Steve Gaspar, 74, a legendary basketball coach, accomplished player and esteemed teacher at Dartmouth High, died unexpectedly on Sept. 3, the school department confirmed.
A longtime health and physical education teacher, Gaspar was inducted into Dartmouth High’s Hall of Fame as both a player (1993) and a coach (2018) and recently had the school’s basketball court named in his honor.
“Coach Gaspar embodied the spirit and values of Dartmouth High School,” read a statement released by the school. “In honor of his legacy, the basketball court at the Carlin Lynch Activity Center was named the ‘Coach Steve Gaspar Court.’ This lasting tribute reflects the profound and enduring impact he made on our community.”
As a player at Dartmouth High, Gaspar shattered the all-time Capeway Conference scoring record in 1967.
In two seasons at Boston State College (currently UMass Boston), Gaspar set nine school records and graduated as the program’s third all-time leading scorer with 1,363 points. He led Boston State to the finals of the District 32 NAIA New England playoffs in his first season and the New England championship game the following year.
Gaspar attracted interest from NBA teams like the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards (formerly the Bullets) and had offers to play professional basketball overseas, but he chose to return to his alma mater and dedicate himself to Dartmouth High for more than four decades.
Over his 28-year career as Dartmouth’s boys basketball head coach, Gaspar finished with an overall record of 324-277 and directed the team to multiple league titles and 19 state tournament appearances. His best record came in 1998-99 when Dartmouth went 19-3 and won the Eastern Athletic Conference championship with his son, Tim, a key contributor on the team.
Gaspar’s daughter, Jessica, held Dartmouth High’s all-time scoring record (1,840 points) for 30 years before it was broken by Kat Cheesebro last season.
Coach Gaspar’s 300th win came on Jan. 13, 2010 against Westport. He retired following the 2012-13 season.
Gaspar lived in Dartmouth with his wife, Kathy. They had four children: Jennifer, Jessica, Timothy and Sara.
Gaspar took pride in being a grandfather to Erin Varnum, Nicholas Gaspar, Jordan Gaspar, Lillian Gaspar, Bennett Pereira, Landon Pereira, Kennedy Pereira and Weston Pereira.
Calling hours will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 9 from 3-8 p.m. at the Saunders-Dwyer Home for Funerals, 495 Park St., New Bedford. Family and friends are invited to share in a Funeral Mass at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at St. Mary’s Church, 795 Dartmouth St., South Dartmouth. Mass will be followed by a celebration of Steve’s life at The Country Club of New Bedford, 585 Slocum Road, North Dartmouth. In lieu of flowers, the family please asks that donations be made to the www.nickstrongfoundation.com in his honor.
Remembering Steve Gaspar
“The community definitely lost a cornerstone. My condolences to his family. Even if you didn’t play basketball, he knew how to make you feel welcome and a part of his family. He found a way to connect with people and make their lives better. I can’t think of a better legacy.” — Ryan Goyette, 2003 Dartmouth High graduate who played basketball for Gaspar
“Steve was a larger-than-life figure for the entire town of Dartmouth, and even more so within his family. His love, passion, kindness, leadership is second to none, and he showed this to anyone he ever crossed paths with. Steve was my own high school teacher before he was my father in law, and I’m so grateful to have had him in my life. He was an outstanding father, husband, son, and grandfather. He touched so many lives in so many different ways and was a role model for all those around him. Words cannot do justice to just how impactful his presence in life was to so many, and while this is a tragic time, we all know Steve will be looking over us in his own way, and continue to guide his wife, children, and grandchildren. He will be so deeply missed , but his legacy will never be forgotten and will live on forever.” — Nick Pereira, Gaspar’s son-in-law
“He’s Dartmouth basketball to me. It’s a hard loss not only for Dartmouth High, but for the entire Dartmouth community. He was the most emphatic and selfless person I’ve been around. He always cared about his players and it was his players first. He was a role model for me. He was one of the main reasons I got into coaching.” — Nick Simonetti, Dartmouth boys basketball coach and former player under Gaspar
“Whether he was a player or a coach, Steve was never bigger than the game. It was always about his teammates or his players. He was almost uncomfortable talking about himself, but never ran away after a loss and wasn’t afraid to take criticism following a loss. He made covering Dartmouth basketball a pleasure.” — Buddy Thomas, former Standard-Times Sports Editor
