Longtime Lake Oswego resident inducted to Fordham Hall of Fame

By Cliff Newell

The Lake Oswego Review, Nov 28, 2009

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After that, it is fair to say that Andrew Nacrelli lived a wonderful life, teaching school, succeeding in the business world, raising a family with wife Esther, and moving to Oregon to live in 1971.

As his brother said, “Andy was a gentleman in the true sense of the word.”

Nacrelli passed on his athletic gifts to his children, who were all outstanding athletes at Lakeridge High School.

Beth was an All-American soccer player at Puget Sound University, Jenny ran track at the University of Washington, Andy Jr. played football at Southern Oregon University and Portland State University, and Tim played in two national championship games at Linfield College, scoring touchdowns in both of those contests.

Sadly, Nacrelli’s life was not long enough.

“He had gone to the Poconos for a high school reunion in 1991,” Esther said. “He was winning a golf tournament when he had a massive heart attack.”

Eighteen years later, Nacrelli joined the immortals of Fordham University football, a tradition that includes Frankie “The Fordham Flash” Frisch, Vince Lombardi, Alex Wojciechowicz, Sleepy Jim Crowley, and the Seven Blocks of Granite. It was a great day for his family.

Henry Nacrelli said, “We had three tables and a total of 27 family members and friends at the ceremony at Fordham University in New York. The whole program (which included New York Yankee broadcaster Michael Kay as emcee) was first class.”

That group included Esther Nacrelli, all four of her children and six grandchildren.

It all adds up to an outstanding legacy for Andy Nacrelli.

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