PETER J. CALAMARI III ’59

Pete Calamari was a dominant heavyweight force in the wrestling room and on the gridiron for Holy Cross in the late 1950s.
Earned three letters each in football and wrestling.

Calamari was a state runner-up in the heavyweight division as a sophomore losing to teammate John Ohlenforst in 1957. He would go on to win back-to-back state wrestling heavyweight championships as a junior (1958) and senior (1959) in addition to being named one of three captains for the state champions of 1959.

Calamari anchored both the offensive and defensive lines as a 5’’10’, 240-pound force in his junior and senior seasons. He was selected to the All-Catholic and All-Prep teams as a senior.
Pete, a co-captain and tackle on the ’58 team, was also picked as the lone Tigers player to make the 1958 Times-Picayune All-State football.
He graduated from the University of Notre Dame, then went on to attend the Notre Dame Seminary. He was ordained a Catholic priest for the Archdiocese of New Orleans and served in various church parishes from 1968-1981. Pete continued his dedication to others by founding and developing Discovery Early Childhood Development Program in 1984, to provide high quality early childhood experiences for young children, until 2004. At the same time, he embarked on his 30-year civil service career with Louisiana's citizens with developmental disabilities - first at the Metropolitan Development Center in Belle Chasse and then in Hammond. Peter had a passion for all people, but the vulnerable were those he remembered first. His work and personal sacrifices impacted the life of tens of thousands of individuals. Peter brought his talents to help lead the consolidation of the Louisiana State Offices of Addictive Disorders and Mental Health into the newly created Office of Behavioral Health. In his role as Deputy Assistant Secretary, he helped shape a historic transformation in behavioral health care for all the residents of the state.

In recognition of his unselfish 30 years of service to the citizens of Louisiana, in 2011 Peter was nominated for and received the Charles E. Dunbar, Jr. Career Service Award. Those who nominated Peter said: "There are dreamers and doers, but Mr. Calamari has demonstrated that he is one of the few exceptional people who encompasses both of these roles. He is a visionary with a meticulous plan tucked firmly under his arm."
 
Pete is the older brother of Holy Cross Hall of Famer Michael Calamari ‘60 and Paul Calamari ’62. Peter passed away at his Denham Springs home on April 28, 2012 from heart failure at the age of 70 years. He was the beloved husband of Catherine Ann Sage Calamari, mother of Gloria L. Francois, James T. Molinario Jr, Bruce P. Molinario, June M. Lemoine, Karen T. Molinario and Gregg C. Molinario. Peter was a grandfather of 15 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.