Dedicated cheer mom and local volunteer
Her fans called Rebecca “Becky” Filo the “gold standard” of cheer moms.
As the mother of a competitive cheer athlete, Mrs. Filo devoted untold hours helping not just her daughter Teresa Filo — but many other athletes — by volunteering at countless events and fundraisers, shuttling more than an hour’s drive between Armstrong and Washington counties, and perhaps most importantly, providing limitless spirit and support.
“Becky was crazy-amazing,” said Amy Fixx, operations manager at ICE All-Stars Pittsburgh, a competitive cheer and tumbling group in North Strabane, where Teresa Filo performed and her mother volunteered. “She was involved in every competition, every event, even if her kid wasn’t involved. She would go above and beyond.”
Mrs. Filo, 53, of Parks Township, Armstrong County, died Sept. 18 at Washington Hospital, where she was taken after suddenly falling ill at a cheer fundraiser, where she, her husband, Tom, and their 18year- old daughter had volunteered. The cause of her death has not yet been determined, Mr. Filo said.
Growing up in Washington Township, in Westmoreland County, Mrs. Filo, nee Crawford, was drawn to a career in medicine and helping people, her husband said.
“She was a lifeguard at a pool in Apollo and I met her when she was working after school at [Oklahoma Volunteer Fire Department and EMS in Westmoreland County],” her husband said. “She was 16 or 17 years old at the time and I was working part time with the same ambulance service.”
Though they were just friends at first, love blossomed between the couple later in life and they married in 2000.
Even as she was building a career in the medical field as a clinician and IT professional, Mrs. Filo continued answering emergency calls, said her longtime friend Bonnie McGuire.
“She was a paramedic for a long, long time,” said Ms. McGuire, of Allegheny Township, Westmoreland County. “We met when we were teenagers and we were both in training. Becky was a lot of fun. She was a very nice person, and she liked to solve problems and help people out.”
His wife even joined the volunteer fire department in their hometown of Parks Township, Mr. Filo said.
“Becky could drive the trucks and do exterior work when they needed help,” he said. “She also did fundraising and served as treasurer.”
When online degrees became available, Mrs. Filo was among the first to sign on, earning a bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix.
“She was always open for trying new things,” Ms. McGuire said. “When she did the online degree, it was all brand new.”
Mrs. Filo served as a clinical analyst and IT professional at ROI Healthcare Solutions in Atlanta.
Though she worked remotely, his wife often traveled, Mr. Filo said, helping new medical centers with their IT needs.
At the same time, Mrs. Filo also found time to support their daughter’s career in cheering — though she was never a cheerleader herself at Kiski High School.
“Teresa has been cheering since she was 6 years old,” Mr. Filo said. “She lives for it.”
The family often traveled throughout the U.S. and Canada for competitions, including finals in Disney World — one of their favorite places, Mr. Filo said.
“The three of us are season pass holders,” he said. “Becky loved Disney and she loved camping in the Allegheny National Forest.”
Mrs. Filo was more than just a parent in the tight-knit cheer community — she became a dear friend, said Courtney Cashdollar, a coach at ICE Pittsburgh.
“Other than my parents, she was literally my biggest supporter,” said Ms. Cashdollar, of Butler. “She was the first person I could talk to about anything. She was the first person I called with good news or bad.”
Through the endless practices and weekends away from home, their group became a family, Ms. Cashdollar said.
“When you do this crazy sport you get really close to one another. We are each other’s chosen family — we take care of each other,” she said. “We pick each other up and help each other out when needed and we all loved her dearly.”
On the day she died, Mrs. Filo was doing what she loved — going all out for a cause that was important to her, Ms. Fixx said.
“She had been working so hard by herself at these fundraisers for the senior team to pay for their uniforms. I told her it was unnecessary to come to the event, but she came to it to help anyway,” she said. “She was just on another level.”
Along with her husband and daughter, Mrs. Filo is survived by her other children Tamara Baum, of Washington Township, Armstrong County, and Zachary Polka, of Vandergrift; five grandchildren; her father, Jack Crawford, of Sarver; and two stepbrothers, John Crawford, of Ford Cliff, and Martin Crawford, of Pittsburgh.
She was preceded in death by her son Thomas Filo IV; her mother, Linda Grantz Gronski; and her stepfather, Dennis Gronski.
The family suggests that memorial donations in her name be made to her Go Fund Me account to help with expenses “Heaven Must Have Needed A Cheer Mom” or to ICE All Stars Pittsburgh Booster Club Uniform Fund, 257 Village Drive, Canonsburg, PA 15317.