“Joe DeMeo, who excelled on the wrestling mat and went on to help so many others do the same in a decorated and decades-long coaching career, died early Friday morning at the age of 79.
DeMeo wrestled at Mont Pleasant High School and made one of his coaching stops at the University at Albany. In 2005, he was inducted into the Schenectady City School District Athletic Hall of Fame.
“He was a big figure in the wrestling community and a no-brainer to get into the Schenectady City School District Hall of Fame,” said Bob Pezzano, the hall of fame’s chairman. “He was recognized by everybody.”
That included U.S. Wrestling, which tabbed the Niskayuna resident as the 2005 Developmental Coach of the Year and three times selected him the National Coach of the Year.
“He impressed people no matter where he was doing his thing,” Pezzano said.
“The Mont Pleasant community has lost a great one,” said John Conway, a 1975 Mont Pleasant graduate who coached wrestling for years at Duanesburg and also earned numerous accolades as an official of the sport. “He was very bright, first of all. He was a Cornell graduate. He comes from a very competitive family. He just had it.””
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Schenectady Gazette 3 October 2020.