As a proud 1976 graduate of St. Joseph High School, Kestutis (Kasey) Petraitis played on the school’s inaugural varsity soccer team established in 1974. Upon graduating from St. Joseph High School, Kasey went on to Cleveland State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering in 1981. Kasey credits Mr. Srp, an Earth sciences teacher and environmentalist, and the beloved Mr. Roberston for igniting his interest in the sciences and learning. Kasey held a successful 30-year career with Argo-Tech/Eaton, working on the company’s management/ownership team. During this time, he acquired a registered patent in his name, published several technical papers and developed company trade secrets.
Judith (Rukstelis) Petraitis graduated from Villa Angela High School in 1978. While a student, she was a member of the National Honor Society and student council. Judy remembers fondly the impact Sister Naomi Schriner had on her and many other young women. A passionate and interesting teacher, Sr. Naomi taught her students more than simply classroom lessons. Judy will never forget her messages of respect being earned and making her students promise to always exercise their right to vote as women. After high school, Judy attended St. Vincent Charity Hospital School of Nursing and became a registered nurse in 1981 and later a licensed massage therapist in 1992. For the past 15 years, Judy has worked as the guidance office manager and registrar at VASJ. Judy is also a member of the Ladies Night Out committee, an annual spring event that brings together alumnae from Villa Angela Academy and VASJ to raise funds in support of current students.
The couple married in October of 1984 and later welcomed four children, all of whom attended Catholic Schools, including VASJ. They are the proud grandparents of three grandchildren.
The Petraitis’s love for soccer remained strong throughout the years following high school. Kasey and Judy have contributed more than 30 years’ worth and counting of service to the local soccer community and VASJ. Both Kasey and Judy were active in the Euclid Youth Soccer Organization (EYSO). Kasey coached soccer for the community organization both in recreational and competitive travel leagues for 15 years. Many of his former players would go on to play at several area high schools and elite club soccer teams spanning across Northeast Ohio. Judy assisted and supported soccer efforts at EYSO as well. She placed focus on the importance of youth involvement in sport. Judy worked to eliminate barriers by providing transportation, food and equipment to those in need to participate. Many families knew that they could count on “Coach Kasey” or “Mrs. P” to give them a ride home if they had no other option.
The Petraitis family has served as a leader in the community and consistently found ways to do more with less with their volunteer efforts. Judy and Kasey supported one another by coaching, cheering, caring for fields and purchasing additional equipment at their own expense. Soccer on the weekends was not another chore for the Petraitis family, but rather, a way of life. Judy and Kasey valued everyone who wanted to play soccer as part of their extended family. They made certain they were the first and last to leave the field to create an organized and safe environment for all members of their team. After many years of service to EYSO, their journey took them back to the Viking Village.
Both Kasey and Judy are active members in the local Lithuanian community as well. Kasey serves as a board member for the Lithuanian Community Center and coached for over 20 years for the Lithuanian Athletic Club. Judy enjoyed coaching basketball for and working coffee hour brunces after Mass at the Lithuanian Athletic Club. She was also a committee member for the Lithuanian National Juniors tournament when hosted in Cleveland.
In 2003, Kasey was hired as head coach for the VASJ men’s soccer program. At the time, there was concern the program might fail with a declining number of players available for matches. Kasey launched a rebuild based on a framework of Viking pride, toughness and full effort in all circumstances. In her guidance role, Judy encouraged students to try soccer as an extracurricular, thus helping to grow both programs. To build team dynamic and make certain student-athletes focused on their studies, Judy would reserve classroom spaces and provide areas for the team to study together after school to maintain the academic standards of the soccer program. By 2006, with the help of the efforts of the Petraitis family, the men’s varsity soccer program had grown from a mere 11 to a consistent 22 student-athletes per season.
In 2006, Kasey began coaching for the VASJ women’s varsity program, fulfilling the need for a coach on short notice, as the team had lost its coach just days before the season began. Kasey accepted this role with pride and tenacity, while also balancing duties of the men’s program simultaneously.
Kasey announced that he would be resigning from the position of head soccer coach in fall of 2010, but he later returned in 2013 to coach alongside his son, KC. With KC as head coach and Kasey assisting, the team would win a North Coast League White Division title for the Vikings. Since that season, Kasey and Judy have remained proud Viking supporters, attending practices, alumni events, fundraisers, rallies and any activities involving athletics at VASJ. Coach Kasey is considered a “Coach Emeritus” among the current staff for both the men’s and women’s programs. Judy continues her work at VASJ, aiding the growing needs of the soccer programs to this day. All of their children continue to support soccer as a contribution to their parents’ legacies at VASJ. It is a testament to Judy and Kasey’s hard work and service that soccer has become a cornerstone of the Viking athletic tradition.