Longtime Fairfield Prep Coach Mourned By School Community

FAIRFIELD, CT — The Fairfield Prep community is mourning longtime coach and teacher Bruce Jaffe, who died Sunday, the school announced.

“Bruce was a Prep Giant, a demanding history teacher and scholar eager to challenge his students, and a true man for others,” the school said in a Facebook post.

Jaffe was a head coach at Prep for 46 years, leading the swimming and diving and soccer teams during his long career.

“As a gentleman coach, Bruce taught his teams to give their best, respect their opponents and to respect their sport while representing Fairfield Prep proudly,” the school said, also noting Jaffe's “generosity, his passion, his wit and his giant intellect.”

Jaffe, who was 76 and a Fairfield resident, retired in 2012, but not before leading Prep swimmers to three CIAC State Open Championships, Gametime CT reported. Jaffe also coached Prep to numerous titles and championships within the SCC, Class L and Class LL, according to Gametime CT.