Toby Alan Cortez

Toby Alan Cortez passed away peacefully in his home on June 29, 2023. He is survived by his son, Toby Alan Cortez II, and his five siblings, Scarlet Pettit (Mike) of Lafayette, Page Cortez (Angela) of Lafayette, Lane Cortez (Amy) of Lafayette, Marcy Griffin (Scott) of Atlanta and Cort Cortez (Pam) of Susanville, California, Nan Cortez, the mother of his son and numerous nieces, nephews and godchildren. He is preceded in death by his parents, Tracy (Trahan) and Marion Cortez.

Toby was born in Lafayette, Louisiana and graduated from Lafayette High School, where he was a three-sport letterman in football, baseball and track (high jump). His love for sports and his outstanding athleticism came with accolades such as Louisiana All-State Tight End, All-District and All-Parish Team awards in football.

Toby went on to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now University of Louisiana). He worked for several years with Northwestern Mutual Life as a life insurance agent. After moving to Atlanta in 1987, he worked as a physician recruiter, placing physicians in various cities in the southeastern United States. This career led Toby to work within the health insurance industry, negotiating contracts between hospitals and clinics with insurance companies.

Toby found his passion in life when he discovered tennis. Becoming a tennis professional in 2003, he coached many Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association (ALTA) teams throughout his career as well as private and team lessons in the metropolitan Atlanta area. He also taught the popular tennis drills at Lost Mountain Park in Marietta, Georgia, and coordinated the continually sold out Round Robin tennis tournaments at Blackburn Park in Dunwoody, Georgia for many years. In addition, his personal ALTA team won City Finals many years in a row. In 2019, Toby was recruited to become Head Tennis Team Coach at Lakeside High School in Dekalb County, Georgia. He also taught mathematics at the high school.

Toby enjoyed all sports and coaching his son’s various sports teams. He became Athletic Director for Our Lady of the Assumption (OLA) for their Catholic Athletic Leagues, where he served for many years.

While Toby was an incredibly talented athlete and gifted mathematician, like his father, his most impressive talent was his wealth of trivia knowledge on any subject. He possessed remarkable intelligence and a gift for teaching, and will be remembered for the positive impact he made on others’ lives.

Toby was very generous and had a strong circle of friends. His son and siblings would like to thank his close friends in Atlanta for becoming his extended family.

In this time of grief, let us remember Toby’s remarkable journey and celebrate the life of an extraordinary individual who touched the lives of so many. May he rest in eternal peace.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, July 24, 2023 at 1:00pm at Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church, 1350 Hearst Dr NE, Atlanta, GA. Celebrant will be Fr. Jim Duffy, S.M., pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption Catholic Church.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held on Tuesday, August 8, 2023 at 1:00pm at St. Mary Mother of the Church, 419 Doucet Rd., Lafayette, LA. Celebrant will be Toby’s nephew, Rev. Neil Pettit, pastor of St Landry Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Calvary Cemetery.