| Overall UK Wins: 1 | Overall UK Losses: 0 | Win % 100 |
Date of Birth: October 6, 1922
Date of Death: September 3, 1991
Hometown: East Meadow, NY
Alma Mater: New York University [1948]
For a generalized listing of officials, please consult this page.
| Date | Matchup | W/L | Score | UK Fouls | Opp Fouls | UK FTA | Opp FTA | UK DQ | Opp DQ | Technicals | Officiating Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/15/1975 | Kentucky vs. Marquette | W | 76 - 54 | 21 | 26 | 34 | 21 | 1 | 1 | None | Bob Wortman and Joe Debonis |
Obituary - Hempstead (NY) Newday (September 5, 1991)
Joseph DeBonis, Basketball Referee, Ex-Principal
by Yolanda Rodriguez
Joseph DeBonis, a retired Seafood school district principal, college basketball referee and resident of East Meadow, died on Tuesday of cancer. He was 68.
Mr. DeBonis was born in Potenza, Italy, and immigrated with his family to Woodside, Queens, when he was 5, said his son, Joseph DeBonis of Baldwin.
"He loved basketball," his son said. "The most important thing was his family. . . . He was a simple, quiet man who led by example."
Mr. DeBonis was stationed in the United States during World War II as a member of the Army Air Forces. He was married to Alice Mele in 1948 and the couple lived for a time in Queens, later moving to Seaford before settling in East Meadow in 1953. The couple had four children.
Mr. DeBonis received his bachelor's degree in educational administration from New York University in 1948 and his master's from NYU in 1950. He was a member of the school's basketball and baseball teams.
He began working for the Seaford school district in 1948. Mr. DeBonis was a gym teacher, guidance counselor and assistant principal for the district before becoming principal of Seaford Manor Elementary School in 1963. He retired in 1984.
From 1951 to 1976, Mr. DeBonis served as a referee for the Eastern College Athletic Conference for first-division teams of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. He also refereed games of the National Invitational Tournament.
Most recently, Mr. DeBonis was a supervisor of men's basketball officials for the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, a college organization of nine colleges on the East Coast.
In addition to his son, Mr. DeBonis is survived by his wife, Alice, of East Meadow; sons Robert of Merrick and Russell of East Meadow; a daughter, Christine Re of Freeport; his mother, Mary DeBonis of Astoria, Queens; and a sister, Angela O'Brien of Oceanside.
Visitation will be today from 2-5 and 7-10 p.m. at the Charles J. O'Shea Funeral Home, 603 Wantagh Ave. in Wantagh. There will be a mass tomorrow at St. Raphael's Roman Catholic Church in East Meadow, followed by burial at the Holy Rood Cemetery in Westbury.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to the American Cancer Society and the Kidney Foundation.
