BRICK – Joey Leone is gone, but far from forgotten.
Leone, the former Brick Memorial High School girls’ soccer team’s strength and conditioning coach who died this year at the age of 70, was honored with a Celebration of Life on a recent Saturday morning at the Seawatch Beach. He was with the team from 2001-2007.
Leone succumbed to a “very rare form” of Parkinson’s Disease after a five-year struggle March 4, according to his daughter, Jennifer Germain, a defender as Jennifer Schweizer on the Mustangs’ New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association 1999 and 2002 Group IV state championship teams and a 2003 Brick Memorial graduate.
An estimated 100 admirers, including 10 of Leone’s former players and five Brick Memorial coaches turned out under partly sunny skies in humid 80-degree temperatures.
Germain organized the event.
“Dad was a very special person to a lot of people,” she said prior to the function. “He deserves this.”
The words Celebrate We Will appeared on a sign. Leone’s remains rested in a brown urn next to the sign. The song is a lyric from the Dave Matthews Band song “Two Step.” Admirers, including Germain’s close friend, Lauren Mahon, spoke and read a poem. Some battled tears.
The first to speak was Mark Cannizzaro.
“This is a great crowd, a great day,” he said. “We’re here to celebrate Joey’s life. He loved it here. This is perfect. We’re celebrating the life of a legend (Leone also was an accomplished endurance sports athlete, an educator and a fitness instructor at The Atlantic Club). People are here from all walks of his life – spin camps, boot camps, fellow runners, bikers, triathletes. He made sure all of us were the best versions of ourselves.
“We met in 1986. As educators, we worked with street kids, kids with handicaps. He and I became fast friends. He was a tough guy, unconventional, an intimidating guy. While he was demanding things of people, he also loved them. He was a serious, but fun guy. Joey was a Cowboys fan. I am a Giants fan. We would have bets. Joey convinced his kids to become Cowboys fans.
“Joey wanted our team to win student-faculty basketball games more than the kids did. Joey did not like bullies. There are other great stories about Joey that I can’t tell. Joe and I kept a lot of things in confidence. I lost a true friend when I lost Joey Leone. I was pushed and prodded by him. He was a true, true friend. God bless you Joey Leone. I miss you. I love you my brother.”
Chiropractor Dr. Jim Louro, attired in a Cowboys shirt, said after reading a prayer, “His physical presence is no longer with us. May we find solace in the memories we share. May he rest in peace. We gather here to honor a shining star who touched the lives of many. He was a motivator who inspired all of us.
“He led fitness classes of hundreds of people at 4:30 a.m. He was in my head. Hundreds of people flocked to his workouts. He expected our best. He made us stronger. Each time we stepped into a class, we knew we were in for a challenge. He held us accountable. He had a love for people. Even in his toughest moments, he never let his condition define him. He always mouthed the words, ‘I love you.’ He was a rock who held on until the very end. He was a guiding star. His spirit and legacy will continue to motivate us.”
Brick Memorial High School girls’ soccer head coach Billy Caruso said he enjoyed having Leone on his staff.
“Joey Leone was special,” he said. “He was the positive, most energetic motivator I have ever met and I have been (coaching) for 30 years. Each girl was so much better due to Joey Leone. He killed the kids and they never got mad at him. He ran the girls until they puked and made everyone feel great about themselves. He lit up our locker room and coach’s office each time we spoke. Family forever coach. Rest easy. I love you Joey.”
Germain was emotional during the ceremony.
“Today brings happy and sad tears to my eyes,” she said. “Dad was larger than life. It’s so great to see so many people here. He had such an impact on many. The last few years were tough on my dad. His body was his super power. He pushed himself to extraordinary limits. He spent time in a full care residence. He lived by his favorite motto, ‘To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.’ That’s from Steve Prefontaine (of distance running fame).”
“Dad always wanted to celebrate,” she said. “There was nothing fake about him.”
With Leone leading flesh punishing sessions, the Mustangs were 120-33-3 overall. There also were 2003 and 2004 Group IV state championships. There were NJSIAA sectional titles in 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004. There was a Shore Conference Tournament championship in 2005. There were Shore Conference divisional crowns in 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2007.
Caruso said he learned of Leone’s passing through Schweizer.
“When Jen texted me, my first thought was that Joey was way too young, was the fittest guy I ever met and that life isn’t fair,” he said. “We have an alumni Facebook page that most of our girls are on. I posted the news of his passing on it along with a little memory that I wrote. The tributes from the girls and their parents began immediately, stating how what a great man and coach he was.
“The girls and everyone I talked to were crushed. Not everyone knew he was sick. They still pictured him being amazing, unbelievably fit. Most of them couldn’t believe it.”
Several Brick Memorial coaches attended the wedding of John Parani, an assistant coach.
“It was the final time I saw Joey before he became ill,” Caruso said. “There were a bunch of coaches from the glory years and we just laughed and talked about how much fun we had coaching together. As always, he was the life of the party. Joey was the most positive, energetic coach you could ever be around. He was the same way off the field as he was on.”
T-shirts from the team’s alumni game praise Leone. They consist of his initials, birth and passing years and a lion. Caruso said Leone means “lion” in Italian.
“We also hung a plaque in our soccer office with a quote from Joey,” Caruso said. “It reads, ‘Yeah man! What’s better than this? How lucky are we to be here every day?’ ” – Joey Leone (1954-2025), Mustang Staff (2001-2007). It is on our Legacy Wall where every player who has played for me gets to leave a brick on which to leave their message to current and future players. I also plan to share his story with our team before we start our first training session this summer.”
A reception at Leggett’s Sand Bar followed the Celebration of Life.
“Grab a table or just a beer from the bar and gather at Leggett’s Sand Bar to share your favorite stories, your memories, to laugh, to cry and remember the man, the myth, the legend who is greatly missed,” pre-event literature said on Facebook. “Celebrate we will ’cause life is short but sweet for certain.”
About 40 people turned out.
“It was a happy, upbeat atmosphere,” Germain said. “Pictures and stories were shared that made you laugh and cry. There were people there from all walks of my dad’s life. They included (Billy) Caruso, assistant coaches John Parani, Vin Doyle and Kevin Farley, Lisa Caruso, Billy’s wife, and five ex-players.”
