Friends were shocked upon learning that Dr. George Colisimo, the volunteer football team physician at Culver City High School for a dozen years or more, had been found dead this morning at his home in Westchester.
He was 58 years old.
Dr. Colisimo talked to his mother, Rose, every morning. When she had not heard from him, and the doctor had not yet reported to his office, son Charles was dispatched to his father’s home, friends said.
A general practitioner and a proud veteran of the U.S. Air Force, those professional credentials helped form the foundations of his personal life and of his service as an activist within the community.
But it was his always-upbeat participation in weekly Rotary Club meetings and his long association with Culver High football that probably were Dr. Colisimo’s favorite badges of identification.
Businessman Alan Goldman sponsored Dr. Colisimo’s entry into the Rotary Club.
“He was born two hours before me, on June 22, 1950,” said Mr. Goldman. “We had a common bond from the very beginning.”
“We were friends for many years,” said City Councilman Andy Weissman. “He was enthusiastic about life. He was energetic, and he loved playing basketball and baseball.”
“Generous, warm and giving are the first ways I can think of to describe him,” said Jerry Chabola, the athletic director at Culver High.
Mr. Chabola recalled that when the Rotary Club took a long trip last year to an area where humanitarian help strongly was needed, Dr. Colisimo devoted his pre-trip preparation to lining up medical supplies that could be delivered.
“He brought tens of thousands of dollars of medical equipment,” Mr. Goldman said, “and he was going to do it again this year.”
Dr. Colisimo, who loved sports, was a fixture at every Centaur game, home and away. He also gave the football players their physicals every year.
Janet Chabola said that she came to know her fellow Rotarian as “quite a character with a terrific sense of humor. I will remember him for being a wonderful storyteller.”
“Dr. Colisimo was a very important member of the community,” said Steve Rose, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce.
Dr. Colisimo is survived by two daughters, a son, his mother and siblings.
