Arthur R. Jessup

Arthur R. Jessup
January 17, 1943 – August 28, 2023
Washingtonville, NY
Arthur R. Jessup passed away peacefully on August 28, 2023. He was 80 years old. Son of the late Richard and Freida (Moore) Jessup, he was born on January 17, 1943, in Goshen, NY. He is also predeceased by his sister Patricia.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 58 years Judiann, his son Todd and his family (daughter-in-law Stacy and grandchildren Sydney and Zachary), his siblings (Richard, William, Jack, and Carol), and many nieces/nephews.
Arthur's lifelong passion for athletics began while growing up in Monroe, NY. He attended SUNY Cortland where he was a motivated student and a varsity athlete in both track & field and basketball. He had a decorated track & field career which included eight NYS Conference Championship medals, a second-place finish at the 1962 Penn Relays (4X400-meter relay), and the Track Red Letter Award as a junior. He graduated in 1965 with a bachelor's degree in education. He was welcomed into the Cortland C-Club Hall of Fame in 2015.
He joined the Washingtonville Central School District in 1965. As a social studies teacher until 1998, he was well-respected and admired by his peers and students because of his integrity, teaching skills, and community service. His storied coaching career spanned five different decades, and his unwavering commitment to excellence, work ethic, and sportsmanship inspired his athletes to achieve unprecedented success. His track & field teams won numerous county and sectional titles with several athletes becoming state champions/national qualifiers. His cross country teams amassed more than 250 team wins during his tenure with numerous county and sectional titles, two second-place State Federation Championship finishes, a State Championship in 1987 (after two runners-up performances), and a state champion runner (along with several county champions/sectional winners). Arthur served as the Section 9 Indoor Track Chairman to the state committee for two decades, became the first coach from Section 9 inducted into the NYSPHSAA Hall of Fame in 2005, and was selected to the Section 9 Track & Field Hall of Fame in 2018.
After retirement, Arthur remained very active as a dedicated SOCAT track & field official and avid golfer. His most cherished role was devoted grandfather to his two beloved grandchildren. His spirit lives on in the memories of his family, friends, students, and athletes, and at the Washingtonville Coach Art Jessup Athletic Complex dedicated to him in 2022.
A Celebration of life will take place at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 6, 2023, at Grace Community Church, 2839 NY-94, Washingtonville, NY 10992.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge in Boston, MA, and/or the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA.