Tamaqua Area School District suffered the loss of a coach, mentor, and friend when Jerome "Jerry" Zubey was found deceased Monday by a neighbor in his Lewistown Valley Home.

Zubey had been an official volunteer coach for both the Tamaqua Track and Field program and the Cross Country program since 2010, but had been working extensively with each program long before then. His length of involvement spanned roughly 15 years, said his fellow coach and personal friend, Thomas Kanger."He had been a great supporter of all of our programs. He will greatly missed," added Kanger.Those who knew Zubey described him as a likeable, friendly guy. His athletes were fond of the man who not only inspired them but also made them laugh. Yet, they knew to treat him with respect Zubey was known to assign push-ups as a form of punishment to any athlete who failed to address him as coach.Vice principal of the high school, Raymond Kinder, called Zubey a friend of the athletic programs and school. Kinder said, Zubey will be greatly missed and added that the Tamaqua Area School District will be keeping Zubey's family in its thoughts during this tough time.Memorial donations in Zubey's honor can be sent to the Tamaqua Area High School Athletic Department at Stadium Hill, Tamaqua, PA 18252.Zubey's full obituary appears on Page 4 of today's TIMES NEWS.