Generally, June is a month filled with many goodbyes. Seniors leaving for college have to say goodbye to the community that shaped them for the past twelve years. Juniors and sophomores say goodbye to fellow classmates and teachers who they will not see for the next three months. There was one goodbye, however, that the Massapequa community was not prepared to make in June, and that was to our beloved Coach K.
On June 10, James Kovacsik, fondly known as Coach K by students and staff at Massapequa High School, passed away from pneumonia at the age of ninety-three. Coach K had resigned just four days prior to his passing after being with MHS since the school opened in 1955. He was a hall monitor for seventeen years and a booster for the wrestling and football teams. Additionally, he spent some time as an aviation teacher at MHS, using his experiences from working in the navy and in the TWA airlines. Ever humble, Coach K was never one to boast about his accomplishments.
Students and faculty alike were devastated upon hearing the news. “[It’s] safe to say it [was] the saddest day in Massapequa history,” alumnus Danielle Gariglio said.
One would find Coach K sitting at his desk at the end of the first floor hallway with a beaming smile on his face, greeting every student who passed by. Those who had an extra minute to chat with Coach K always cherished his company. He was our teacher who taught us invaluable lessons through his life experiences, our friend who cheered us up when we felt low, and more than anything else, our hero who never ceased to inspire us each and every day.
Once, I had an off day and walked around with a sullen expression on my face. Sensing my bad mood, Coach K looked me in the eye and told me that I needed to smile more, because he became motivated when he saw that I was happy. I was so touched by his unexpected act of kindness that I walked into my next class in tears. A countless number of students can recount similar stories where their days have been brightened from visiting Coach K. He truly cared about our wellbeing.
“You kids are my life. I love you all more than you know,” he once told a student.
We did know how much he loved us, and students of MHS loved him even more. It is no wonder that he was both inducted into Massapequa’s Hall of Fame and crowned the first Mr. Massapequa in 2006. Coach K said that these two achievements were some of his proudest moments.
At his funeral service on June 12 and June 13, members of the community highlighted various moments of Coach K’s life. Mr. David Welsh, equipment manager of the MHS football team in 1993, warmly remembers his experiences with Coach K. “He was a great friend and a great role model,” Mr. Welsh said.
Coach K left behind two daughters and a son who were immensely proud of the life that their father led. “Lots of people talk about values today, and sometimes it becomes a bit of a buzzword. Dad was a man who lived by the values he professed,” Mr. Bill Kovacsik said. Mr. Kovacsik made sure to personally stop each Massapequa student who came to the funeral service and thank him or her for making Coach K’s time at MHS so enjoyable.
I was telling Mrs. Susan DiBernardo, Coach K’s daughter, how my senior year would not be the same without him. She assured me—with the same friendly beam as her father— that Coach K never left. “Dad’s trademark was an indomitable spirit, zest for life, and a passion for those he loved,” she said. “His presence will always be felt, and his love will last forever.”
Both Mr. Kovacsik and Mrs. DiBernardo expressed the essence of Coach K perfectly. There will be a noticeable difference in the halls of MHS next year, and although no one will be able to fill his spot at the end of the first floor hallway, Coach K will always be with us wherever we go.