Sollie Raso. (File photo)
Sollie Raso, a Southern Colorado icon and member of the Colorado High School Activities Association Hall of Fame Class of 1992 has passed away. He was man with a passion for life and he shared that passion with students, coaches and the community of Pueblo.
“Sollie Raso holds a special spot in the hearts of all who knew him. He was a great coach and administrator and a wonderful representative to the CHSAA from Southern Colorado. His counsel and presence will be missed,” Commissioner Paul Angelico said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
Raso knew how to get things done, having developed a strong work ethic growing up in Denver during tough times. Just five months after Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in the Army Air Force where he was involved in 30 combat missions as a nose gunner on a B-17 bomber in World War II.
He became a teacher and coach at Pueblo’s Central High school where he coached football, basketball, wrestling and track. He had a 58-17 record in football coach, had numerous individual and state place winners in wrestling, along with individual district and league champions in while at Central.
He served 11 years as principal at Central, and then 15 years as Executive Director of Student Activities for Pueblo School District #60. He was instrumental in bringing girls’ athletics to District 60, adding basketball, swimming, gymnastics, track, cross country and tennis for girls.
He hosted the first ever CHSAA state track meet and conducted countless, district, regional and state level playoff events in all sports for the Association. He also served for 23 years, including 8 as chairman, of the CHSAA Basketball Committee. He also served on the organizations Board of Control (now Legislative Council) and was a member of the CHSAA Executive Committee (Board of Directors), serving as the Association’s president in 1970-71.
He also served two terms as a Pueblo County Commissioner beginning in 1984. He is a member of the Greater Pueblo Sports Hall of Fame and the Pueblo Hall of He and his wife, Betty Lou, had four children and were married for 62 years before she passed away in 2010.
The CHSAA office is unaware of any services at this point, but will add those as they become available.