Remembering A Special Man.

Last weekend, a very special person went to heaven.  My mother-in-law's brother Mike passed away.  He will always hold a special place in all of our hearts.  He was a kind, gentle man who had a great sense of humor.  My favorite story about Uncle Mike is when he decided to play a little prank on my dad the day of my wedding.  He called our house pretending to be Chris's boss from the military and asked to talk to Chris.  When my dad told him that Chris wasn't there, he said he needed to get a hold of him because Chris was being ordered to return back to base immediately.  My dad totally thought it was a true situation and said that he had a few minutes of panic trying to figure out what to do.  My dad was completely tricked and it made for some good laughs every time we were together.  Here is his obituary:

Michael Sullivan Zoffuto (1946 - 2012)

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Zoffuto, Michael Sullivan Michael Sullivan Zoffuto, 65, of Amarillo, TX, died Sunday, February 26, 2012, at Northwest Texas Hospital. Born June 28, 1946, in Indiana, PA, Mike was the son of Charles and Della Zoffuto. He and Marcia Ruth McEntyre were married in August 1969, in Odessa, TX. Mike served in the United States Marine Corps for six years, from 1969 to 1974. He served as a First Lieutenant during the Vietnam War and was honored with many decorations, including two Purple Hearts, The Bronze Star Medal for Valor in combat, The Navy Commendation Medal for Valor in combat, The National Defense Service Medal with Star, The Vietnam Service Medal with Star, The Vietnam Campaign Medal, and The Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Gold Star. Zoffuto was a 1964 graduate of Brockway (PA) High School. He received a B.S. in Sociology and a M.A. in Psychology from West Texas State University. Mike played football for the Buffs of WTSU from 1965-68, as well as for the Quantico Marines (USMC) in Quantico, VA, in 1969. Before injuries ultimately derailed his playing career, the San Diego Chargers drafted Mike in 1968. Zoffuto's career included assistant coaching stints with the Quantico (VA) Marines (1971), Dodge City (KS) Junior College (1974), and the University of Kansas (1975-76). Mike was the head football coach at Great Bend (KS) High School (1977-78), Mt. Pleasant (TX) High School (1979-85), Red Oak High School (1986), Lake Highlands High School (1987-95), and W. T. White High School (1999-2005). As a head coach, Mike's overall record was 204-90; he took three different teams to the Texas State Playoffs 14 times in an 18 year period. Mike is survived by three daughters, Kristen (James) Sharp of Amarillo, Anne Marie (Cade) Wartes of Childress, and Megan Zoffuto of San Antonio; a son, Charles Mac Zoffuto of Amarillo; two sisters, Teri (Mike) Sweatman of Mashpee, MA, and Lou Ann Zoffuto of Cape Girardeau, MO; four grandchildren, Hudson, Isaac, and Elliot Sharp of Amarillo, and Eva Grace Wartes of Childress; and several nieces, nephews, grandnieces, and grandnephews. He was preceded in death by his mother, Della; father, Charles; wife, Marcia; and brother, Anthony. A memorial service will be held at 2:30 PM on Friday, March 2, at Washington Avenue Christian Church in Amarillo, TX. Mike was known by his friends to be a loyal supporter, an animated storyteller, and a generous giver. He loved his family unconditionally.