Local football legend, Super Bowl champion dies at 83

• Posted by Obituaries Wed at 5:30 AM - Filed in News - #Shrewsbury  #Northbridge  #nfl  #football  #Whitinsville  #obituaries  #Worcester County  #Holy Cross  #Phil VanderSea  #Green Bay Packers  #Super Bowl I  #Vince Lombardi  #UMass Amherst  #CTE Research  #Boston University  - 698 views

  
  Carr Funeral Home

  SHREWSBURY — Phil VanderSea, a Northbridge High and UMass football star who went on to win the first Super Bowl as a member of Vince Lombardi's Green Bay Packers, has died at age 83.

  VanderSea, who lived in Shrewsbury, died peacefully following a long illness, according to his obituary.

  Born in Whitinsville in 1943, VanderSea was a 3-sport athlete at Northbridge High, excelling in football, basketball and baseball before continuing his athletic career at UMass.

  At UMass, he emerged as a standout football player, earning All-Yankee Conference honors in 1965. He was also selected as the starting fullback on the university's All-Time Anniversary team. His achievements earned him induction into the athletic halls of fame at both Northbridge High and UMass.

  In 1966, while still attending UMass, VanderSea was drafted by the Green Bay Packers, joining a team coached by legendary Vince Lombardi.

  VanderSea was a member of the Packers team that defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 35-10, in Super Bowl I at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

  He spent 5 years in the NFL before playing a season with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. He later returned to Central Mass., serving 4 seasons as an assistant coach at Holy Cross.

  Following his football career, VanderSea worked for 20 years with the Mass. Department of Correction as a counselor and community release supervisor before retiring.

  VanderSea also became involved in research into the long-term effects of concussions in football. According to his obituary, he participated in studies aimed at improving understanding of football-related brain injuries and chose to donate his brain to Boston University's chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or C.T.E., research program.

  Despite his accomplishments on the football field, VanderSea's family said his greatest pride came from his relationships with loved ones, particularly his grandchildren.

  He was married for 59 years to his high school sweetheart, Sandra. The couple raised 2 children, Scott and Kathy.

  VanderSea was a devoted grandfather who rarely missed an opportunity to attend his grandchildren's sporting events, traveling to games to cheer them on from the sidelines or stands.

  He also enjoyed fishing, gardening, history and reading. His family remembered him as a natural storyteller with a sense of humor, a competitive spirit and an ability to make friends wherever he went.

  In addition to his wife, Sandra, he leaves his son, Scott, and his wife, Paula; his daughter, Kathy, and her husband, Joe; four grandchildren, Haley, Jonathan, Will and Kylie; Jonathan's wife, Emily; and his younger brother, Mark.

  He was predeceased by his parents, Sydney and Mildred VanderSea, and his older brother, Howard.

  A celebration of VanderSea's life will be held from noon to 3 Sunday, November 8th at A.J. Tomaiolo's Restaurant in Northborough.

  In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Rose Monahan Hospice Home, 10 Judith Road, Worcester, MA 01602; Disabled American Veterans at help.dav.org; or a charity of the donor's choice.