Professional Life Highlights:

Graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Bassoon scholarship.  Played in IUP marching band.

Worked summers during college in construction and at Sears.

Member of Music Tones, a polka band, playing sax in venues ranging from veterans’ clubs to weddings.  Learned phonetic Polish so he could sing in the group. Recorded “Ashes of Our Love Polka.”

1st teaching position:  One year as high school band director at a Pennsylvania girls’ Catholic school.  Priest permanently cured him of inappropriate language on the practice field.

2nd teaching position:  Four years as Jr. high school band director at Barberton U.L. Light.

Last teaching position:  Thirty-four years as high school band director and instrumental music teacher at Cloverleaf Schools.

Mentored many students and teachers in many ways.

Many of his students became music educators.

Member of American Society of Band Directors.

Member of OMEA, Ohio Music Education Association.

Graduate of Akron University with a Master’s in Education Administration

Judge of statewide instrumental solo, ensemble, concert band and marching band contests.

Judge of marching bands for Festivals of Music.

Educational Music Consultant and road rep for Pellegrino Music.

Driver for Doug Chevrolet.

Personal Life Highlights

Son of Gerald and Catherine Carasea.  Brother to Anthony Carasea and brother-in-law to Lori Carasea.  Brother-in-law to Roberta (Ewart) and Robert Marchbanks and Glenn Ewart.

Eagle Scout:  Completed a 33-mile hike in a day.

Married Mrs. C. in November of 1986 between the end of football season and the band trip to the Fiesta Bowl (also known as their honeymoon).  

Father to three children, Lynn Todich, Caryn and Matthew Carasea.  Grandfather to Michal and Emma Todich. He was very proud of Emma’s playing flute in Jackson Twp. School’s 5th grade band.  Once left alone with the Caryn and Matt (ages 3 months and two years), he drew mustaches on them.

Mr. C. was a force to be reckoned with in advocating for our children’s needs. Both were diagnosed with autism at ages three and two years old.  Caryn graduated from Kent State and is working. Matt is in the Bravo! Program at United Disabilities Services in Akron. Both reside at home. 

Family has been members of St. Jacob Lutheran Church in Jackson Twp. for 32 years.  Jerry started a Euchre group which enjoys fellowship and fun once a month. He loved to cook for the church, where his homemade pasta sauces were a great hit.

Excellent self-taught cook who prepared all his family’s meals.  Grew his own tomatoes and herbs and canned his own spaghetti sauce.  He stirred sauce like he directed the band. There are spaghetti sauce stains on the kitchen ceiling that will never come out.

Coached Matt’s Challenger Baseball team for 10 years.  Jerry said being a father of our children and a coach of children with special needs taught him more patience in his teaching.

Jerry enjoyed taking Caryn for 13 years for lessons and riding at Pegasus Stables in Hartville.

Teamed with son Matt playing in a bowling league on Sundays nights.

Played Baritone Sax in the Stark Kent Community Orchestra and the Medina Community Band.

There’s peace in the promise that life is everlasting.