Edmonds educator, famous announcer dies

Published 11:03 pm Wednesday, February 3, 2010

EDMONDS — Ed Aliverti, a gifted high school music teacher and legendary international wrestling announcer, died in a Seattle hospital Wednesday after battling pancreatic cancer.

His deep baritone voice was heard near and far from emceeing Fourth of July parades close to his Edmonds home to mat side at the Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea; Barcelona, Spain; Atlanta and Sydney, Australia.

Friends said Wednesday Aliverti’s kindness is what they will remember most.

“He was incredibly giving,” said Frank DeMiero, a retired music teacher who worked with Aliverti in the Edmonds School District. “The old term, ‘He’d give the shirt off his back,’ that was Ed Aliverti.”

Aliverti, 77, never was a wrestler himself. It was his efforts to build a choir in his first year of teaching at Edmonds High School in the 1950s that led to his calling wrestling matches.

When a half dozen wrestlers joined the choir, he expressed an interest in their sport. The wrestling coach, in turn, asked Aliverti to call the school’s matches.

Aliverti spent more than 50 years announcing wrestling meets. He began announcing state tourneys in 1965 before graduating to collegiate meets, world championships and the Olympics.

The man who was selected as a distinguished member of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, Okla., never lost his love for prep wrestling.

“I never saw him any different at the Olympics or the state high school championships,” said Jim Meyerhoff, an assistant director of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, who worked with Aliverti at the state Mat Classic and the Olympics in Los Angeles. “He was always the consummate professional.”

Aliverti insisted on learning how to pronounce each wrestler’s name correctly, an exercise that could take hours, particularly with tongue-twisting international pronunciations.

He also would perform the national anthem at many events and learned to sing anthems for several other countries.

Meyerhoff said Aliverti’s voice will continue to be heard. Three years ago, the WIAA recorded him singing “God Bless America.” That rendition will be played before state championship matches for years to come, he said.

Aliverti was valedictorian of his high school class in Walla Walla and graduated from Washington State University in 1955 with a music education degree.

He first taught at Edmonds High School before joining the faculty at Mountlake Terrace High School when the school opened in 1960.

“He did a magnificent job,” DeMiero said. “He had wonderful choirs and the kids loved him.”

While at Mountlake Terrace High, Aliverti became a school counselor.

In 1971, he joined the staff at Lynnwood High School when it opened.

By 1975, he was hired as a part-time music instructor at Edmonds Community College. He retired from EdCC as associate dean of student services in 1988, the same year he received the college’s excellence in education award. He also received the Washington State Governor’s Community Service Award.

Even after retiring, he was a frequent presence at EdCC, taking on assignments in admissions and representing the college at special events for another decade.

“He was known as the voice of the college,” said Michelle Graves, an EdCC spokeswoman.

Aliverti emceed sports and other events for the college and his voice was even used for the college’s phone messages.

“He made a huge difference at this campus.” Graves said.

In recent years, he continued to perform as part of a singing group.

He is survived by his wife, Shirley, and three daughters.

Services were pending Wednesday.

Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com.