Lou Lodovico, who raced as recently as 2014, died a week ago in Pennsylvania, his local paper reported. he was 91. “I know he has run at least one 5K in 2014 since I found the results where he ran a 44:04,” one fan posted. His obituary mentioned masters running in passing, but his guestbook was full of references to Lou as a runner. ” it could have been a bitter cold day or a hot and humid race, always a kind word. I smile at the end of every race because of him!” said Emmett Santillo. Another wrote: “I’m just one of the thousands of people who met Lou through running and came away inspired by his humility and grace. He only gave me two pieces of running advice. Nothing about shoes, gadgets or pace. ‘Just keep moving’ and ‘just keep running.’ In running, there is no better advice. He was a world class runner and better man.” And Leslie Perry posted: “Lou was not only a great athlete but a gentle, kind man that will be greatly missed by all of his running friends.” His track club gave him a great 90th birthday party.

Here’s a nice 2012 profile of Lou:

88 years old and running
By Bill Utterback butterback@timesonline.com | Posted: Sunday, August 5, 2012 9:43 pm

RICHLAND TWP. — The numbers are mostly insignificant. The temperature moved past 80 degrees as nearly 1,000 runners confronted a 5-kilometer challenge that ended with a 150-yard sprint up a 10-degree incline.

Lou Lodovico, wearing a Big Dawgs tank top and contemporary sunglasses, glided effortlessly up the hill, waved to the crowd that applauded his arrival, slapped hands with a race official and, with a smile on his face, crossed the finish line.

“Lou always says, ‘Don’t worry about the race, but finish with a smile,” said runner Emmett Santillo of Beaver Falls, who was waiting for Lodovico at the finish line.

As he crossed the line, Lodovico’s eyes dropped to his left wrist, to the watch that measured his performance, to the only numbers that mattered. He finished in 32 minutes, 40 seconds. A few seconds behind last year’s performance.

“That’s okay,” he said, smiling again. “It was hot today.”

There is one more number that merits attention. Lodovico, of North Sewickley, is 88.

“I’m getting ready to give it up,” he said. “It’s getting tougher and tougher. I want to race when I’m 90, and then I may give it up.”

At Saturday’s race for the St. Barnabas free care fund in Richland Township, Lodovico was the only runner beyond 80 and one of three runners beyond 70. He has run the race 21 consecutive years. It is one of many dates circled on his racing calendar.

“We race every weekend during the season,” he said. “Sometimes twice on a weekend.”

Lodovico is a member of the Big Dawgs, a group of runners from the Beaver County/Ellwood City area.

He trains with them three times each week and travels with them to races, often driving, on weekends.

“I’ve got some young guys I run with. They push me,” Lodovico said.

Young guys?

“In their 60s.”

Lodovico is an Ellwood City graduate who played baseball when he was young but was never involved in running or any other endurance sports. He served as a U.S. Army combat engineer in Europe in World War II. Upon return, he often walked more than a mile to his job as a machinist.

Dan Lodovico, a runner at Riverside High School, encouraged his father to begin running at age 60.
“I felt like it was something I could do to stay in shape,” he said. “Dan I thought I could be competitive.”

Does Dan still run with his father?

“No. He plays golf.”

Santillo recalled a race in Butler County in which Lodovico, then 86, was told the age-group record was 58 minutes.

“Piece of cake,” Lodovico said before finishing the race in 50 minutes.

“The next year, at 87, he finished in 47 minutes. He’s getting faster. He said sometimes you just have a good day.”

The good days are more important than the numbers.

“I enjoy it,” Lodovico said. “I’ve got a lot of good friends who race. I’ve met a lot of nice people.”

Here’s the obitaury:

Mr. Louis G. Lodovico, of Ellwood City, born February 28, 1924, passed away peacefully after a short illness on August 20, 2015.

He was the son of the late Domenick Lodovico and Assunta (Bettoni) Lodovico and is survived by his brother, Robert Lodovico. Lou was married to the late Doris (Makepeace) Lodovico for 49 years and is survived by their three children, Daniel Lodovico, Patricia (Larry W.) Williams, and David (Sally) Lodovico; grandfather to Jennifer (Shannon H.) Cody, Shawn (Christine) Lodovico, Anthony Williams, Lauren Williams, Howard (Tara) Lodovico, and Danielle Lodovico, and great-grandchildren, Joseph, Louis, and Vincent Lodeovico, Kaycee, Thomas, Genevieve Cody and Kathryn Huss. He is also survived by his sister and brother-in-law, Jane and Herman D’Amico.

Louis grew up in Ellwood City, graduating from Lincoln High School in 1942. On March 17, 1943, Lou joined the United States Army where he was a Demolition Specialist in the 1257 Engineers Combat Battalion during World War II in Europe, and was honorably discharged on January 28, 1946. He was in the battles of the Rhineland and Central Europe and was awarded the Good Conduct Medal, European African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 2 Bronze Stars and the World War II Victory Medal.

After the Army, he worked at Mathews Conveyor Company and later, Commercial Machine as a mechanist, until he retired in 1989. Louis Lodovico took great pleasure in running, was a founding member of the Ellwood City Big Dawgs running club, and was a champion in the masters division of USA Track and Field.

He enjoyed working in the yard and “tinkering” around the house. Lou was a true family man and loved spending time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Louis will be dearly missed by his family and friends.

Per Louis’s wishes, a private family memorial will be held on Monday at the SAMUEL TEOLIS FUNERAL HOME INC. AND CREMATION SERVICES, 309 Spring Ave., Ellwood City. Father Mark Thomas will officiate. Interment will follow in the Holy Redeemer Cemetery.

Memorial contributions in Mr. Lodovico’s name may be made to the Ellwood City Hospital or Holy Redeemer Church.

The family requests you view the obituary and sign the guestbook at teolisfuneralhome.com.