John, like most kids growing up on Long Island was handed a hockey stick
from one of the bigger kids on the block. He played street hockey, then ice
hockey.
By the time I met John in 1984, he had years of experience under his belt.
Besides the local recreation leagues, he played for St. Pius HS
and Marquette University and was out of college working at the local weekly
newspaper as a reporter, tending goal on an adult ice hockey team and
coaching the Long Beach High School Hockey team. He told me straight out
"Hockey is my life" So our dates consisted of me sitting in the stands
(pictured right) watching him play or coach and hoping he'd see me cheering
him on and sneaking a smile.
My autographed photo of John goaltending at the Nassau Coliseum, John's
jersey was used 4 years later to keep our snowman warm with our first borns - twins, Marie and Freddie.
John gave me this photo while we were dating and
wrote on the back of the photo:
One of the proudest moments of my life. This has to go to the person who
makes life worth living. - John
John D'Angelo, pictured left, is shown receiving "Coach of the Year" award
from Barry Sussman. Sussman presented the award to the Long Beach High
School hockey coach at a Kiwanis club "Sports Award Night," following the
1983-84 Scholastic athletic season. Sussman, program chairman presented
D'Angelo with the award because "He took a team of perennial losers, tamed
them, and turned the boys into county champs.
John felt very comfortable in his sweaters off or on the ice. Here he is
trimming the tree in his Marquette jersey. One time while wearing this
jersey watching a Marquette basketball game, he got on his knees and yelled
GO MARQUETTE so loud that it took me a few minutes to sum up what was
happening. He watched the hockey & football games in the same fashion.
when Freddie was little he would get startled, and I would want to tell John
not to be so loud, but then I realized that Freddie liked it and he would
chime in and cheer GO RANGERS or JETS, JETS, JETS along with his Dad. Little
Johnny was fortunate enough to also learn this too from his Dad.
