, and he was always engaging. He had opinions on everything, and his decades here made him an expert on all things Liverpool. He was a gifted raconteur with a sharp sense of humor. To honor Art’s memory, donations may be made to the Liverpool First Presbyterian Church where he had served as chairman of the board of trustees. Alice Clark Melvin, the wife of Crandall “Chip” Melvin, III, died April 24, in Sarasota, Fla. She was 69. A memorial service is being planned at Trinity United Methodist Church, in Clay. A diminutive blonde with a ready smile and an active lifestyle, Alice was a sheer delight. She often appeared at village board meetings and would sometimes offer her advice about tightening the budget, lowering taxes and improving the village’s business climate. Alice was a life insurance and real estate agent until she retired in 2008. I remember seeing Alice and Chip in 2007, at the 50th anniversary of Liverpool Elementary School and once in a while at Syracuse Chiefs’ baseball games. Chip sits on board of directors of the community-owned Chiefs. Alice loved sailing and was an active member of the Onondaga Yacht Club and a former Sea Scout Leader, and past member of the Red Jacket Yacht Club. She looked sharp in her nautical outfits! She enjoyed singing and practicing piano. In her retirement, Alice volunteered with Meals on Wheels, and, as a breast cancer survivor, she found it rewarding to chauffeur cancer patients to their appointments. Now that’s paying it forward! We’ll all miss Art and Alice, two proud residents of our mile-square village of Liverpool.