PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Mr. Rudolph "Rudy" "Coach" Benedetti, 96, passed away on Saturday, June 18, 2016, at Springside Nursing Home in Pittsfield.



He was born in Rowe, Mass., on January 30, 1920, the son of Severino and Elisabetta (Rosa) Benedetti.



He was a 1939 graduate of Drury High School, where he was a three-letter athlete. After graduating from Norwich University in 1944, he served in the Army Air Corp flying and training pilots during WWII. He received a master degree in teaching from Springfield College.



While coaching track at Drury High School from 1952-1957, he won three consecutive Western Mass track championships. He coached skiing and track at Pittsfield High School from 1958 to 1978. As Pittsfield's ski coach, his teams won nine straight Interscholastic Championships.



His true passion however was track and field. His track teams won six consecutive Western Mass Championships (1964-1970), and also won again in 1971 and 1974.



In 1969, he was named Berkshire County's Coach of the year by WBEC sports caravan. In 1981, he was the first track coach from Western Mass. to be inducted into the Massachusetts Track and Field Coaches Association's Hall of Fame. He retired from teaching in 1982 and moved to Ormond Beach.



He is predeceased by his wife of 71 years, Pearl (Gagner) Benedetti.



He is survived by his son, Gery Benedetti and his wife Katie of Charlemont, Mass.; two daughters, Lisa Lahey and her husband Jim of New Lebanon, N.Y., and Sherry Benedetti Zepka and her husband Jim of Cheshire, Mass.; four grandchildren, Gery Benedetti and his wife Anemone, John Lahey and his wife Amanda, Kellie Burns and her husband Dan, and Kristie Kordana of Fort Collins, Colo.; four great-grandchildren, Beau James, Keegan, Rachael and Wylie; his sisters Alma Benedetti and Mary Caffery and his brother-in-law Louis Zocchi, all of North Adams; and many nieces and nephews.



He was predeceased by his brothers William and Henry Benedetti, his twin sister Debe (Rhodes), Law; and his sisters Amy Zocchi and Oliva Primer.



Funeral notice: Funeral services and burial will be private for the family. There are no calling hours. Paciorek Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.