Monroe Community Mourns Death Of Middle School Coach: 'Gentle Giant'

MONROE, CT — An online fundraiser has been established for the family of a Monroe resident and middle school coach who died this week.

Panagiotis "Pete" Simoulidis, 46, passed away Wednesday. No cause of death has been released. He leaves a wife and two sons.

Simoulidis coached the Grade 6-7, and Grade 8 basketball teams at Jockey Hollow Middle School in Monroe. He led the 8th Grade Lions to their first Fairfield County Basketball League Championship last year.

According to his obituary, Simoulidis' passion for basketball was well-known since his childhood.

"He had the opportunity to play in Greece, and later his love of the game translated into his love of coaching. He adored coaching his sons, and happily shared his passion and skills as a mentor in youth sports. Pete excelled not only in his new career of teaching, but also in uplifting others. He dedicated his talents and time to helping everyone around him. He touched lives through his work and coaching, leaving a legacy of compassion, integrity, and excellence."

Jennifer Fister Aguilar has organized a GoFundMe page on behalf of the family. She describes Simoulidis as "the best husband, father, coach, teacher, and friend and he has been taken from us far too soon. Every life he touched could never forget the gentle giant of a man he was. It was an honor to have him be a role model for all the children in his life."

The community has pledged just over $55,057 of its $15o,000 goal to the fundraiser as of Friday morning.

Simoulidis "was blessed to be part of a large, close-knit family," according to his obituary. In addition to Heather, Chris and Alex, Pete is survived by his parents Christos and Despina, brother Nikolaos and his children Christos, Michail, and Nikitas; sister Irini Gkiaourakis and her husband Nikolaos, and their children, Elisavet, Despina, and Yianni; sister Martha; mother-in-law Jane Tuttle Bissonnette; brother-in-law Mark Bissonnette and his wife Yiota, and their children Lilliana, Panayioti, and Victoria.

The family will be receiving visitors on Sunday, July 16, from 3 -7 p.m. at Spadaccino and Leo P. Gallagher & Son Community Funeral Home in Monroe. Religious services will be held on Monday, July 17, at 10 a.m. at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Norwalk, with an in-church public visitation beginning at 9 a.m. Burial will follow at St. John the Baptist Cemetery in Monroe.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Monroe Board of Education (375 Monroe Turnpike, Monroe, CT, 06468), memo Pete Simoulidis Scholarship Fund, "which will benefit a graduating basketball player who exemplifies the same leadership and kindness as Pete," according to the family.