Gary Mioli

I am proud and honored that my dad, Gary Mioli, was chosen as our class’s hero. To me, a hero is someone who has made a difference and an impact in somebody else’s life. My dad is definitely a hero because he has made a difference in the lives of thousands of people. Nothing was more important to my dad than family. My mom, my brother, my sister and I were always the center of his world. He coached football for an outstanding 37 years and loved every minute of it. Coaching football was a big part of his life and he brought that family philosophy to the football team too. He treated each player like a son and they looked up to him as a father. Throughout his life, he has been honored with many awards and has achieved so much to be proud of. Some of his achievements are being named the New York Jets Coach of the week, the Bergen County Coach of the Year, the National Coach of the Year, and he led the Park Ridge Owls to their only State Sectional Title in 1995. He was also a New York Jets season ticket holder for 57 years. Some of my favorite memories with him are going to the Jets games. We would make an entire day out of game day. He passed his love for the Jets to me and it is something that will always be special to me. He truly made a difference in my life and I honestly believe that I am a better person for knowing him. He always told me how proud he was of me but in reality it is me who is proud of him. I can’t even begin to express how honored I am to be his daughter. Even though he’s not here with me the memories he left behind are so special and unforgettable, that I know I will treasure them in my heart forever.