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August 23, 2024The spirit of Chris McManus will carry on this fall season at Villa Angela-St. Joseph High School.
Spectators at VASJ football games may notice a decal bearing a pink ribbon and the name “Chris” on our students’ football helmets. These decals are in memory of Chris McManus, VASJ’s former admissions assistant, who passed away in June after a hard-fought battle against breast cancer.
Chris’ husband, Sean, her son, Ryan ’24, and her sister-in-law, Eileen, came to the school on Aug. 20 to meet the VASJ football team. VASJ head football coach Jeff Rotsky said a few words about Chris, calling her the “heart and soul” of the school and a person who “represented everything VASJ stands for.” Each football player then stepped forward so that the family could place a decal on every helmet.
Chuck Kortovich ’95 came up with the idea for the decals as a way to honor Chris and carry on her memory at VASJ.
"Chris meant the world to our football team. She was one of our biggest supporters,” Kortovich said. “But Chris wasn't just our friend; she was truly an inspiration to our players. Watching her battle cancer for so long, she fought so hard and selflessly. She loved VASJ with all her heart and continued to work until the very end, wanting to be with the people she worked with and cared for so much. This decal is just a small way to show that she is still with us today and always will be."
