Rocco Tomazic, Advocate For Freehold Students, Remembered

FREEHOLD, NJ — Former Freehold Borough Schools Superintendent Dr. Rocco G. Tomazic is being remembered this week as a district leader who helped bring greater equity to the Freehold schools and its students.

Tomazic, who was also a retired U.S. Navy commander, died March 9 at age 72, according to his obituary.

Visiting hours will be held at Higgins Memorial Home, 20 Center St., on Friday, March 15, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. A private burial will be held at a later date, according to his obituary.

Tomazic retired as superintendent in 2021, but returned last September in an interim role, with the resignation of then-Superintendent Joseph Howe. Asia Michael has now been leading the district as superintendent since December.

Through his role in a scholarship program, the Tomazic Family Scholarship, he remained involved with the district even after retirement. The generous scholarship program was established in 2022 and was awarded for its second year in June 2023. You can read about the scholarship program here.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory can be mailed to the Foreside Foundation, which helps support the scholarship fund. Mail to: Foreside Foundation, Attn. Lisa Cote, 31 Village Lane, Biddeford, Maine 04005, with "Tomazic Family Scholarship" in the memo line.

"Dr. Tomazic was our biggest fan," said Jean A. Holtz, chairperson of the Freehold Borough Educational Foundation, "and an incredible partner in ensuring our students were able to take advantage of every innovative resource presented to the district."

She said she told his family that "Rocco is one of those individuals who has made a lasting impression on me. His knowledge, compassion, convictions, and strategic thinking made all the difference we needed in the Freehold Borough School District to move us ahead."

"I am also so appreciative of his grand – and extremely successful - efforts over the years to work more closely with our elected officials on the state and local levels," she said.

You can read about his work on behalf of district funding in a past Patch article, here.

State Sen. Vin Gopal also remembered Tomazic's tenacity in securing needed funding for the district:

"When I met him nearly a decade ago, Freehold Borough’s overcrowding was untenable - cardboard boxes separated classrooms and they had no library. Due to Rocco’s leadership, he turned it around and fought to get the district the funding that it needed and deserved," Gopal said in a social media post.

Among improvements in the district, it just announced last fall a $5.6 million construction project at the Park Avenue Complex, building an addition in front of the Park Avenue Elementary School, school officials said, using primarily federal funds with no additional bonding required.

"Dr. Tomazic was a champion for all students, who spent his career ensuring that the lives of the children he served were enriched and filled with the opportunities they deserved," said Superintendent Michael.

"His dedication to the students and families of Freehold Borough is evident in the genuine care and concern he had for our community. Dr. Tomazic's passion for education was unparalleled, and he will be genuinely missed by the staff, students, parents, and supporters of the Freehold Borough School District," Michael said.

There were many dimensions to Tomazic's life, his obituary notes:

U.S. Navy Commander Rocco G. Tomazic was "the devoted husband to JuPing for 36 years; loving father to Maryanne and Jonathan and Patti; proudest grandfather to Kristen and Kevin," his obituary states.

The obituary continues:

"Ever the lifelong learner, Rocky collected degrees throughout the years. He first graduated from Bowling Green State University, majoring in Speech and minoring in History. He received Master's degrees from Florida State University (Theater Management), Salve Regina University (International Affairs), Naval War College (Strategic Studies and National Decision Making), and St. Peter's College (Educational Administration and Supervision).

"The capstone of his academic journey was earning his Doctorate of Education from Rutgers University. However, perhaps the biggest manifestation of his love for learning was his constant rotation of books and military history documentaries."

Tomazic joined the United States Navy in 1974. He served on four ships: USS Saratoga (CV-60), USS Kirk (FF-1084), USS Nitro (AE-23), and USS Suribachi (AE-21). He was stationed in Japan for two years, in Italy on NATO staff for three years, and at the Military Sealift Command in Bayonne for four years. He received expeditionary medals for service during the Iranian Hostage Crisis and Lebanon in 1983. He retired after 20 years of service as a Commander.

In 1996, he joined Linden Public Schools as an NJROTC instructor. Over the next 17 years, he also served as vice principal of Linden High School, and then assistant superintendent and superintendent of the school district. In 2013, he joined Freehold Borough Schools where he served as superintendent until September 2021.

After a short-lived "retirement," he continued his public service by serving as interim superintendent for Monmouth Beach, Linden, and Freehold Borough.

"Some of his proudest achievements in his tenure in public education were creating opportunities for his students to see the world, ensuring schools were a safe place to teach and learn in, and making sure everyone felt seen, heard, and valued," his obituary says.