Ed Aliverti, long-time announcer at amateur wrestling events around the world, is being remembered fondly not just for his voice, but also for his kindness and all he did as goodwill ambassador for the sport. He died in a Seattle hospital Wednesday after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 77.
As the Everett Herald reported in its tribute, "His deep baritone voice was heard near and far from emceeing Fourth of July parades close to his Edmonds home to mat side at the Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea; Barcelona, Spain; Atlanta and Sydney, Australia."
“I never saw him any different at the Olympics or the state high school championships,” Jim Meyerhoff, an assistant director of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, who worked with Aliverti at the state Mat Classic and the Olympics in Los Angeles, told the Everett Herald. “He was always the consummate professional.”
Another individual who knew Ed Aliverti well is Sandy Stevens, who is a highly regarded wrestling announcer herself. In an audio interview with Scott Casber for InterMat, Stevens shares her memories working with Aliverti as an announcer at major wrestling events, including the NCAAs for two decades, to the point where some fans thought Stevens was married to Aliverti. (Stevens joked that Ed's wife Shirley referred to Sandy as "the second Mrs. Aliverti.")
Stevens described Aliverti as an "enthusiastic, dynamic individual" who did so much for wrestling. "He was a performer. He saw our sport as needing presentation, needing that kind of attention and drama, and focus. He was so enthusiastic..."
"He did so much preparation. He worked tremendously hard, but never complained. He loved what he did."
"He changed the face of wrestling competition."
Funeral arrangements are still pending.
Resources
Everett Herald: Edmonds educator, famous announcer, dies
Scott Casber audio interview with Sandy Stevens for InterMat
College Wrestling Examiner, Wednesday: Long-time NCAA/Olympic wrestling announcer Ed Aliverti dead at 77
WIN Magazine: Sandy Stevens' July 2009 tribute to Ed Aliverti
TheMat.com: Schedule and results for February 1-7
TheMat.com: Wrestlers of the Week
College Wrestling 101: Links to articles answering basic questions about wrestling, including rules, scoring, uniforms, more
Follow College Wrestling Examiner Mark Palmer on Twitter
Comments
On behalf of the Aliverti family, I want to thank you so much for the wonderful article on Dad. I wanted to share with you that there will be a funeral service on Tuesday, February 9th at 11:00am, with a reception immediately following. Both events will be held at Holy Rosary Church in Edmonds, WA. Please visit Beck's Funeral Home's page (becksfuneralhome - it won't let me post URLs here) and click on "Ed Aliverti" on the left. More detailed information is available there, as well as a place to share your memories.
Dear Leslie, Thank you for letting us know about your father's funeral arrangements. I have posted a separate article to share that info with the wrestling community.
I never had the honor of meeting your dad, but certainly remember his voice as an announcer, and as a singer. He always struck me as being very energetic and enthusiastic. He will be missed by wrestlers and fans.
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