Carbondale Area track coach and former star athlete Tim Rossetti dies suddenly
May 11—Tim Rossetti loved Carbondale Area and the community loved him right back.
The likeable, engaging and easily recognizable face of athletics for more than three decades with the Chargers died suddenly Thursday morning, hours after doing what brought him great joy: coaching the boys track team in the regular-season finale dual meet against Holy Cross the night before. He was 52 years old.
A passionate supporter of the Chargers, Rossetti was a fighter in life. He battled diabetes and cancer, survived several medical procedures and setbacks, and did so with an unrelenting will to live and with the devoted support of his wife, Tevia, and sons, Zach, Jordan and Adam, and daughter, Peyton Settles.
"I can remember when his son Adam was playing quarterback for us. (Tim)was in and out of the hospital, and he would sign himself out on Friday for football games," said former Carbondale Area football coach Larry Gabriel III, who is the school's assistant principal and athletic director. "He always had a good sense of humor. He had health issues, battled cancer and diabetes ... and he was always upbeat.
"The kids would see him either at track or football, and he would be fresh out of a hospital stay and would openly talk about how you persevere when life throws you curveballs."
During his high school days, Rossetti used his speed, athleticism and determination to become a big-play wide receiver for the Chargers' air raid offense of the late 1980s.
As a senior, Rossetti earned Suburban Conference all-star honors as a wide receiver and defensive back. He led the conference with 44 receptions for 815 yards and seven touchdowns and had been the program's all-time leading receiver with 1,066 yards and 11 touchdowns, and a record holder for interceptions.
In a game against Susquehanna, Rossetti, who returned to football against his doctor's advice after suffering a double fracture in his right leg, had 10 receptions for 285 yards and three touchdowns. Later that season, he set a single-game record with 12 receptions against Wallenpaupack.
He was selected to play in the 1988 Scranton Lions Club Dream Game.
During his track and field career, Rossetti qualified for the PIAA Track and Field Championships and was an All-Region selection in the 400 in his junior and senior years with a personal-best time of 50.44 seconds, which still stands as the school record. He finished his senior season undefeated in the 400 and was a steady winner in the long and triple jumps for the Chargers.
He committed to continuing his athletic and academic careers at Widener University.
As a coach and mentor, Rossetti took pride in developing athletes in the sports that meant so much to him.
He served as an assistant football coach for John Lasavage, Larry Gabriel III, and Jeff Arthur.
"My heart goes out to Tim's family," said Arthur, who was also a former teammate of Rossetti. "Tim was a great husband, father, and friend. He loved his family unconditionally. Carbondale Area lost a true Charger. Tim loved Carbondale sports, he loved coaching both football and track and field.
"Even when he wasn't feeling well, he was asking about the team. The kids of this city were lucky to have him in their lives. Tim will be missed. I am honored to have had the friendship we had for more than 40 years. I will miss him."
As the head coach of the boys track and field program, Rossetti, while battling several health crises, guided, instructed, and inspired his athletes.
He earned The Times-Tribune Coach of the Year honor in 2016. But his greatest thrill, he said during his time, was coaching his sons, Jordan and Adam.
"If you love running the race, it's all gravy from there," his son Adam remembered as one of his father's inspiring quotes.
Zach followed his father into coaching, last year spending a year as a junior high baseball coach at Abington Heights.
"My dad was the first one to congratulate me," Zach said. "He then told me that if something went wrong to take the blame and make sure my athletes never lost focus on improving. He would be the first person I would call after a game to let him know about the win or a struggle.
"With dad, it didn't matter if you were his biological child or one of his athletes. If you looked up to him, he considered you one of his kids."
This spring, Jordan and Adam, joined their father as an assistant coach for the Chargers making this season special for the entire family.
"He'd say, don't worry too much about the little things, they will pass," Jordan recalled. "It only takes one jump to win and a great day for the weather.
"The only way to get better is to get on the track and put the work in."
Bruce Gordon, the varsity boys team assistant coach, will be the interim coach for the remainder of the year, Gabriel said.
Contact the writer: jbfawcett@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9125; @sportsTT on Twitter
