Dr. Tilia Fantasia has a long and distinguished career as an administrator, educator and a pioneer of women’s equality in sports on the local, state, regional and national levels. Dr. Fantasia’s prominent teaching and administration career at Westfield State spanned five decades, and she worked tirelessly to promote and create sports opportunities for women before and after the landmark Title IX federal law enacted in 1972 that barred gender discrimination in educational settings.

Dr. Fantasia initiated the women’s varsity sports of field hockey, basketball, softball, gymnastics and volleyball shortly after arriving to Westfield State in 1966, and coached the field hockey and softball teams for several years. She chaired Westfield State’s department of physical education for women from 1968-1971.

Short in stature, Dr. Fantasia is a giant in the area of leadership and administration. She has held countless leadership positions in multiple organizations, including the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD), Massachusetts Division for Girls’ and Women’s Sports, United States Field Hockey Association, and national and regional associations for physical education in higher education. 

On the national level, Dr. Fantasia was the AAHPERD parliamentarian for 17 years and completed a three-year term on the board of governors. She served as the parliamentarian/fiscal officer for the National Association of Girls’ and Women’s in Sports/AAHPERD from 1980-88 and was the parliamentarian and president of the Eastern District/AAHPERD. She was a vice-president of the statewide MAHPERD and a member of the Massachusetts Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) gender equity committee from 1997-2001, and was a member of the committee to form the first Massachusetts State Colleges Women’s Athletic Conference. Moreover, she officiated basketball, field hockey and volleyball games for many years and held numerous leadership roles for the Greater Springfield Board of Women Officials.

The highly respected educator and mentor is a much sought after speaker and an accomplished lawyer, having been admitted to the Massachusetts Bar in 1987. She received the MAHPERD Joseph McKenney Award for Distinguished Service in 2004, and the Eastern District/AAHPERD Honor Award, and the AAHPERD Honor Fellow Award. Further, the Eastern District/AAHPERD established the Tilia J. Fantasia Service Award in 2003. She received distinguished service faculty and administrator awards from Westfield State in 1983 and 1991. Also a talented athlete, Dr. Fantasia has gained recognition on the state level as an exceptional badminton player.

Dr. Fantasia wore many hats at Westfield State from 1966 to her retirement in 1998, most notably as chairperson of the department of movement science, sport & leisure studies for 20 years. “It was due to her vision and her leadership that a (physical education) major program was born in 1969, and it was also through Tillie’s nurturing that the major program subsequently grew and earned respect as one of the best in the state,” said Dr. Carol Persson, a former faculty member in the department who is now Westfield State’s vice-president for enrollment management.

Dr. Fantasia’s leadership skills were in high demand. She served acting administration roles as Westfield State’s chief executive officer, dean of undergraduate studies and vice-president of student affairs. Westfield State awarded her professor emeritus status in 1999 and she was an adjunct faculty member from 1999-2003.

Westfield State University honors her each year by presenting the Tilia J. Fantasia Professional Award to a deserving student, and the Woodward Center second floor student lounge was named in her honor when the university’s academic/athletics building opened in September of 2004. 

“Tilia has served as a mentor and role model to thousands of students and athletes and countless colleagues and young professionals,” said Persson. “Tilia is a wonderful human being who cares deeply about others and who willingly devoted endless energy to provide assistance and support.”