It has been a little more than a month since Joseph Casillas Elementary School teacher Leonardo “Lee” Cartas Sison unexpectedly passed away at 44 years old.
But his legacy at the school he taught at for 17 years will live on.
Last month, Casillas Elementary School celebrated its 20th anniversary. As part of its festivities, the school unveiled the naming of their athletic field as the Lee Sison Field.
George Ratcliff, one of Sison’s colleagues, said after Sison’s death the school thought it was appropriate to continue his legacy.
He said the idea was to name the school’s auditorium or athletic field after him, ultimately deciding on the latter.
“We thought it was more appropriate to name the field (after him) since most of the activities he was responsible for took place on that field,” Ratcliff said.
Ratcliff credits Sison with creating a sports program at Joseph Casillas Elementary.
He said prior to Sison arriving on campus, Casillas Elementary was known as an academic school, but Sison implemented a sporting component.
Ratcliff said Sison established the football program at the school. Although the football team lost every game in its inaugural year, it has remained a competitive force throughout the Chula Vista Elementary School District, Ratcliff said.
In addition to Lee Sison Field, the district on Friday, Oct. 12, will announce its championship trophy as the Lee Sison Trophy.
“The trophy is named after him not because of his legacy of winning but more based upon his attitude and sportsmanship,” Ratcliff said. “Even when he had dominant teams he would not run up the score on teams, he would intentionally down the ball so that his team couldn’t score anymore, because he wasn’t about embarrassing kids from other schools. He wanted to show them that you don’t have to win that way, you can win gracefully and honorably and not make it an embarrassment for anyone else.”
Sison was also a successful coach winning five district-wide championships in girls’ basketball.
The Lee Sison Memorial Fund was established two weeks ago.
In those two weeks, Ratcliff said the fund has raised $7,500 in donations. The memorial fund will be used to help fund school programs and supplies.
Donna Saracho, Sison’s sister, said she is amazed Casillas Elementary has done all this to honor her brother.
“We are comforted knowing that he leaves quite a legacy,” she said. “It’s a testimonial of the great coach that he was, the great teacher that he was, and the great mentor that he currently is to many of his students” she said.
