Remembering Rich Petrosino

I’m often reminded of something my father said years ago…”the worst thing about getting older is you know more people who die.” Of course that’s something you expect with age but in a perfect world you wish young people would be immune from dealing with the reality and finality of losing a loved one way before their time. However we know far too well that is often not the case and I don’t have to look very hard for a pair of recent examples.

Just last week I attended the wake of 23-year old Keith Howells, who for many years was part of a soccer team I coached in Beachwood. It was a picture of Keith displayed at the service that provided comfort and allowed me to smile at a time of sadness. It was one of those posed sports pictures in which Keith was in his soccer uniform with that Cheshire grin that I will always remember him for.

Friday I will join many in paying respects to the family of Rich Petrosino, who passed away this week at age 44…another victim of cancer. The Toms River resident was a graduate of then-St. Joseph’s High School and was a fixture when it came to youth sports, coaching just about everything. That’s because his three children were and are very involved…oldest son Rick played baseball at Toms River South and is now in college, daughter Nikki is a sophomore who plays three varsity sports at South where youngest son Steven is a talented three-sport freshman as well.

I actually got to know Rich just a few summers ago when Steven’s Toms River Little League team won the state title and made it to the regional’s which we broadcast from Bristol, CT. He and his wife Kelly were the type of youth sports parents you welcomed….enthusiastically supporting their children in a very positive manner.

This death is especially difficult for my 16-year old daughter who counts Nikki as among her best friends. As a matter of fact she and another friend came on a cruise with us last summer and we had a really great time with the three girls. My daughter Alex has such a strong feeling of inadequacy and almost frustration in not knowing how to comfort someone she cares about.

Sadly was we get older that feeling never changes.