December 4, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 13 ‘Sonny’ Santorine, MPHS first athletic director, dies Adolph W. ‘Sonny’ Santorine Adolph W. ‘Sonny’ Santorine, Midland Park High School’s first athletic director and head football coach, died last week in Vero Beach, Florida, where he had retired last year. He was 89. Santorine was hired by the Midland Park School Dis- trict in 1955 to set up the sports and physical education pro- grams. He headed the football program for 23 years from the time Midland Park High School opened in 1957 and served as head baseball coach for 20 years and head bas- ketball coach for ten before retiring in 1984. Throughout his career he was the recipient of many prestigious state and county awards. He was a member of the Directors of Athletics Associations of New Jersey Hall of Fame. “A little bit of Midland Park died this week,” said Wyckoff resident Joe Scarpelli, who played football and baseball under Santorine. “Coach Santorine helped put Midland Park on the map with all his passion for sports and the athletes that played for him. Coach started the entire athletic program at Midland Park which won foot- ball, baseball, basketball and track championships. He was more than just coach to me though, he was a true mentor,” added Scarpelli, who noted that Santorine got his players summer jobs, helped with studies and got them into col- leges. “Sonny will be truly missed by all but especially by me. Whenever I would run into Sonny, he still called me “Jo Jo” and would ask me if I remembered the play in Wal- lington or the one in Park Ridge. Midland Park was fortu- nate to have Coach Santorine represent them. His memory will always live on.” In 1988 the Midland Park Board of Education named the high school athletic field in Santorine’s honor. In 2010 he was inducted into the Midland Park Education Hall of Fame, and his photograph is displayed in the Education Hallway of Fame at the school. In addition to his distinguished coaching career, Coach Santorine conceived a successful side business when in 1964 he created a manual tool for managing sports pro- grams and schedules. Later, his system was developed into a software program and sold. His program is used by ath- letic directors throughout the country. A Newburgh, New York native, Santorine was a U.S. Army Medical Corps veteran of World War II. He is sur- vived by his wife of 55 years, Helen; and their children Dolph of Wheeling, West Virginia; Joseph of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania; and Virginia Glazer of Vero Beach. He is also survived by eight grandchildren and one great-grand- child. Arrangements were made by Cox Gifford Seawinds Funeral Home in Vero Beach. A memorial service will be held on May 17, 2014 at 2 p.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church, 55 George Street in Allendale.