Frederick DeRuvo, cross country and track and field coach, dies at 75

A mentor, a coach and a motivator.

Frederick “Fred” DeRuvo, longtime Nassau County Track Coaches Association president, was all this and more to those who crossed paths with him in track infields over the last 50 years.

DeRuvo, who lived in Westbury, taught health and coached cross country and track and field at Clarke High School. He later coached at Lynbrook and Island Trees.

DeRuvo died peacefully on July 3 at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset due to heart complications, his family said. He was 75.

“I put a post on Facebook, and 400 people who used to run for him posted on there about how this man had such an impact on their lives, and they didn’t even realize it at the time,” his son Bryan, of Hicksville, said. “The connection that he had with these former athletes who he helped make good decisions in life and push themselves, it meant a lot to him.”

DeRuvo led his athletes to county and division championships, including the 1987 Clarke High School boys and girls track teams to Nassau titles. Dan Middleman, who DeRuvo coached at Clarke, ran the 10,000 meters for the United States at the 1996 Olympics.

“Most of our school records are from his era,” Clarke coach Brian Doxey said. “Every time you talked to him, he was very kind-hearted, always had a smile on his face and would always go out of his way to help anybody with anything.”

Born in the Bronx on Aug. 13, 1947, DeRuvo and his family moved to West Hempstead when he was 5. He attended Carey High School and ran track, where Bryan said his father won a Nassau title as a senior in 1965.

He then attended Adelphi University, earned a health and physical education degree and achieved All-American status in the 4 x 400 meter relay as a senior in 1969.

Michael Ringhauser, the current president of the Nassau County Track Coaches Association, said DeRuvo always wanted the best for the athletes.

“He was someone who would answer the phone or invite you over his house regardless of the time of day or night,” said Ringhauser, who coaches at East Meadow. “Until the end, he was calling every day to talk about our invitational and our dinner, how my team was doing and different ideas he had that the association could put through in the future.”



His daughter Katie DeRuvo, of Port Jefferson Station, said DeRuvo was the person those around him called for help.

“He would always show up. I locked my keys in my car, I get a flat tire, anything, and he would find a way to get there,” Katie said. “He had good stories for everything, and I think people could relate to them. He had such a great sense of humor, and he really pushed people to be better.”

Katie said her father was a boater at the Freeport Yacht Club. He knew how to tie knots, unique boating knots, that came in handy while setting up cross-country courses for races.

He briefly owned Tanner’s Pub in Massapequa, a spot all of the teachers could hang out at after school, Katie said. She wore her Tanner’s T-shirt the day her father died.



DeRuvo coached alongside Katie at Island Trees and coached Bryan as a distance runner at Clarke.

DeRuvo brought Katie and her twin sister Kelly to school when the girls were 4 years old. Katie remembers traveling with one of his teams to a meet at Yale when she was 6.

She said her father's teams were always a family, and they made great babysitters.

"That was his passion. Everything about these kids," Bryan said. "I was named after one of his athletes while the kid was still on his team."

In addition to Bryan, Katie and their partners, DeRuvo is survived by his son, Christian DeRuvo, daughters Kelly DeRuvo and Jennifer Sokol, and their partners, as well as six grandchildren.

DeRuvo was predeceased by his wife Debbie Moeller, to whom he was married for nearly 25 years.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked for donations to the Nassau County Track Coaches Association at 15 Russell Lane, East Patchogue, 11772.

The family  will hold a service Sunday from 4-8 p.m. at Thomas F. Dalton Funeral Home in Hicksville. They'll hold a funeral service Monday at 11 a.m. at St. Brigid Catholic Church in Westbury. The family said DeRuvo will be cremated.