SLS 19RS-13 ORIGINAL
2019 Regular Session
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOL UTION NO. 22
BY SENATOR PEACOCK
CONDOLENCES. Expresses condolences upon the passing of Coach Frank Cicero Sr.
1 A CONCURRENT RESOL UTION
2 To express the sincere and heartfelt condolences of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the
3 death of Frank J. "Champ" Cicero Sr., teacher, athletic coach, and mentor; a man
4 who was fulfilled by his service to his God, to his family, to his students, and to his
5 community.
6 WHEREAS, it is with great sadness that the Legislature of Louisiana has learned of
7 the passing of such a distinguished gentleman as Coach Frank J. Cicero Sr. of Shreveport,
8 a vibrant man who touched the lives of others in such a positive and meaningful manner and
9 whose sports legacy spanned the greater portion of five decades; and
10 WHEREAS, Coach Frank Cicero was a dynamo and a larger-than-life human being,
11 he was an extraordinary title-winning head coach with a fiery disposition; he was also a
12 well-respected science teacher and mentor who addressed everyone as "Champ"; and
13 WHEREAS, Coach Frank Cicero had a stellar teaching career at one of Shreveport's
14 most outstanding educational institutions, historically known by the monikers of St. John
15 High School, Jesuit High School of Shreveport, and lastly, Loyola College Preparatory High
16 School; and he was the only faculty member to have taught at the school under all three of
17 its designations; and
18 WHEREAS, Coach Cicero had the second longest teaching tenure of any faculty
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1 member; he joined the faculty in 1950 and retired in 1995 with forty-five years as an earth
2 sciences teacher and baseball and football coach; and
3 WHEREAS, from 1951 until 1977, Frank Cicero was the head baseball coach at
4 Jesuit High School; he compiled a record of 270-172-4, including six district championships,
5 state runner-up title (1957), and two state championships in 1964 and again in 1974; and he
6 also coached football for sixteen years; and
7 WHEREAS, he received numerous honors and awards during his lifetime, however
8 Coach Cicero was profoundly touched when the Flyers baseball field was named "Frank
9 Cicero Field" and the street adjacent to the school campus on the east side, Warrington
10 Place, was renamed "Cicero Street"; and
11 WHEREAS, he was a first-generation American born on June 30, 1926, in
12 Alexandria, Louisiana, to Sicilian immigrant parents, Joseph and Mary Mule' Cicero; and
13 WHEREAS, after graduation from Bolton High School in 1944, Frank Cicero was
14 drafted into the United States Army and served on active duty in the European Theater
15 during World War II, he then returned to Louisiana after an honorable discharge from
16 military service; and
17 WHEREAS, he was a talented athlete who attended Louisiana College on a football
18 scholarship and amassed an outstanding collegiate record by lettering seven times with three
19 letters in baseball and four letters in football, and served as captain of the football team
20 during his junior and senior years; and
21 WHEREAS, in 1950, Frank Cicero graduated from Louisiana College with a
22 Bachelor of Science in Physical Education with a minor in science and in 1974, he earned
23 a master's from Northwestern Louisiana State University; and
24 WHEREAS, Coach Cicero possessed a flinty exterior and a disposition as hard as
25 forged steel; he was a strict disciplinarian who demanded the rapt attention of each and
26 everyone in his classroom as well as out on the playing field; and
27 WHEREAS, every student, from the beginning of freshman year until graduation,
28 knew exactly what his standing was with Coach Cicero, either as a champion or otherwise
29 (in big trouble); and
30 WHEREAS, from first introductions onward Coach Cicero set the tone for his
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1 expectations of superior levels of conduct and academic success in his classroom, and he
2 established this protocol with all students under his tutelage; and
3 WHEREAS, Coach Cicero was a superb team builder, motivator, and inspirational
4 mentor who taught his students the branches of earth science, the mechanics of athletic
5 endeavors, and the tenets of good sportsmanship; he encouraged them to embrace life with
6 vigor, purpose, and the humility of a repentant Christian; and
7 WHEREAS, after his stellar career as one of Shreveport's more popular and
8 respected educators, Coach Cicero was inducted into the Loyola College Preparatory High
9 School Hall of Honor in 1995 and was later inducted into the Louisiana American-Italian
10 Sports Hall of Fame in 2002; and Shreveport Mayor, the Honorable Bo Williams,
11 proclaimed May 25, 1995, as Frank Cicero Day in the city; and
12 WHEREAS, Frank Cicero passed away at the age of ninety-two on Sunday,
13 August 26, 2018; he is survived by his wife of sixty-one years, Joan Cardaronell Cicero;
14 their two sons, Frank Jr. and John (Jay); their four grandchildren, Jasper, Adam, Emilia and
15 Jacob; cherished family members, beloved friends, and former players and students; and
16 WHEREAS, upon his death, the Shreveport community lost a unique individual, who
17 left an indelible mark upon the lives of all who knew him and benefitted from his generosity
18 of spirit; and
19 WHEREAS, Coach Cicero possessed those outstanding characteristics of leadership
20 and trust that brought out the very best performance in athletes; he encouraged young men,
21 both in the game and beyond it, to put forth their very best efforts, to be strong and brave in
22 the face of formidable opposition, and to work diligently toward achievement of their
23 lifelong goals; and
24 WHEREAS, it is the memory of Coach Cicero's passion for the game that shall be
25 revisited from time to time; he took good athletes and forged them into great players and
26 great individuals; and
27 WHEREAS, Frank J. "Champ" Cicero Sr., will be remembered for his devotion to
28 family, his demeanor, his courage, and his steadfast dedication to his God, his students, and
29 his community.
30 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
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1 express sincere and heartfelt condolences upon the death of Coach Frank J. "Champ" Cicero
2 Sr. and does further hereby acknowledge that his life was well spent in benevolent service
3 to others as a good Christian, teacher, mentor, and athletic coach.
4 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby pay
5 tribute to the remarkable legacy that shall live on in the hearts of those he touched in life.
6 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to his
7 widow, Mrs. Joan C. Cicero.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Susan P. Montague.
DIGEST
SCR 22 Original 2019 Regular Session Peacock
Expresses condolences upon the death of Coach Frank J. "Champ" Cicero Sr. of Shreveport.
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