Coach Jones Death Shocks And Stuns Hoosick Community
By Doug La Rocque
“I am completely devastated at the loss of Ron Jones.” Those words from Hoosick Falls Village Mayor Rob Allen pretty much says it all, as the tributes to the long time teacher and football coach at Hoosick Falls Central School pour in, not only from the community, but from around the state and the northeast as well.
Coach Jones passed away unexpectedly at his home on Monday, April 27 leaving his wife and daughter and the entire Hoosick community grieving and in a state of shock. His close friend, The Reverend Tom Zelker (Father Tom as he is more affectionately known) told The Eastwick Press, “his faith made him a bigger man, and his gift of life and love he shared with nobility and generosity.”
Coach Jones was also a Eucharistic Minister at the Immaculate Conception Church, but Father Tom remembers his friend for much more than that. He says while he loved coaching football, his wife and daughter were always first in his life. He also loved to spend time outside, Father Tom saying “he was part of our Wednesday Hiking Club even though we usually went hiking on the weekend. With so much of New York quarantined, who knows what day it is anyway.”
Father Tom also reminisced about the Friday night football games, attending the team meal on Thursdays, and presenting the coach with a special celebratory cake on the occasion of his becoming the winningest football coach in the school’s history.
HFCS Athletic Director Tom Husser said of Coach Jones, “ I have known him since he was seven years old. Around here, it was kind of like the popular television show Cheers, everyone knew his name.” He also told The Eastwick Press, “when I heard of his death Monday, I sat in a chair for about 20 minutes, just thinking this is not right.” He added that Coach Jones was “just a good person, very close to his family. He touched the lives of a lot of people.”
Coach Jones graduated from Hoosick Falls High School in 1986, and after attending SUNY Cortland and East Stroudsburg University, he returned to his alma mater in 1996. HFCS Superintendent Pat Dailey said for the past 24 years, he has taught thousands of children in the Elementary School and worked with hundreds of players as Head Football Coach. In a statement he released on Monday night, Superintendent Dailey said, “the impact Ron has had on Hoosick Falls CSD will be felt for years to come. He was a mentor, father figure and positive role model for hundreds of students. He understood the importance of his role and respected it. A memorial is being planned by the school district to take place once social distancing restrictions are lifted. On Friday night, the lights of the football field will be turned on to honor the coach, not only at Hoosick Falls, but also at many other Section 2 schools. The school remains closed to visitors however. If needed, counselors are also available through the school for students and staff.
We cannot express the level of sorrow this news brings to all of us. His wife and daughter were his highest priority. As his family works through this tremendous loss, we ask that you please respect their need for privacy at this time.”
Mayor Allen worked alongside Coach Jones as a musical instructor at HFCS for many years. He posted the following on his Facebook page: He was a constant positive force for so many in our community, and a wonderful colleague for us teachers. He had a love and passion for students and children of all ages, and understood how to build up athletes and young men. He was well respected by coaches across the state. And he had a deep love for his family.
For many, he was one of the strongest rocks in their foundation-building high school years, possessing a combination of wisdom, wit, and a no-nonsense “tell it like it is” approach that was always motivating, honest, and focused on character building and living life as much as it was about physical education and football.
I will miss so much of him: his conversations, his humor, his profound caring nature for students of all ages, his wise and motivating ways, his love of the arts and of the Pep Band, and a contagious smile that lit up his entire face.
My heart goes out to his family, to our student body, to our teaching and coaching community, and to the current and former athletes who had the privilege and honor of being coached by him.
Besides being the football program’s winningest coach, he led his teams to the state title in 2012, and won a record six straight Section 2 class C championships between 2009 and 2014.
Eastwick Press Sports editor Steve Bradley has covered the Hoosick Falls football program for many years. He says of Coach Jones “Although I didn’t know Ron well, he was always helpful if I asked for some information or a moment to chat. I took many pictures of Ron and he was always smiling, which seemed to be his outlook on life.”
Perhaps Mayor Allen’s final comments say it best for all of us. “Rest In Peace, Ron. You will be dearly missed.”