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ToquiNotes: He Impacted Countless Lives Coaching and Even More as a Friend - Recalling Don Roupe

By Jeff Toquinto on April 10, 2021 from ToquiNotes via Connect-Bridgeport.com

I may have the dates wrong, but it seemed to be the fall of 1995 and I was working – for the first time – on the new side of things at The Times West Virginian. They had just opened a Bridgeport office and my good friend Alexis Selby – now Alexis McDaniel – asked me about joining the staff full time.
 
The opportunity was something I jumped at. Along with myself and Alexis, there were a handful of others who would do part-time work. One of them was a man I already knew in Don Roupe.
 
Don’s job was to handle the sports element of the new operation. That was something he was no stranger to as he worked for years covering sports for The Exponent Telegram. Meshing with Don in the new roles was absolutely no issue.
 
Before I begin to go into further detail, I am talking about Don Roupe in my blog because as many of you may know, Don passed away last month at the age of 87 in Pennsylvania. He spent many decades living here in Bridgeport, and it was here where he likely made an impact on countless individuals by serving as a youth coach.
 
While I am not certain when and where I met Don, I am just about certain it was related to sports. And from there, it was likely in his role as youth sports coach, attending various prep sporting events, or working at sports events.
 
What I know for certain is that I got to be fairly close with Don in 1991. At that time, the Bridgeport High School was heading to the state tournament, I believe unbeaten, and his youngest child Shane was on the squad that featured future Division I player Scott Hartzell and ended in the Class AA semifinals.
 
Don Roupe created, in the pre-internet and an app for everything era, the greatest statistical package for games I have ever seen. It broke down everything you could imagine and was as thick as a phone book. He provided me with updates and a final copy for that entire season where we became pretty good friends.
 
Being his friend was easy because he was easy to like. Perhaps that is why his fingerprints can be found on generations of individuals here in Bridgeport.
 
He coached his oldest son Jeff on Furbee’s Pharmacy in Minor League and Producer’s Dairy in Little League. Not surprisingly, his son Jeff recently related to me that his team “always had the best kept stats.”
 
When Shane was involved, he was coaching again. There he was on the bench for the Prescription Shop in Little League and the Bridgeport All Stars, while adding basketball to the mix where he coached with Fresa Construction and the hoops version of The Prescription Shop.
 
For several years, in the early stages of the Travis Jones run that still continued with Bridgeport football, Don Roupe kept stats that included halftime radio stat updates. Today, when it comes to stat packages, the Indians Radio Network crew led by Jones has no peer. Apparently, he had a good person to be working by to get that started in the early days.
 
He was more than a coach though to his sons. He was a beloved coach I’m betting by every child that played for him.
 
Don Roupe was more than just a coach. He was a respected worker that retired from Consolidated Natural Gas. Don was a father, a husband, a veteran, grandfather, brother, and friend. Through all of those titles, he was an anchor for many. I focused on the coaching because it is there where his impact went beyond the ties of family and carry on to this day through many people who may not know things being taught to them were lessons passed down before they were born from Don Roupe.
 
I do not recall Don coaching. I do know he had to have been good at it.  You see Don had a kind hand, a perception of doing what was needed at certain times, and an easy-going manner that serves well when working with kids. And it was a manner that I saw many times – and one time when I needed it most.
 
In 1995, a few months after Dan McNamee was left paralyzed as a high school sophomore during a Bridgeport football game, I was granted permission by the family to spend a day with Dan just outside of Pittsburgh at a rehabilitation facility.
 
Shortly after finding out I was going, Don inquired about going along with me. I figured having an “experienced hand” as well as some company would be a good thing. I checked to see if Don could come along and was given permission by the family as well as the facility – Harmarville Rehabilitation Center.
 
Don and I spent a full day there. We went through therapy with Dan. We spent time with Dan’s mother and father and were given access to every medical professional working with Dan. Despite what Dan was facing, the entire medical team and the McNamee family were optimistic. They had what everyone in that situation should have – hope.
 
As tough as it was to see Dan working so hard at such a young age, what surrounded Dan at Harmarville was more troubling. There were others of various ages there, many with family surrounding them during treatment, and they were missing what was mentioned above – hope.
 
It was not for a lack of medical attention, but it was notably strong even to these once young eyes. It was in situations where injuries, primarily head injuries, simply did not allow for a prognosis that planted a seed for hope.
 
When we left after a near full day, I told Don I needed to step away for a few minutes. I needed to gather myself for the relatively short ride home from Pittsburgh.
 
Don and I got in the car and did not say too much. And after missing three exits as I completely zoned out, Don Roupe began to engage me in conversation. He knew I was struggling and steered me – no pun intended – back on course.
 
It was subtle. Yet, even in my 20s, in knew he was taking care of me. I never forgot it.
 
Don Roupe was a bit of an unforgettable person if you had the chance to fall into any of the categories listed above. I counted myself as a friend and colleague and am thankful for it.
 
There are others out there, too, who undoubtedly were impacted by his work with those in the younger generation as a coach. I am not sure what his record was while coaching, but I am sure the lessons learned, and the kindness given put the experience for all involved into the win column.
 
After all, that is what coaching should be about. Life lessons that go beyond the field and shape youth into good adults.
 
That is one of many legacies Don Roupe can put in his life’s accomplishment box. It is a pretty big one.
 
Rest in Peace my friend. Your work here is done.
 
Editor's Note: Top photo shows, from left, Shane, Cynthia (Patrick), Myrna, Jeff, and Don Roupe. Second photo and third photos show Don coaching a pair of Bridgeport youth sports teams, while he's shown in the fourth photo hugging Shane during BHS basketball senior night in 1991. Bottom photo shows Don, right, at CNG with fellow CNG man and former Bridgeport Mayor Joe Timms. All photos courtesy of the Roupe family.


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