The Bethune-Cookman University Department of Athletics joins the Volusia County sports community in celebrating the life and mourning the loss of Art Parissi, who passed away on Friday, September 25.
Bethune-Cookman was the final stop on a storied and successful journey for Parissi, 76. As a “retirement job,” Parissi served 16 years – first as an equipment manager for the football team, and then as an adjunct professor for the physical education department.
Parissi was best known for his coaching success in West Volusia County high school basketball at DeLand High School and Deltona High School.
After moving to DeLand from New Hampshire in 1973, he and future wife Martha launched the DHS girls basketball program, as well as soccer and softball teams. Returning to coaching, Parissi guided the DeLand boys teams to Final Four berths in 1977 and 1978, with the 1977 squad advancing to the title game. After each season, he was named Volusia County Coach of the Year, and DeLand HS inducted him into its Hall of Fame in 2008.
He would move over to the then newly-opened Deltona High School in 1989, where he launched the girls basketball program and had the She Wolves in the post-season for the first of consecutive appearances in 1990.
Along with a 1987 State AAU 16U championship, Parissi racked up over 400 coaching victories, and was well-respected in coaching circles for his press defenses and conditioning approach.
A proud graduate of Plymouth State College (now University), Parissi joined the United States Coast Guard and served on an icebreaker. His 18 years of military service included the Coast Guard, the Navy and Army Reserves. His coaching career began at Farmington (N.H.) HS, where his 1970 boys basketball team won a state title.
He is survived by Martha, his wife of 41 years, daughters Dr. Lisa Anne Parissi and Anne Parissi, grandson Zane and brother Tom and his wife, Betty. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Robert.
In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to the Youth Sports Program at St. Brendan's Catholic School, 1000 Ocean Shore Blvd., Ormond Beach, Fla.
A gathering of family and friends will be Wednesday, September 30, from 6 - 8 p.m. and a Celebration of Life will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, October 1, both at Lankford Funeral Home, 220 New York Avenue, DeLand, Fla.
