HARFORD COUNTY, Md. — Coach Guy Santoro beloved his neighborhood, and it beloved him.
Indicative of the affect he had, his former gamers, now in school, made the journey to North Harford High School on Tuesday afternoon.
“He’s such an excellent man,” mentioned Abby Wissert, a former participant, “He’s the rationale why I like softball a lot.”
For dad and mom and gamers, Tuesday was an emotional day. Two highschool softball rivals – Bel Air and North Harford excessive colleges – joined as one neighborhood to honor their beloved softball coach, whom they lost to cancer in December.
“Coach Guy beloved each one among his gamers like they have been his personal,” mentioned Colleen Kaplan, a Harford County mother, “He’d give out trophies. He’d hug each woman, and also you’d see tears in his eyes. He was simply essentially the most superb coach I’ve ever seen.”
“He was an incredible individual, mentioned former participant Hayden Kobert, “an incredible coach, and I’m so completely satisfied I received to know him.”
Santoro coached the ‘Forest Hill Heat’ softball program in Harford County. On December 10 final yr, his household and his neighborhood lost him to pancreatic cancer; not lengthy after, his spouse, Holly, was despatched to the hospital with an aneurysm. Thankfully, Holly remains to be with us.
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The household, WMAR is advised, vastly appreciates the outpouring of assist over the previous few months.
A ceremony earlier than the sport introduced again reminiscences of Coach Guy; umpires helped set up the tribute.
“He was crucial in my household,” mentioned Scott Snyder, an umpire, “I coached with him within the Forest Hill group for a number of years. Our daughters performed collectively.”
“He supplied rather a lot to the children,” Bobby Carter, an umpire, famous, “Was all the time there for each child. Spent lots of extra time after the video games, earlier than video games, getting ready the children not just for softball, however for all times itself. So an amazing, great loss all through the neighborhood of Harford County.”
On the primary and third base sides, groups hung collages of reminiscences with their beloved coach. An indication along with his photograph hung behind residence plate.
Purple ribbons have been worn by families and gamers for pancreatic cancer consciousness.
“I feel altogether – us sporting this ribbon actually reveals, by no means take something with no consideration,” Kobert mentioned, “Always inform everybody you’re keen on them and all the things. Because I bear in mind the day my mother had to are available and inform me that he was gone.”
