Barbara Mangan Pitocchelli, 87, teenaged tennis champion
Barbara Mangan Pitocchelli, 87, of Rosemont, a teenage tennis champion who later made her mark as a respected player, umpire, and coach, died Tuesday, Sept. 22, of a digestive ailment at Bryn Mawr Hospital.
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Barbara Mangan Pitocchelli, 87, of Rosemont, a teenage tennis champion who later made her mark as a respected player, umpire, and coach, died Tuesday, Sept. 22, of a digestive ailment at Bryn Mawr Hospital.
Mrs. Pitocchelli's life revolved around tennis and family. Born in Washington, she moved to Villanova in 1942. She attended the Shipley School, where she played varsity tennis all four years.
At age 17, she reached the Merion Cricket Club singles championship final, and she captured the title in 1973. She and her partner won their first doubles championship when she was 17.
She went on to win other championships in doubles and singles in tennis, squash, and paddle tennis. She alternated playing with daughters Johanna and Elsie in the U.S. Tennis Association Middle States District mother-daughter tournaments.
In recognition of the their achievements, the Pitocchellis were chosen as the 1991 Philadelphia Tennis Family of the Year by the Philadelphia Tennis Association.
Her career as an umpire was legendary. In 1968, Mrs. Pitocchelli's first match as a tennis umpire was at the U.S. Pro Indoor. Arthur Ashe was one of the players. Two years later, she was an umpire for the Virginia Slims tournament in Philadelphia. By 1974, she was the first woman umpire for the World Team Tennis Philadelphia Freedoms.
"She had to change her clothes in the locker room with Billie Jean King and the other female players because all the other umpires were men," her family said in a tribute.
Over the years, she was umpire for televised professional matches featuring Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Ashe, John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, and Ilie Nastase.
She umpired for the Federation Cup tournament when it was held at the Spectrum in 1976 and served as chief referee from 1980 to 2002 for various categories of the National Woman's Grass Court Championships Tournament at the Merion Cricket Club. She received many awards for her work as an official.
She also excelled as a coach, directing a branch of the Tennis Farm on the Main Line for 18 years and as head pro and teacher for the Gold Cup program for aspiring players in the Philadelphia area. She coached at Chestnut Hill College in the late 1980s and at the Shipley School.
"Most important was her dedication to the sport, to the integrity of the game and people's understanding and enjoyment of it for a lifetime," her daughters said.
She was the wife of Francis J. "Frank" Pitocchelli. They married in 1953. He died in 1973.
Besides her daughters, she is survived by sons Jay and John; two grandchildren; two brothers; a sister; and many nieces and nephews.
A Funeral Mass will be said at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, at Our Mother of Good Counsel Church, 38 Pennswood Rd., Bryn Mawr. Visitations are planned for Friday, Oct. 2 from 5 to 7 p.m. at McConaghy Funeral Home, 328 W. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore, and Saturday, Oct. 3 from 9 to 10 a.m. at the church. Interment is in Calvary Cemetery.
Donations may be made to Missionary Sisters of the Holy Rosary, for care of retired sisters. Attn: Sr. Conchita McDonnell, 205 Cricket Ave., Ardmore, Pa. 19003.
610-313-8102