Patti retired from Voorhees in 2005 after 17 years as athletic director. Prior to that, he was athletic director at Delaware Valley Regional High School for 13 years.
View full sizeSal Patti, right, with his family from left, daughters Sal-Lee and Jessica Storm, and wife, Terry. It's a sad day to be a Voorhees Viking.
Former longtime Voorhees High School athletic director and Phillipsburg resident Sal Patti died early this morning. The 68-year-old battled cancer for the past four years.
"He was just such a wonderful person and he didn't deserve such a horrible ending," his wife, Terry, said this afternoon.
Voorhees Athletic Director Al Stumpf last saw his mentor about a week and a half ago when the archway from the gym to the football field was dedicated in his honor.
"Sal came up with a saying, 'It's a great day to be a Viking,'" Stumpf said. "We've had that painted on that archway. Just as a reminder for everyone that comes into the building. You can't miss seeing it. That's the way he felt."
Patti retired from Voorhees in 2005 after 17 years as athletic director. Prior to that, he was athletic director at Delaware Valley Regional High School for 13 years. He began teaching at Delaware Valley in 1968 and also coached football and baseball.
Stumpf said Patti had a huge effect on Voorhees, especially getting the neglected girls athletics up to par with the boys teams.
"He really cared about the kids," Stumpf said, adding that Patti didn't work just for the athletes.
Stumpf recalled Patti did not enjoy the years he was both athletic director and a disciplinarian, but even the students he had to suspend respected him.
"He was firm but he was fair with them," he said. "Everybody got treated the same whether you were an athlete or a regular student."
Patti mentored Stumpf and many others in his department, encouraging them to challenge themselves.
Annie Bonavita, the athletic office secretary at Voorhees, said in a recent story about Patti that he convinced her to take the head coaching position in field hockey when she was unsure she could handle it.
"He was so supportive," she said. "You could go into his office having a bad day. He'd tell you what you did wrong and you'd come out feeling good."
He even waited a year to retire until Stumpf finished earning the necessary certifications to take his place.
"He wanted to make sure the position went to a Voorhees person," Stumpf said. "That is how much he loved the school."
Voorhees wasn't the only school in Patti's heart. He was the 1963 Phillipsburg High School class president and football team captain. The Stateliners were 3-0 against Easton during his varsity years, he proudly recalled recently. He also is a member of four halls of fame.
In his retirement, Patti was elected to his alma mater's school board in 2006 then was re-elected in 2009 but his cancer eventually forced him to leave the board.
Phillipsburg Superintendent George Chando said he got to know Patti quite well during his service. He called him a dedicated educator, coach and administrator, whose experience benefited Phillipsburg.
"He served our district and the community with distinction," Chando said. "He was a consummate professional."
Patti leaves behind his wife and two daughters, Sal-Lee and Jessica.