BRICK – Peggy Wolf, the wife of Warren Wolf, who enjoyed a legendary career as the head football coach at Brick Township High School, has died of natural causes.
Wolf died at Ocean Medical Center in Brick on Friday, her daughter-in-law Kristin Wolf said. She was 89.
Mrs. Wolf and her husband hosted numerous gatherings for the couple’s beloved Green Dragons at its Brick Township home. She composed scrapbooks of the program’s numerous successes. She and coach Wolf were classmates at Memorial High School of West New York.
Coach Wolf said of his wife in a 2017 interview at their home with jerseyshoreonline.com and the Brick Times, “She was very understanding. She knew when we won. She knew when we lost. She knew when the boys were going to come to our house to look at tapes of our games. She was my right hand.”
Coach Wolf said in the interview that his wife rarely missed a game.
“She missed two games in my first season at Brick and one in my second year at Brick,” he said. “She was the most important person. She learned the game. She was always my girl. My claim to fame is that I married a cheerleader.”
Mrs. Wolf said in the interview, “If we lost, I would say, ‘Sorry about that.’ If we won, I would say, ‘Congratulations.’ “
Wolf”s son, Warren Charles Wolf, played for his dad and coached under his father as an assistant. He’s married to Kristin Dolan-Wolf.
“It is with complete sadness to let you all know that mom has gone to Heaven with dad,” she said on her Facebook page. “We are at peace knowing they are Dancing Angels and will always look after us! They were married for 69 years and lived a beautiful love story and we are so thankful for them! Bless all who knew and loved mom and dad.”
“It’s a shame,” former Brick standout Pete Panuska, now the school’s athletics director, told Jersey Shore Online and The Brick Times on Saturday. “Mr. and Mrs. Wolf touched so many lives and now they are together in Heaven. God put them on Earth to do what they did.”
Panuska said he learned of Mrs. Wolf’s passing in a text message sent to him Saturday morning by the couple’s son.
“I told Warren, ‘Your mom helped bring us up,’ ” Panuska said. “It’s a shock, but I understand it. In my opinion, she missed coach Wolf.”
Panuska said Mrs. Wolf played the role of hostess on Sunday nights.
“Those were our film nights,” he said. “Five or 10 senior starters–a lot of us played both ways–would attend. We’d watch the film of the previous game and coach Wolf would let us have it for our good and bad plays. We had a blast. She loved the company of us kids and took us under her wing as if we were her kids. She made dinner, always a pasta meal, and provided snacks, often cookies, stuff like that, at the end.
“She was a wonderful hostess. She was awesome. It’s a fabulous family.”
Panuska said Mrs. Wolf was a joy to be around.
“She was very humble, very polite and very welcoming,” he said. “She’d give you a hug. She was coach Wolf’s sidekick. They were never inseparable. They received a bond from God and now they are in Heaven.”
There was extensive reaction to Mrs. Wolf’s passing on Facebook.
“Mrs. Wolf was one of the sweetest people I have ever met,” Jesse Clayton said. “I am so grateful that she allowed us in her house. My deepest condolences!”
“I am so sorry for your loss,” former Brick player Chris Scaglione told Dolan-Wolf. “I am sending prayers and love to the Wolf family.”
“I am sorry for your loss,” ex-Brick player Rob Sack told Dolan-Wolf. “My prayers are with you and your family. Their time apart was short and now they have forever.”
Gina Arminio, the wife of former Toms River East coach Joe Arminio, whose Raiders battled Brick, told the younger Wolf on her page, “Warren, Joe and I send our condolences on the passing of your mom. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. So truly sorry.”
Martin Pasko told Dolan-Wolf, “I am so sorry for you and Warren. I am happy they are together again, enjoying each other’s company and watching over everyone. Mrs. Wolf was equally responsible for the success and good fortune of Brick Township and Brick football. Without her support, we would not be where we are today. I hope you find comfort in knowing they are together celebrating each other during the holiest of seasons. God bless and Merry Christmas!”
“I’m sorry to hear about Mrs. Wolf’s passing,” ex-Brick player Brian Blair told Dolan-Wolf. “My prayers are with you.”
Carol Frank Brown, the wife of Donovan Brown, who played and coached under Wolf, said, “Such a sad day. What great lives they lived and now they are reunited in Heaven.”
“Deepest sympathies to the Wolf family,” veteran Jersey Shore journalist Tony Graham said. “Their legacies will live on forever.”
“Sympathy to the family and friends,” veteran Jersey Shore journalist Al Ditzel said. “Very sweet lady and gentleman.”
“So sorry for the Wolf family to endure two such profound losses so close in time,” veteran Jersey Shore journalist Carol Gorga-Williams said. “But perhaps she wanted to be with Warren for Christmas. As a widow, I hoped for that kind of good death. Their hearts, their spirits, their souls were meant to be together. But I send condolences to their family and friends. I am not at all a religious person, but in this I believe we can honestly see there was not any other way to continue their love story. And forgive the terrible cliché, but love does go on. Or should.”
Coach Wolf’s viewing was attended by thousands at Brick on Nov. 29. He retired as the state’s career wins leader at 361-122-11 after 51 seasons at Brick. He stepped down Dec. 1, 2008 at the age of 81 during a ceremony-press conference at Brick. He led the Green Dragons to six NJSIAA sectional titles, eight undefeated seasons, 42 winning seasons and 31 division titles, including 25 in the Shore Conference.
He returned to the sidelines for one season in 2010 at Lakewood where he coached the Piners to a 3-7 record, snapping their Shore Conference-record 33-game losing streak.
Mrs. Wolf’s viewing will take place Sunday from 4-8 p.m. at the Colonial Funeral Home, 2170 Route 88, in Brick. The memorial service will be Monday at the Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, 708 Route 88, Point Pleasant, at 9 a.m. The service will be followed by the burial at the Laurel Grove Cemetery, 295 Totowa Rd., Totowa, 07512.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to brickunited.org. Make checks payable to the Brick United Scholarship Fund in care of Jay Sendzik, ESQ, 1808 Route 88, Brick, 08724.
