A Fitting Legacy For A Much-Loved Berkeley Coach

Donald Tomaio would have loved it.

Sunny skies, cool winds, the crack of bats. So it was a bittersweet day for his family and the girls who played ball for him in the Berkeley Girls Softball League.

Tomaio’s wife and his children were on hand as township officials dedicated Field #2 and a scoreboard that bears his name in his memory. It will now be known as Donald Tomaio Jr. Field.

“Today we are proud to rename and dedicate Field# 2 in honor of Donald Tomaio, Jr.” Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr. said. ”Donny, like most of you hear, was proud of the community he resided in and showed full support of his children’s activities.”

Tomaio was only 46 when he died in a tragic construction accident in October 2013.

Members of the Berkeley Girls Softball League came to a Township Council meeting with a request after he died with a request - to rename Field 2 after their coach.

“This would be a great honor to memorialize his undeniable support and dedication to our league,” the group said in a letter to township officials. “To have a hardworking, devoted family man’s name prominently displayed on the scoreboard the town generously purchased would make BGSL proud and no doubt all of you. The Tomaio family deserves to be honored by naming Field 2 Donald Tomaio Field.”

They got their wish.

Photo credit: Mayor Carmen F. Amato Jr.