Louis A. LaPila, 75, of Middletown, husband of Eleanor (Milardo) LaPila, passed on to be with the Lord on Friday July 27, 2018 at his home surrounded by his family.

He was born in Middletown, the son of the late Wesley and Rose (Marino) LaPila. Prior to his retirement, Lou was an engineer with Pratt and Whitney Aircraft for 30 years. He was a well-known Sensei in Judo as a Rokudan (6th degree Black belt) heading up the Middletown Judo Club for 57 years.

Louie started judo training in 1961 with the at the inception of the Middletown Judo Club. He became president of the Judo Club in 1967 and in 1969 was awarded his Shodan Rank (First Degree Black Belt). He became Sensei of the club in 1973 and held that position until his passing.

He won numerous tournaments including the New England YMCA Middleweight Championship, a gold medal at the AAU Olympic Development Program and silver medal at the Connecticut Championship Tournament.  He is listed in the Who Is Who in Martial Arts, and in 1996, he was inducted into the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame as a Sixth Degree Black Belt in Judo and a Fifth Degree Black Belt in Jujitsu. He is a registered Black Belt in the United States Judo Association, United States Judo International, Kodokan Judo in Japan and Korean Yudo College in Korea. In 2006, Louie was also inducted into the Middletown Sports Hall of Fame.

During his 50 years of teaching judo, Louie has touched thousands of lives of students – both adults and children alike. His goal was to make the Club like a family and did his best to run it that way. According to one of his mottos, he wasn't there to show how good he was, but how good they could be. He cared for all his students, providing guidance for character and good morals, as well as his love for Judo.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by his children, Melissa Timko and her husband Keith of Hebron, Wesley LaPila and his wife Katherine of Mechanicsburg, PA, and Daniel LaPila and his wife Marisel of Meriden; step-daughter, Audra McGee and her husband Jonathan of Ivoryton; brother, Anthony LaPila of Middletown; nine grandchildren, Dillinger Ceplenski, Parrish Ceplenski, Nathaniel LaPila, Kevin Timko, Micah LaPila, Josephina McGee, Mariahlyn LaPila, Emily Timko, and Andrew LaPila. He was predeceased by a sister, Kathleen LaPila and a step-daughter, Lisa Cavallo.

The Funeral Liturgy will be held Wednesday (Aug. 1 st ) at 10 a.m. at St. Pius X Church, Westfield St., Middletown. Burial will be in St. Sebastian Cemetery, Middlefield. Friends may call at Biega Funeral Home, 3 Silver St., Middletown, on Tuesday from 4 to 7 p.m. Those who wish may make memorial contributions to St. Jude Children's Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.