When I spoke to John Parry on the phone last month, he was on his way back from Grand Rapids, Mich., where he attended the funeral of Carl T. Paganelli Sr. Paganelli was an officiating legend who gave Parry his shot in the Arena Football League, and Parry has worked hundreds of games with two of Paganelli’s sons.
“It was a great day to hear people talk about him—old school—and how he managed officials and taught officials,” Parry says. “I wish we could go back to that.”
Parry, who served as a corporate pilot and ran his own financial advisory practice while being a football official, worked his way up to the NFL through the Big Ten and Arena Football League.