Paul and Charlene Pardi were selected as this year’s Columbus Bishop Watterson High School homecoming honorees, an award that recognizes individuals who have significantly impacted the Watterson community.
Deacon Chris Campbell, Watterson’s principal, said he chose the Pardis because of the couple’s emphasis on family. “I consider Bishop Watterson to be a family and when I think of family, I think of Paul and Charlene Pardi,” Campbell said. “They embody what the Watterson family is all about.”
Watterson’s staff and student body gathered together in the gym on Friday of homecoming weekend to welcome the Pardis, who were introduced by student council president Ryan Alvis and vice president Alex Das as well as senior class president Cecilia Keller.
“The Pardis have been a part of the Watterson community for nearly seven decades,” Das said, adding that their oldest child began school there in 1967. All nine of Paul and Charlene’s children graduated from Watterson along with 21 of their 25 grandchildren and three of their 53 great-grandchildren. Another four of their great-grandchildren are currently underclassmen there.
Paul, 95, a Columbus St. Charles Preparatory School graduate who also served in the Air Force, supported his family through his business, Paul E. Pardi Builders. “Many of the homes in Upper Arlington and Clintonville were constructed by Mr. Pardi,” Keller said, “one of those being the childhood home of Deacon Campbell.”
Around the same time that he started his company, Paul began announcing football games for Bishop Watterson in 1958, becoming known as the voice of the Eagles, a role he filled for 58 years. In 2014, he was inducted into Watterson’s athletic hall of fame. “I don’t know why I should be rewarded for doing something I love,” he once said of the honor.
Das then recognized Charlene’s contributions to the football program, particularly during the seasons her sons and grandsons played, when “she would make her famous meatballs for the … team before big games,” Das said. Still, she never allowed sports to overshadow the faith for her household. “Sports will not interrupt Sunday Mass,” Das said, quoting Charlene, 93.
After the students’ introduction of the couple, Charlene took the microphone, saying, “It’s such a blessing to be here today, and I’m truly honored to stand in front of all of you in a place that has meant so much to Paul and me.” She then pointed out the group of more than 65 of her and Paul’s family members in attendance who had surprised them by showing up at the assembly.
Charlene then noted which sports and activities her and Paul’s children participated in during their years at Watterson, such as football, girls and boys basketball, baseball, wrestling and cheerleading. “Their time at Watterson shaped who they became — not just as athletes but as leaders, teammates and people of character,” she said. “The lessons they learned here are ones they’ve carried with them throughout their adult lives.”
She then alluded to a painful time for the family in 2014 when her and Paul’s daughter, Patti (Pardi) Passen, passed away at age 51.
“You see the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes in the lobby commemorating her feast day, which is February 11, the day of Patti’s passing,” Charlene said. The large statue was acquired by the school in honor of Patti through donations from the Watterson family after her death. “(The community) was instrumental in supporting our family through a difficult time,” Charlene said.
She concluded her speech by emphasizing to the students the value their Watterson experience will add to their lives.
“To all of you current students, please know this,” she said. “You are not just receiving an education. You are inheriting a tradition — one rooted in love, faith, excellence and service. May this beautiful legacy continue for many more generations of students and families to come.”
The couple celebrated their 74th wedding anniversary on Oct. 13.
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