William J. Gatyas

I have heard a lot about the legend of Billy Gatyas,but I decided to turn the editorial page over to someone who actually knew him and could write memories of him. So, I’m turning this over to Mr. Anton  Massopust:  C.M.

Mr. Gatyas was the Coach of the Perth Amboy State Championship Football Team in 1965 and was Coach of the Year. But I remember him as a very accomplished individual who could speak fluent Spanish and play musical instruments like the saxophone. One afternoon, I saw him take a student’s saxophone and serenade the whole Football Team. 

He was a man of great passion. Of all the football coaches I’ve worked under, Mr. Gatyas was one of the most resourceful. I saw him win football games that I know many of those other coaches could not have. He was a master of his craft and a gentleman.

I served under him as Athletic Director in Perth Amboy High School. Here again, he was very proficient at what he did.

Above all, like many of us, he bled Red & White, an Amboy Man true and true. He was an individual that one did not forget easily. The last time I saw him, he was inducted into the Perth Amboy High School Hall of Fame. I saw in his eyes the spark that he had way back in the sixties when he was Coach Billy Gatyas of the Perth Amboy High School Panthers. 

Rest in Peace, Billy. You were a good man.

Anton J. Massopust