ANDREW M. “Andy” HAFELE, age 62, passed away peacefully on February 16, 2014 at Penn Hospice at Rittenhouse.

Andy graduated from Father Judge High School in Philadelphia in 1969 and then went on to attend LaSalle University. He worked at Verizon for 35 years as a software technician.

Andy was a NCAA college official since 1985 working at the Division IAA level from 1993 to 2006. While in Division IAA, Andy officiated over 150 games including 18 playoff assignments. His officiating career started in 1979 at a local level working for ARCO (Association of Registered Conference Officials). He spent the next 20 years working in the Public, Catholic and Inter-Ac Leagues and worked 12 championship games among the 3 leagues.

For the past 28 years, Andy has been the Coordinator of Officials for the Philadelphia Catholic League and Inter-Ac League. He also worked as a Technical Advisor for the Colonial, Ivy and Patriot Football Leagues.

In addition to officiating, Andy was involved in numerous coaching roles. He started his coaching career at SYO (Somerton Youth Organization) where he coached softball and baseball. He eventually became Athletic Director and President of SYO for 8 years. For several years, he coached Philadelphia Elite girls select softball tournament team and went on to be co-founder of the Philly Flash, another girls select softball tournament team. In 1989, Andy started coaching softball at Archbishop Ryan High School. He left in 1992 to become assistant softball coach at LaSalle University where the team won the MAC Conference Championship. Andy returned to Archbishop Ryan Softball in 1994 as head coach and led the team to a Catholic League championship in 1995.

He was a founding member of Liberty Bell Football Officials Clinic and was inducted into Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 2010 (City All Star Chapter).

Andy is survived by his devoted wife, Maryellen (nee Moore); his loving children, Michael Hafele and his wife, Dawn, and Jennifer Hoffman and her husband, Roland; and his beloved grandchildren, Timothy Given and Andrew and Thomas Hoffman. Relatives, friends, members of the referee’s associations which he was a member and the Archbishop Ryan High School community are invited to his viewing Friday, February 21, 2014, from 6:00PM until 8:00PM and Saturday morning, February 22, 2014, from 9:00AM until 10:45AM at L. A. DiGIACOMO INC. FUNERAL HOME, 1055 Southampton Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, followed by his funeral mass 11:30AM at St. Christopher Church, 13301 Proctor Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Interment will be in St. Dominic Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to: Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania (indicate: Abramson Cancer Center - Research of Stephen J. Schuster, MD), Penn Medicine Development: 3535 Market Street, Suite 750, Philadelphia, PA 19104, or a charity of one’s choice.
(condolences and guestbook at www.DiGiacomoFuneralHome.com)