Oswald "Al" Rava

Oswald “Al” Rava, 92, passed away on Dec 1, 2022 in his Perrysburg home surrounded by his

family. He and his twin sister, Gloria, were born in New York, NY, on Sept 9, 1930. Al was raised

in the Hell’s Kitchen area of Manhattan in an Italian speaking household. He was proud of his

heritage and of his ability to communicate fluently with his extended family in Italy. He graduated

from the prestigious Brooklyn Technical High School having earned a reputation as a talented

basketball player. He relocated to Ohio where he attended Bowling Green State University,

earning both Bachelor and Master degrees in Education. While at BGSU, he competed on the

tennis team and was active in the Neuman Club for Catholic students. Al accepted a summer

job in 1954 as a camp counselor in Eagle River, WI, where he met his future wife, Carolyn

Peterson, who was employed as the camp nurse. They were married on Nov 24, 1956 in

Chicago, IL, and settled in Perrysburg, Ohio where they raised their 6 children.

Al’s teaching and coaching career with Perrysburg Schools spanned over 33 years. Al was

inducted into the Perrysburg High School Athletic Hall of Fame for his impressive career as the

Boys Head Tennis Coach with a total of 319 wins, 12 Northern Lakes League Team

Championships, 10 State Qualifiers, and 1 State Singles Champion. Three of Al’s players were

also inducted into the Perrysburg High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

As a certified USTA and USPTA tennis professional, Al taught tennis and platform tennis at

many clubs in the Toledo area including Carranor Hunt and Polo Club, Belmont Country Club,

Inverness Club, Toledo Country Club, Shadow Valley, and the former Glengarry Country Club.

His enthusiasm for racquet sports motivated him to spend many summers coordinating the

tennis program for the City of Perrysburg Recreation Division, where he was instrumental in

establishing the tennis and basketball courts at Municipal Park.

Al was active in Perrysburg’s St. Rose Parish for many years serving as an usher and member

of the choir. An avid music devotee, he especially appreciated classical music and frequently

attended Toledo Symphony Orchestra concerts at the Toledo Museum Peristyle.

Oswald Rava was predeceased by his parents, Mario and Maria (Cavallero) Rava, and his twin

sister Gloria Golero and her husband Joseph. He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Carolyn,

his children Randy Rava, Alan Rava (Linda), Marc Rava, Lisa Condon (Jeffrey), Andrea Fischer

(Brian), and Mary Miller (Jeffrey), 13 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren, and many nieces,

nephews, and cousins.

A visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at

11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, December 21, 2022 at St. Rose Catholic Church in Perrysburg, OH.

Interment will be at St. Rose Catholic Cemetery in Perrysburg.

The family would like to thank Dr. Basil Akpunonu, the staff at the University of Toledo Medical

Center and the Cleveland Clinic, for the compassionate care they provided. In lieu of flowers,

donations in Al’s memory may be made to Hospice of Northwest Ohio or St. Rose Parish.

Arrangements were entrusted to Witzler-Shank-Walker Funeral Home-Perrysburg.