“He was considered the best player at that time at Dartmouth High. He was one of the great shooters in high school and college and on the fringe of being a pro basketball player. Later when he coached, kids would always challenge him to games of horse, and he would evidently win.” — Jim McGonigle, who coached Dartmouth’s freshmen team for nearly a decade
“He did a lot for Dartmouth basketball and basketball in general. We coached against each other at the freshmen and varsity levels. He was a very intense coach, but he was a gentleman and a really good person. That was the best thing about him. He was such a good guy.” — Ed Rodrigues, former New Bedford High boys basketball coach and current Wareham High athletic director
“He was compassionate and he was very mild-mannered, but the competitive side of him came out in games; he’s ripping his tie off. He used to wear a sweater so he couldn’t get to the tie. He wasn’t a yeller and a screamer, but he was so competitive.” — Mike Frates, Dartmouth baseball and golf coach and former player under Gaspar
“We coached against each other for 20 years. I always enjoyed our pregame chats. I’ve never heard Steve say a bad thing about anyone and I’ve never heard anyone say anything negative about Steve. A great coach and a really nice guy.” — Billy Shea, former Bishop Connolly boys basketball coach
“He was the kind of guy who trusted you and took you in. He gave everybody a shot. He valued everybody’s opinion. He was a very good mentor. He was a great basketball coach, but the best part of his legacy is he cared about every kid.” — Scott Richards, former Dartmouth High girls basketball coach who was a volunteer assistant under Gaspar in the early 2000s
“What he’ll be most remembered for is how selfless he was. He did so much for the school and community. He implemented the after prom which became a staple at Dartmouth High. He was a mainstay at Dartmouth High.” — McGonigle
“Over the past 45 years of my life, Steve Gaspar was my teacher, my coach, my colleague and my friend. He was selfless and kind. His wealth was not measured in dollars, but in actions to his family, friends, co-workers, students, players and the Dartmouth community. He was an outstanding athlete, teacher, coach, son, husband, father and grandfather. I am so thankful that he was part of our lives. We love all of the Gaspar family and we will miss him tremendously.” — Rick White, Dartmouth High football coach
“Steve was highly respected by his players, opposing coaches and officials. He was the epitome of ‘class’ and always instilled in his players to be gentlemen both on and off the court. Steve enjoyed running into former players and catching up with how they were doing and always offering his help in any way possible. His favorite piece of advice was to treat everyone the way you would want to be treated and that is simply how he lived his life. He was the coach that you wanted your son to play for. His caring and compassionate legacy will live on and never be forgotten. I will forever miss my close friend, confidant and mentor but am so very grateful for all of the special memories both on and off the court.” — Mike Oswald, former Dartmouth JV boys basketball coach under Gaspar
“I was saddened to hear of the passing of Coach Gaspar, a legendary figure in Massachusetts high school basketball and a true gentleman. I had the honor of working with him during my time as Athletic Director, and I witnessed firsthand not only his phenomenal talent as a coach, but also his unwavering integrity, kindness and dedication to those around him. He was a great family man, a mentor to many, and a person of immense character. His impact on the game — and on all of us who knew him — will never be forgotten.” — Jeff Caron, former Dartmouth High athletic director and boys basketball coach
“Every administrator, teacher, coach, and student had the highest level of respect for Steve. He was the glue guy at Dartmouth High School. In speaking with so many teachers, coaches and former players over the last two days, we all shared the same line that coach Gaspar was one of the kindest and finest human beings we have ever had the privilege to know.” — Mike Cappello, former Dartmouth hockey coach
“If you were to make a recipe for the perfect coach, it’s Steve Gaspar. He taught me and gave me a blueprint to success off the court. He knew that most of his players weren’t going to go pro so rather than care about his legacy or wins and losses, he taught us the intangible things that we could use off the court to enhance our lives and better the lives of others around us. He was selfless, humble, caring, kind, strong, smart — everything you could ever hope for in a coach and a teacher.” — Goyette
“He did so much beyond teaching and coaching that people don’t know about. He gave his whole life to Dartmouth.” — Frates
New information has been added to this story.
