RIP Mauro

Very sad news... Pilot superfan and UP fixture Mauro Potestio passed away this weekend.

He attended 898 consecutive home UP basketball games, from 1949-2010. He has two degrees from UP, undergrad in 1950 and a master's in 1954. His career was in education - eventually he became a school principal. He had been very ill in recent weeks, and unfortunately missed his first Pilot game since the Truman administration on Thursday against Gonzaga.

At the Bluff, he was the editor of the Log as a student, and later worked for the athletic department as both men's golf coach (he guided the Pilots to their only WCC championship in golf in 1993) and sports information director. And, of course, the most incredibly dedicated fan any program could ever ask for.

He was a veteran of WWII and an avid fan of Frank Sinatra - he had over 60 framed photos of him in his house. He was a leader in Portland's Italian community and served on the board for the Portland-Bologna sister city association, for which he traveled to Bologna every summer. (Rough gig, that.)

Mauro loved the Pilots as much as humanly possible. I will miss him, and his loss will be felt around the program for years. RIP to a truly great man.

Such a huge loss to the community and program, and I extend my condolences to his family.

Anyone have any idea if there is any plan to permanently honor him in the works? I think having his seats be a different color than the rest of chiles or something with the signature bow tie would be a very cool gesture.

A big loss to the Pilot family. Seeing him in his seat always brought a smile. He was always the most positive of fans.

Prayers to his family.

DaTruRochin wrote:Such a huge loss to the community and program, and I extend my condolences to his family.

Anyone have any idea if there is any plan to permanently honor him in the works? I think having his seats be a different color than the rest of chiles or something with the signature bow tie would be a very cool gesture.

I think permanently "retiring" his seat, i.e. never selling it again, would be appropriate. Perhaps a brass plaque on it, commemorating the 898 consecutive games.

RIP Mauro. You will be missed.

What sad news to hear.

I love the idea of retiring his seat and would love to have a bowtie or plaque of some sort installed as well. What about a wall plaque or mural near the the entrance to Chiles commemorating his achievement. Maybe with boxscores from his first and last games or something.

It seems only fitting to me that in the year of his passing the basketball team qualifies for the NCAA tourney!

It is very sad news indeed. Prayers to his family.

I was lucky enough to have worked in the SID office for Mauro when I was a student-athlete on the Bluff in the early 80s. He always had a kind word of encouragement. And I don't think anyone loved the Portland Pilots more than Mauro. He will be missed by everyone associated with UP.

Rob's Jacket wrote:

DaTruRochin wrote:Such a huge loss to the community and program, and I extend my condolences to his family.

Anyone have any idea if there is any plan to permanently honor him in the works? I think having his seats be a different color than the rest of chiles or something with the signature bow tie would be a very cool gesture.

+1. Mauro's family will be in my prayers.

Or maybe naming something after him on the campus...

Very nice story from Jim Beseda at the Oregonian.

http://www.oregonlive.com/pilots/index.ssf/2011/02/pilots_basketball_remembering.html

I like the idea of doing something special with Mauro's seats such as making them a different color and painting a bow tie on them. I'm not so sure he'd want us to retire them though as I'm sure he would like someone else to enjoy the games from them.

Thanks for the article, Stoney. I like how Sinatra had to share space with UP athletes on his walls. Yeah, changing the seat colors would be nice...or naming something after him like a street near the CSC apartment area near Chiles. It's almost a guarantee that the Oregonian article will be put in the glass casing area near the front of the Chiles Center...

Or having an annual Mauro night game with some festivities...

What about naming where the student section is after him, I mean isn't he what all pilot fans aspire toward. The epitome of Pilot Til' I Die!

Isn't that a soccer chant?

I think we pick a day to wear bow ties.

I like it! (I just hope Mauro isn't offended if I wear the kind with the loop and hook, all my attempts at really tying one of those things has ended in vain...)

I assume he will be in the Hall of Fame at some point, but what about hanging a banner from the rafters, similar to retiring a jersey number, but with 898 instead?

Or maybe version 2.0 of the PN t-shirts should be jersey-esque with 898 on the back.... hmmmm.

or a tuxedo t-shirt style shirt but with a bow tie.

I really like the banner idea, maybe a little unveiling ceremony with the band playing some Sinatra? Heck, maybe schedule a pre-season match up with PLU just for a little symmetry? I'll drive to wherever Elgin Baylor is and have him sit in Mauro's seats if thats what it takes...

I say pull out the stops, for a tiny program like ours, fans such as Mauro are the very basis of what we should all stand for.

All great ideas, everyone. Rest assured, something will be done for next Thursday's game. The bowtie idea has already been bandied about... I think something along those lines will definitely happen. And as for "retiring" his number as 898 - I love it!

Meanwhile, we've got this:



And the announcement from UP. Details of the funeral are still pending:

http://www.up.edu/shownews.aspx?id=4184

PilotNut wrote:I assume he will be in the Hall of Fame at some point, but what about hanging a banner from the rafters, similar to retiring a jersey number, but with 898 instead?

Or maybe version 2.0 of the PN t-shirts should be jersey-esque with 898 on the back.... hmmmm.

I believe Pilotnut is onto something for a PN shirt..

.I wish REV & williams would let the kids on the team wear something that would be a true tribute to a "a UP alum, worker, and "super fan" ...Jasonn had to submit a request to the Ncaa to wear a headband, there was a long delay then they allowed it.(I can he hear geez's rulebook opening now.....)............I wonder how every other kid that plays for TENNESSEE wears one, lol... I IMAGINE REVS relationship with the COMMISH wouldn't hurt in requesting some kind of tribute....but I would think it would be dir.of athletics williams who could be put in a position to lobby the Ncaa for a tribute by some of the ($$$) influential alum via the president or board of trustees...

PilotNut wrote:I assume he will be in the Hall of Fame at some point, but what about hanging a banner from the rafters, similar to retiring a jersey number, but with 898 instead?

Or maybe version 2.0 of the PN t-shirts should be jersey-esque with 898 on the back.... hmmmm.

Mauro was meritoriously inducted into the Hall in 1997

http://www.portlandpilots.com/documents/2008/8/11/Athletic%20Hall%20of%20Fame.pdf?id=2541

I love retiring 898

MesaPilot1 wrote:Jasonn had to submit a request to the Ncaa to wear a headband, there was a long delay then they allowed it.(I can he hear geez's rulebook opening now.....)

I looked it up. Rule 3-7-1 allows headbands, with some guidelines.

I love retiring the number, and the Pilot Nation shirt 2.0 idea.

Remember those tuxedo t-shirts from back in the day? How about a purple bow tie t-shirt?

Definitely wearing a bow tie to the last two home games.