Obituary of Coach Stephen J. Jackowski

Coach Stephen J. Jackowski, 89, of Cazenovia, formerly of Adams, made his journey to his heavenly home Monday, October 23, 2023. He was born June 1, 1934 in the Bronx to Stephen A. and Sophia A. Niksa Jackowski. Stephen attended grades 1 through 8 at St. Barnabus in Bellmore, NY, grades 9 & 10 at Bishop Loughlin in Brooklyn and graduated from Mepham High School in North Bellmore. Stephen continued his education at Farmingdale A & T College, earned his Bachelor's degree at Cortland College and his Master's degree from East Carolina University in Greenville. He served two years in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. Stephen was a physical education teacher in the South Jefferson Central School District for 29 years where he started and ran a successful wrestling program at South Jefferson High school for 23 years. He was an assistant wrestling coach at East Carolina University and volunteer assistant coach at West Brunswick High School in North Carolina for 12 seasons. Stephen was the 8th Army Wrestling Champion and a member of the Pan Am Wrestling Team. Stephen was inducted into the Section III Hall of Fame, the National Wrestling Hall of Fame and was awarded the "National High School Wrestling Coach of the Year" in 2005. He was a member of the Watertown Wrestling Officials, the Ontario Wrestling League and was successful in dividing Section III Wrestling into A, B, C and D classifications. Stephen was often referred to as a "Renaissance Man" because of his wide variety of interests and abilities. He loved the outdoors and instilled that passion in both of his sons and grandchildren. He was an avid athlete and he believed in lifelong physical fitness. His impact on the young men he taught and coached is beyond measure. He was a small plane enthusiast and pilot, hunted, fished, rode motorcycles, golfed, trained his own hunting dogs, was a gunsmith and general do-it-yourselfer. He also had a great love for music and played piano later in life. His basic life mottos were honesty, treating others as you would like to be treated, greeting people with a firm handshake while looking them in the eye, being respectful, and believed in "giving back" when possible, and putting others first. He was famous for his own particular words of advice to all of his grandchildren. Stephen is survived by his wife of 48 years, Dianne C. Whitford Jackowski; his sons, Stephen (Amy) Jackowski of Hamilton and David (Jennifer) Jackowski of LaFayette; his sister, Barbara Marino of Boca Raton, FL; seven grandchildren, Stephen, Adam, Christopher, Reid, and Cassley Jackowski, Emily Britt and Taviot Hughes; five great grandchildren, Colin, Caleb, and Nora Britt, Cedar and Covie Hughes, as well as several nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his first wife, Elizabeth A. Brown Jackowski and his brother, Peter Jackowski. There are no calling hours or services. Contributions in Stephen's memory may be made to the Disabled Army Veterans (DAV), Gift Processing, P.O. Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301. To leave a message of sympathy for the Jackowski family, please visit www.michaelebrownfuneralservices.com.