Dr. John Dal Santo, loving husband, brother, father of three, and grandfather, passed away on Saturday, October 31, 2015, at Calder Woods in Beaumont. He was born on March 28, 1928, in Chicago, Illinois, to Catterino Dode Dal Santo and Flora Bonaguro Dal Santo, both Italian immigrants.
He was a born athlete who loved all sports. John attended George M. Pullman Elementary and Pullman Tech High School, where he was a four-sport varsity athlete on Chicago’s South Side. He went on to receive an undergraduate, Masters and Doctorate Degree from Illinois State University, where he was a four year letter winner in both baseball and football. He led the 1948 ISU Redbirds baseball team in hitting with a .437 average. John broke into Illinois State University's starting football lineup as an 18-year-old freshman in 1946. He stayed there for 32 straight games as an offensive halfback or fullback, defensive linebacker and kicker in an era when football ironmen stayed on the field for the full 60 minutes of action. He was named ISU MVP and the Illinois Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 1948 when he gained 245 yards on 77 carries at fullback. He was a four-time all-conference selection. John had opportunities to play professional football and baseball. He was drafted by the Baltimore Colts of the AU-American Conference and offered a contract by the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He played summer baseball in the Vermont League and signed a contract with the Clinton Cubs, managed by former Chicago pitching star Claude Passeau, but did not report. Professional salaries were low then and the Korean War was looming so he decided to stay at ISU to work towards his master's degree. John loved sports and became a coaching graduate assistant in 1950, where he helped coach his former teammates during the memorable season when the Redbirds had a 7-0-2 season record and won the IIAC title and advanced to the Corn Bowl. He was inducted into the ISU Hall of Fame in 1973.
John served in the Army Medical Corps from 1951-53, seeing European service in France and Germany. After returning from service, John began coaching in 1953 at Dupo High School in Dupo, Illinois and from 1955-58 he was employed with school systems in Cahokia, Maroa, Chicago, Evanston and Mendota, Illinois and St. Louis, Missouri. As a coach he was known for driving into some of the most undesirable areas of town to pick up his players so they could make practice and games. He was still in contact with a few of these players up until his death. He served in administrative positions ranging from guidance counselor to superintendent. While completing his doctorate at Illinois State in 1968, he was executive assistant to Vice President Eric Johnson for the Illinois Governor’s Task Force on Education. He also held an administrative role at Northern Illinois University,
On June, 6, 1959, he married Martha Jean Spear. They had worked together at Cahokia High School, in Cahokia, Illinois, both as Physical Education Teachers. They had three children and raised them first in Illinois and then moving to Germany to work for the Department of Defense Dependent Schools (DODDS). John and his family moved to Germany in 1970 where he was the Principal of the American High Schools in Bitburg, Nuernberg and Bremerhaven respectively. John and Martha spent 27 years in Germany and returned to the United States in 1997. During their time overseas, John and Martha were able to share their love of travel with their children traveling extensively through Eastern and Western Europe. John and his family made numerous trips to Italy, where they were able to meet and enjoy John’s extended Italian family that were from the small town of Caltrano, Italy.
John and Martha moved to Kerrville, Texas, in 1996, where John continued to live after Martha died in 1999. John continued his love of education by teaching GED courses to underprivileged kids. He also served as a Kerrville ISD Board member from 2002-2005. John moved to San Antonio in 2011 and then to Beaumont in 2012.
He is survived by his son, Frank Byron Dal Santo and his wife, Elena, of San Francisco, California; daughter, Bettina (Tina) Lynn Dal Santo of San Antonio; daughter, Katrina (Kate) Dal Santo Davis and her husband, Keith Davis, of Beaumont; grandchildren include, Jacob Eric Davis and Joshua Scott Davis, both of Beaumont, Mia Alexis Dal Santo and Sofia Nicole Dal Santo of both San Francisco, California; sister, Norma Dal Santo Adducci and her husband, Dominic, of Oak Forest, Illinois; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 38 years, Martha Jean Spear; his brother, Frank Dal Santo; and his parents.
John’s family would like to extend special thanks to Edna Carroll who over the last two years loved our Dad and brought life back into him. We would also like to thank Terri Provost, Letisia Edwards, Chivon Sylvester, Shay Hale, Vergie Nixon, Rosalyn Cooper, Marie Bourne, Debra Cunningham, Virginia Lockhart, Tiny Lombard and Sheila Faulk for going above and beyond their job responsibilities to love and care for our Dad and to the entire staff at Calder Woods. We are also grateful for the loving care provided by Janet, Laurie and Adrianne of Harbor Hospice.
A memorial service for Dr. Dal Santo will be at 11:00 a.m., Friday, November 6, 2015, at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church, 680 Calder Avenue, Beaumont. A committal was held at Broussard’s Crematorium under the direction of Broussard’s, 1605 North Major Drive, Beaumont.
