Longtime Enfield Guidance Counselor And Coach Joe Occhiuti Dies

ENFIELD, CT — Friends, colleagues and former players are remembering Joe Occhiuti, a longtime secondary school guidance counselor and football coach in Enfield, who died Friday. He was 83.

A 2-sport standout in the late 1950s at Dean College, Occhiuti was elected to that institution's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015. He was an educator for more than four decades, including a stint as a guidance counselor at the former Kosciuszko Junior High School from the late 1960s through the school's closure in 1982. He then moved to Enrico Fermi High School, serving in the same capacity from 1982 until his retirement in 1998.

Retired teacher and guidance counselor Candy Aleks said, "Joe was the consummate professional counselor. He identified his students' needs and guided them towards their potential goals, academically and athletically. Throughout his career, Joe developed a vast network of friendships and contacts in the academic and athletic worlds. These connections helped him guide his students to the right college or vocational choice. On a personal note, he was a wonderful colleague with a big heart and an immense joke collection! He truly loved being an educator, and was dedicated to his profession."

"I knew Joe when we were both guidance counselors at Fermi High School," Bruce Barmak said. "I always knew Joe to be a compassionate individual, and one who always kept a student's best interest as his major concern. I learned much observing Joe, from his friendly demeanor to his great smile, but most of all, you felt that he really cared about every student. Joe was a true gentleman who will be missed."

Former Kosciuszko science teacher Pam Gregory said, "I knew Joe from my teaching in the Kosciuszko days. He remained a fine fellow to run into at workshops and gatherings. He was a blessing to all who knew him."

"Mr. Occhiuti was my guidance counselor at Kosciuszko," Sheree Winans, now a fifth-grade teacher at Prudence Crandall Elementary School, told Patch. "What a sweet man. He was always so kind and helpful. I think that says something if a middle school guidance counselor sticks out in your brain."

Ed Mantenuto, a math teacher and freshman football coach at "The Big K," said, "He was a super guy, a great coach and a sincere individual. I'm going to miss him tremendously."

"I taught at Fermi with Joe for about 20 years," retired history teacher Bill Kiner told Patch. "He was a very well-respected guidance counselor, respected by both students and faculty alike. He had an incredible sense of humor. You could be walking down the hall and you could rest assured that he would tell you something to brighten up the day. Joe's attitude toward life was that the glass was always half full, never half empty."

In addition to being a top-flight guidance counselor, Occhiuti also was a highly-respected assistant football coach at Fermi from 1974 to 1978.

Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame inductee John Mayo played at Fermi during Occhiuti's tenure, then became the Falcons' head coach in 1985.

"He loved to talk to people, especially about sports, and to help without being asked," Mayo said. "He became our defensive coordinator my senior year at Fermi. We got better on defense, but over the next three years, Fermi had winning seasons and much of that was due to Joe's coaching. Fermi won because of their defense. I remember my first year as head coach in 1985, Joe pulled me into his guidance office to talk about his defense for half an hour. I was just walking down the hall when Joe called me in. I also remember Joe going to one of my games when I was coaching baseball at Longmeadow High School. We literally talked for 90 minutes after the game, about sports and our times at Fermi. It was dark as we were the last two people to leave the parking lot. It was good to see Joe and to catch up. Joe was a smart guy who loved sports and people. I always appreciated his support. He will be missed."

Wesleyan University athletic director Mike Whalen, a 1978 Fermi graduate and Enfield Hall of Famer, told Patch, "What I remember most about Coach Occhiuti was everything he did for me off the field. He helped me navigate the college search process and was a mentor for me throughout my career in college coaching. He coached his players hard and brought out the best in them on the field. I was a late bloomer and didn’t play a lot until my senior year. I’m sure other coaches had written me off, but it was Coach Occhiuti who saw something in me that others didn’t."

"He dragged me to AIC and arranged for a tour of the campus by a member of the football team," said Mark Zarcaro, public information officer for the Enfield fire departments. "He was a real gentleman. He motivated and taught without screaming."

Patrick Crowley, a former lineman under Occhiuti, told Patch, "On the field, Joe was an older fashioned football coach, the type every kid should play for. He expected the most out of you, and gave his all to you. He was honest and cared about his players. Coach was the type who didn’t have to yell, just give you “That Look” and you knew. He would get in your face and then make sure you understood what he was teaching us. Coach took many of us aside at times and talked about much more than football. He cared about us, how we were doing in school and our personal lives. He offered a lot of advice to many of us that proved helpful then, and in the years to come. Lots of life's lessons. One thing I’ll always remember on and off the field is his smile; when he saw you or something went positive, he would "light up" and so would everyone around him. Thank you Coach for all the memories and advice, that has helped guide us through our lives.

Former Fermi athlete Steve Testoni penned the following tribute to Occhiuti the morning after his passing.

"I met Coach Occhiuti after the JV coach, Bill Barker, came into my home room in 10th grade and asked me why I didn’t try out for football. Long story short I ended up going to practice after school that day. Well back in the day, high school was 10th through 12th grades. After practice, I was told I would be working out with the varsity during practices and on the varsity team for home and away games. Never really played much on varsity, but at the time it was a big deal. From the beginning, Coach Nuccio and Coach Occhiuti knew I was a troubled kid and kept to myself, because my friends at the time were hanging out at the bowling alley getting into trouble, shooting pool and "partying."

I was 16 years old. Coach Occhiuti took it upon himself to talk to me when he had the chance. At the time I didn’t realize it, but one day he asked me to help him, painting an old picket fence. Weekend job and he wouldn’t let me say no. So here we are painting this fence (not even sure if it was his house!) and he just kept talking about life and the choices we make. Little did I know then he was helping me change the path I was on and how I was going to live my life. Coaches could do that 45 years ago, and I am thankful he "took the time."

I asked JV coach Barker how he knew of me and why he made the effort to get me to play football. Back then, we never had a problem with having enough players. Well to my surprise, ANOTHER coach influenced my path in life. Coach Mantenuto, the Kosciuszko football coach, found out I didn’t try out in August when we had "2-a-day practices." He reached out to Fermi coaches and may have said something like, "he’s a good football player, good kid, but needs some direction."

These coaches played an important part of my young life, and I am forever grateful. After a football team bonfire, teammates like Pat Crowley, Tony Arre, Tom Rooney and a few others welcomed me, and I slowly stopped going to the "bowling alleys."

Coach Occhiuti, you will be missed but never forgotten."

Occhiuti is survived by three sons, two grandchildren and a host of other relatives.

Calling hours are slated for Tuesday, Feb. 9 from 4-6 p.m. at Leete-Stevens Enfield Chapels, 61 South Rd., Enfield. A private burial will take place in Fall River, Mass.

His complete obituary from Leete-Stevens may be read here.

The photos below are from various Fermi and Kosciuszko yearbooks, courtesy of the Enfield Historical Society.

To register for free Enfield news alerts and more, click here.