Photo courtesy of OHSAA Pat Parry (left) shakes a player’s hand prior to kickoff of the Division IV state championship.

During his 29 years of service as a football game official, Pat Parry has worked a countless number of big games. His resume includes extensive work at the college level (all divisions) and hundreds of contests in the high school ranks.

Parry – an attorney who resides in Howland – can now add “state championship appearance” to his list of officiating achievements.

Earlier this month, Parry was selected to serve as the referee in the Division IV state championship game between Glenville and Kettering Alter.

Glenville rolled to a 38-3 win over the Knights.

“When you start out and you work your first junior varsity game, the goal for nearly every official is to be selected to work a state championship game,” Parry said. “That was my first goal way back when. As a football official in Ohio, to be able to participate in the state championship is the ultimate honor.

“I’ve had the privilege to work at some great college venues and to take part in some great college games. But this is our state, and high school football is king in Ohio. Working a state title game doesn’t compare to anything I’ve done.”

Last year, Parry worked a state semifinal game. This year, he worked all six weeks of the tournament.

“It’s a thrilling experience, you just look around and you know you’re in Canton, at the Hall of Fame, you know that everyone in Ohio is watching including other game officials,” Parry said. “You understand what’s at stake for these kids. You want to do everything in your power to officiate a perfect game.

“At the same time, I told the crew before the game, ‘take a minute and think about all of the things you did to get to this position. Appreciate it.'”

Given Parry’s extensive track record, it’s no surprise that he was selected to work in Ohio’s brightest spotlight.

Given Parry’s recent health scare, it’s quite the surprise – some might even suggest it’s a miracle – that he is still spending his Friday nights on the gridiron.

Just three short years ago, the odds that Parry would once again don a striped shirt were extremely slim.

On Easter morning of 2020, Parry woke up “not feeling well, but not feeling terrible.” The pain in his chest “was about a four on a scale of one to ten.” He considered a trip to the ER, but it was the height of COVID and Parry was leery about possibly contracting the disease and bringing it home to his wife Melissa and their three daughters.

Without a history of health problems, he brushed off the discomfort to a case of heartburn.

Later that morning, Melissa found Pat on the bathroom floor, nearly unconscious, and in cardiac arrest. Melissa – a school nurse – performed CPR before Pat was transported to Trumbull Memorial Hospital. A six-hour coronary angioplasty surgery followed, which involved the placement of five stents.

Still, Parry’s condition deteriorated. He slipped into a coma, and was transported to the Cleveland Clinic. Parry’s liver and kidneys shut down. He was on dialysis, and had a trach in his throat. He remained in a coma for five weeks and suffered a second heart attack.

“Quite honestly, they didn’t think I would survive,” Parry said. “Then the day after that second cardiac arrest I woke up to everyone’s surprise. I woke up to crying nurses, these jaded people who see death every day, who were shocked to see that I had beaten the odds.”

“I just remember waking up and asking everyone around me, ‘What did I miss?’ They told me that because we were in (COVID) lockdown, I really didn’t miss a thing.”

Parry spent another two weeks in the hospital before being moved to a rehabilitation facility in Boardman. When he left the facility two weeks later, he was walking 120 steps with the help of a walker.

Parry continued the long road to recovery at home.

“I would get up, walk a lap around the house with the help of a walker, then sit back down,” Parry said. “Another commercial, another lap. Ultimately I started to load and unload the dishwasher, which was a two-hour ordeal. It was a very slow process throughout the entire summer of 2020.”

Parry’s first return to a stadium was in September of 2020, when he attended a Niles game. The Red Dragons are coached by Parry’s brother, Jim.

Because of his condition, Parry had to avoid COVID at all costs. He sat away from everyone, near the end zone, just taking it all in. From a distance, coaches, game officials and fans wished him well. At that time, returning to the field as an official was the furthest thing from his mind.

“Honestly, based on my condition and based on everything that had happened, I was resigned to the fact that I’d never be able to do anything like that again,” Parry said.

However, Parry’s condition continued to improve with each day of rehabilitation. In early 2021 he worked the clock at a Notre Dame College spring game while the rest of his officiating crew worked the game on the field. By the fall of 2021, he was back on the field. He worked one college game and a full slate of high school games.

“I was a bit nervous. I felt I could do the job but at the same time I physically wasn’t where I was before all this happened,” Parry said. “But when you work with great people who watch out for you, it makes the comeback much smoother. I work with the greatest crew imaginable.”

Parry’s regular season crew includes Terry Swauger, Pete Mollica, Scott Batson and Breen Durkin. Parry, Swauger, Mollica and Batson are all 1987 graduates of Niles McKinley High School, and they are the best of friends.

“I don’t think I’d still be doing this today if it weren’t for those guys,” Parry said. “We have a blast together. I absolutely love the sport. I’ve been involved in football in some way since I was a second-grader at Bonham Elementary. My work schedule doesn’t allow me to coach, so being an official keeps me close to the game I love.”

Mollica, who has been officiating for more than 20 years, says Parry “is the best in the business.” Mollica knew that Parry faced long odds in terms of returning to officiating, but he also knew that Parry had the grit and determination to make it happen.

“Obviously Pat faced an uphill battle but knowing Pat I knew that he would fight like crazy to get back to where he was,” Mollica said. “Because of COVID, we weren’t able to get anywhere near him. We only heard about his progress as the days went on.

“Seeing him on the field with us in 2021 was awesome. You could see him getting stronger every game. And you could see just how much he appreciated being out there. He was so focused. It was an inspiration for all of us.”

Parry has since given up officiating college games “except on rare occasions.” However, he has completely returned to pre-2020 form at the high school level. This year he worked more than 30 games, including a pair of scrimmages, 10 regular-season varsity games, six weeks of playoff games and numerous contests at the lower levels.

He says he is already looking forward to 2024 and beyond.

“Officiating truly is a labor of love. I think anyone who works games will tell you that,” Parry said. “I always knew that the coaches and the officials all around the state were a special group of people. That belief was reaffirmed with the outpouring of concern I received during my recovery. I can’t wait for the 2024 season to start. I can’t wait to be back on the field with my best friends.”

sports@vindy.com