George F Stratts Jr., of Villanova, PA, 81 years of age, passed away on Friday, October 20th at Daylesford Crossing in Paoli, PA. After a long and determined fight against Parkinson’s disease, he departed peacefully.
George was born on February 19th, 1942, in Chester, PA. He attended St. James High School in Chester, PA and then accepted a scholarship to attend Notre Dame University. He later graduated from the Pennsylvania Military College (now Widener University), and earned a Master’s Degree from Villanova University.
Upon graduating from PMC, he spent a year in the Continental League playing football for the Hartford Charter Oaks. After that year, his passion for teaching and coaching called and he began what became a 40+ year career as an educator with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. During that time, George coached football for 30 of those years, with 25 as a head coach. He coached and taught at Bishop Shanahan, Bishop McDevitt, Cardinal Dougherty, and finally Cardinal O’Hara, where he spent the final years of his career as Principal. He had many great achievements during his coaching tenure and notably was the first coach in Philadelphia Catholic League history to have his teams win titles at two different schools. George was named Coach of the Year in the Catholic League in 1982, 1998 and 2003. His 147 wins placed him sixth all time in league history. George received many honors including induction into the Pennsylvania Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Delaware County Sports Hall of Fame. Throughout his career he had a positive impact on the lives of thousands of students and student athletes across the Philadelphia region, helping them achieve fullest potential and it is this legacy for which he will be remembered most.
George was preceded in death by his loving wife of 48 years, Holly Marie Stratts (Neugebauer). He is survived by his sister, Patricia Genetti, his sons, George Robert Stratts and Christopher Anton Stratts, his daughters in law, Melissa Barlow Stratts and Melani Love Stratts and his four grandchildren, George R Stratts, Jr, Anton D. Stratts, William T Stratts and Makenna S Stratts.
Services will be held at St. Anastasia Catholic Church in Newtown Square, PA on Thursday, October 26th. A wake will be held at 9:30 AM which will be followed by a mass at 10:30. Internment will follow at SS Peter and Paul Cemetery, Springfield, PA.
A donation in memory of George may be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation.