RICHARD "DICK" COGLIANESE, 83, passed away on Sept. 2,
2020, at Dujarie House, Holy Cross Village, Notre Dame,
IN.
He was born Aug. 28, 1937, in Chicago, IL, to Richard &
Helen (McGinley) Coglianese. Dick graduated from New
Carlisle High School in 1955. In June of 1957, he married
Mary Lou Seidel in Winamac, IN. He was hired at Western
Electric in South Bend in 1958 as an installer and stayed
with the company 38 years through its transition to AT&T
Technologies. As he advanced his career in various manage-
ment positions, Dick moved his family from Hudson Lake,
IN to company plant locations in Indianapolis, Omaha, NE
and Dallas, TX before retiring in 1996. Dick and Lou moved
back to South Bend in 2006, where they enjoyed reconnecting
with their extended family and lifelong friends.
He was an active volunteer with the Telephone Pioneers of
America, and for several years in the 1990s led the local
organization’s Sports Jamboree, a weekend of activities
for physically and visually impaired children in Mesquite,
TX. He had many hobbies and interests, including travel,
golf, reading, and DIY projects. In retirement, he loved
spending hours building model wooden ships in his workshop.
Dick was an avid Notre Dame sports fan and represented
proudly wherever he went.
Dick was a true “people person” and was loved and admired
by all who knew him. He was highly regarded in his profession,
and was adored by family and friends.
Dick was preceded in death by his wife in 2017. He is survived
by his daughter, Cindy (Mick) McCaffrey of Tiburon, CA; his
son, Rick (Mary) Coglianese of La Porte, TX; and granddaughter,
Felicia Coglianese of La Porte, TX; cousins John Colanese
(Donna), Jim Colanese (Pat) and Jerry Colanese (Debbie) and
their families.