Long Branch High School Principal, Head Football Coach James Simonelli Mourned

LONG BRANCH, NJ — A pillar of the Long Branch community, James Simonelli, died last Friday, Aug. 22, at the age of 78.

Until his retirement, Simonelli was the principal and head football coach at Long Branch High School, a school he was deeply devoted to for the entirety of his career. Simonelli grew up in Long Branch and he himself graduated from Long Branch High School, where he was a standout football player.

He was so beloved by students and teachers there that the high school held a public visitation for him Wednesday afternoon, in the Long Branch High School auditorium. Students were instructed to wear school colors to the service "in honor of Coach Sim's spirit," according to his obituary.

Simonelli's funeral was held Thursday morning at St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church in Long Branch.

But Simonelli stayed physically active even when it wasn't football season: He was also a lifetime lifeguard for the city of Long Branch.

He started lifeguarding when he was a young man in the 1960s and simply never quit, said his fellow lifeguards. He was a chief lifeguard for the city of Long Branch for a period, as well as a captain with Long Branch Ocean Rescue. He also enjoyed fiercely competing in lifeguard rowing competitions against other Shore towns.

"Long Branch Ocean Rescue mourns the loss of one our most dedicated and experienced lifeguards," said Long Branch Ocean Rescue in this Facebook post marking his death. "Sim served as a role model, friend and mentor to multiple generations of lifeguards in Long Branch, and his loss leaves a tremendous hole in our hearts and in our Long Branch lifeguard family."

Simonelli was born in Long Branch. He graduated from Pennsylvania Military College where he was the starting linebacker for their football team, and later received his master’s degree in administration from Monmouth University.

He started working as a biology teacher at both Long Branch and Shore Regional high schools before he became athletic director at Long Branch High School. From there, he rose to become vice principal and ultimately principal.

"He was loved and respected by his faculty and his students," read his obituary. "His motto was, 'Treat others the way you want to be treated,' and that's how he lived every day of his life."

He was also a devout Catholic who attended Star of the Sea Church as a child and was a faithful parishioner at St. Michael's Roman Catholic Church as an adult.

Throughout his life, his Christian faith was a guiding force in all he did, said his family.

Simonelli is survived by his beloved wife Rosanna Simonelli, his high school sweetheart. The couple, who lived in Eatontown, has two daughters and multiple grandchildren.

Memorial donations are requested to the James Simonelli Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Long Branch Board of Education, 540 Broadway Long Branch, NJ 07740.

Read the official obituary of James Francis Simonelli (Damiano Funeral Home)