Carl George Kokor

Brookfield - Carl George Kokor, 85, passed away August 22, 2018 at Select Specialty at St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Boardman, OH after an extended illness. Carl was born on October 9, 1932 in Bazetta, OH, son of the late Charles and Martha (Legeza) Kokorcheny. He was a 1950 graduate of Niles McKinley High School, and proudly served his country in the United States Army stationed in Japan during the Korean Conflict. He received his Bachelors Degree in Biology from Bowling Green University in 1957 and his Masters Degree in Physical Education from Kent State University in 1963. He began his public-school teaching career in 1957, retiring from teaching Science at the Brookfield Local Schools in 2000 after 27 years. During his years of teaching, he took immense joy in mentoring his many students. His high school football coaching and teaching career began in 1957 at North Royalton High School; Maple Heights High School, Mansfield High School, Leetonia High School, and West Holmes High School. Carls college coaching career began at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was an Assistant Football Coach before joining the Marshall University Football Program in Huntington, WV in 1970. Carl was at Marshall University when, on November 14, 1970, an airplane carrying the Football Team, Coaching staff, Football supporters and families returning from a game with East Carolina University crashed on landing into the Huntington Airport, killing everyone on board. Carl and another coach were coming back from a scouting trip at Penn State when they heard the tragic news on the radio. This event and the re-building of the Marshall University Football Program in 1971 were the subject of several documentary films and in 2006 movie, "We Are Marshall". Carl and Rose Mary were interviewed by the producers during the production of the film and spent time on-set in Atlanta during filming. In 1972, Carl accepted an Assistant Football Coach position in a fledgling semi-professional football league, the Youngstown Hardhats in Youngstown, Ohio, and spent a year with that team. Carl spent 24 years as an Assistant Football Coach at Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania. While coaching there, the Westminster College Football Team won six National NAIA Division II Championships, and he retired from coaching in 2000. Outside of coaching and teaching, he was a member of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church in Niles, the Ohio Education Association, the National Education Association, and the Trumbull County Retired Teachers Association. He was inducted into the Westminster College Towering Titan Sports Hall of Fame in the Class of 2000 and the Niles McKinley Alumni Hall of Fame in 2014. Carl is also known by his family for his poetry, which he wrote for special family occasions over the years. Carls happiest times were spent with his family. He will be deeply missed by his loving wife, Rose Mary (Szakacs) Kokor, with whom he celebrated 61 years of marriage on August 3. Carl was most proud of his children, Valerie Kokor of Atlanta, GA; Lisa (Tim) Derck of Antwerp, OH; and Attorney Robert (Gia) Kokor of Howland, OH; grandchildren, Jeffrey (Amber) Derck, Thomas (Sarah) Derck, Emily Derck, Jocelyn Kokor, and Jillian Hart; great-grandson, Bryson Derck; his nephews Richard (Leslie) Sekella, Bud (Linda) Sekella, Michael Kynn; nieces Joan (Siroki) Bisker and Sandi (Kynn) Ray, and many other family and friends. Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers Michael Kynn and Charles Kokorcheny; and his sisters Melvin (Kokorcheny) Siroki and Barbara (Kokorcheny) Sekella. Friends and family may visit from 3-7:00PM on Sunday August 26, 2018 at Lane Family Funeral Homes - Madasz Chapel located at 6923 Warren Sharon Road in Brookfield. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday August 27, 2018 at 10:00AM at Our Lady of Mount Carmel of Niles at 381 Robbins Ave. in Niles. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in memory of Carl Kokor to: Westminster College/Titan Football c/o Office of Institutional Advancement Westminster College 319 South Market Street New Wilmington, PA or Big Green Scholarship Foundation Marshall University PO Box 1360 Huntington, WV 25715. Friends and family may send their heartfelt condolences by visiting www.lanefuneralhomes.com