City Council Honors Brecksville Leaders Vadini, Broughton

The community is still mourning the recent deaths of coach Joe Vadini and former councilwoman Kay Broughton.

And so is Brecksville City Council.

On Tuesday night, council unanimously approved two separate measures giving a nod to the community leaders and offering condolences to the families of Vadini and Broughton.

Brecksville Mayor Jerry Hruby recently told Brecksville Patch that he remembered Broughton serving with “distinction and dedication.”

He fondly recalled her guidance when he took over as mayor more than 26 years ago — as well as “the respect and concern she demonstrated for my brother Jack, both as Mayor and also when he became ill.”

“Kay believed she could make a difference by being involved in our city,” said Mayor Jerry Hruby. “From the day she moved to Brecksville, she became involved and served in many capacities.”

Joe Vadini died on Easter with his family at his side. 

It was also his 83rd birthday.

Friends and former players remembered him as a great coach and teacher, family man and mentor to many. 

“He was a great guy, and he was very tuned in to football,” said friend and former player Jim Lid, who played for Vadini in the early 1960s. “He was also a role model; he cared for his players; he was a good coach. Above all he was a friend. He had a softer side.”