Donald Elia Obituary, Death – On March 27, 2024, a Wednesday afternoon, Donald P. Elia passed away in Savannah, Georgia’s Memorial Health University Medical Center. With his children John and Christy by his side, and his wife Colleen by his side, his passing was calm. He was eighty-three. Don was raised in New Jersey by his single mother, Dorothy Beatty, along with his sister. In 1958, he received his diploma from Hackettstown High School.
He left his hometown of San Francisco to attend Maryville College in Tennessee, where he would play football, track, and wrestling. Despite his eagerness to compete, Don wasn’t prepared for the demands of school; he eventually dropped out, matured, and wed Colleen. They relocated to Maryville so that Don could continue working as a coach while earning his education degree.
In 1973, he graduated from the University of Tennessee with a Master of Science in College Student Personnel and Counseling. Before securing the position at Carson-Newman College (now Carson-Newman University) that would define his career, he worked for a short time at the McCallie School in Chattanooga. He was the Director of Financial Aid and started a wrestling program at Carson-Newman. Don helped families afford higher education while coaching and mentoring generations of wrestlers from 1978 until his retirement in 2008.
Following his retirement, he founded a non-profit organization to promote wrestling in East Tennessee and put in many hours of travel time to assist the East Tennessee State University Club Wrestling team. Don was inducted into the Maryville College Wall of Fame, the Carson-Newman University Hall of Fame, the NAIA Wrestling Hall of Fame, and the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in recognition of his decades-long service to the wrestling community.
In addition to his passion for wrestling and coaching, Don was a proud father and grandpa, an ever-optimistic golfer, and a devoted follower of the New York Giants. Without a map, he could find his way anywhere. He constructed objects without blueprints. In many respects, Don’s life was a myth and legend—some of which he undoubtedly created—and his family wouldn’t have it any other way.
In addition to his wife Colleen, Don is survived by his sister Barbara Chiu (husband Vince), children Christy Brooks (husband Rob) and John (wife Alice), and five incredible grandchildren (Thomas, Julian, Jack, Emmylou, and Pete).
His family is planning a private celebration of his life.
