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