James Smith, 74; coached football in West Chester

James T. Smith, 74, quarterbacks coach at Henderson High School in West Chester since 2004, died Sunday, Sept. 9, of complications from surgery at Chester County Hospital.

The Ches-Mont Football League, in which Henderson is one of 14 teams, named him its coach of the year in 2003.

The award was a culmination of a long career in a sport that he loved, Mr. Smith's wife, Carolyn, said.

It began, she said, when he played as a single-wing back "on an undefeated high school football team at Ridley Park" High School.

Mr. Smith loved the sport enough that, after his days as a salaried coach ended in 2003, he was the volunteer quarterbacks coach at Henderson.

He was a football coach at Henderson from 1969 to 1974 and an assistant coach there from 2000 to 2003.

He coached and taught at East High School in West Chester from 1974 to 1990, and was president of the West Chester Area Education Association from 1972 to 1984.

After his salaried coaching days, his wife said, Mr. Smith was a member of the West Chester Area school board from 2003 to 2011 and board president in 2008-09.

Born in Ridley Park, Mr. Smith graduated in 1956 from Ridley Park High School and earned a bachelor's degree in comprehensive social studies in 1960 at what is now Muskingum University in New Concord, Ohio.

While coaching in Delaware and Chester Counties, Mr. Smith taught U.S. history and driver education to high school students there.

He earned his driver education certification at what is now West Chester University in 1967 and completed his graduate credits in the subject at Temple University in 1976.

And from 2000 to 2003, he was an adjunct professor in driver education at West Chester University.

From 1960 to 1969, he was the head baseball coach and a football and track coach in the Sharon Hill School District in Delaware County.

He was head football coach at Marple Newtown Senior High School from 1987 to 1998 and athletic director there from 1990 to 1998.

Mr. Smith was inducted into the Ridley Football Booster Hall of Fame in 1989. The Marple Newtown Coaches Association gave him its Lou Bonder Award in 1989 and in 1991.

Mr. Smith was a member of the National Federation Interscholastic Coaches Education Program and of what is now the American Sports Education Program.

In addition to his wife of 27 years, Mr. Smith is survived by sons James T. Jr., John, and Jeffrey; a stepson, Bill Monacelli; a stepdaughter, Lisa Daugherty; five grandchildren; and his former wife, Diane Thompson.

Visitation was set for 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, and 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at the DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, 410 N. Church St., West Chester, before a funeral at 11 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 130 W. Miner St., West Chester. Burial is to be in Birmingham Lafayette Cemetery, West Chester.

Donations may be sent to Warrior Football, in care of Henderson High School assistant principal Ken McCormick, 400 Montgomery Ave., West Chester, Pa. 19382.