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For more than three decades, Joe Pierro’s life had followed the rhythm of school calendars, football seasons, practices and Friday nights under the lights. At 60, the longtime Steubenville High School assistant football coach had finally stepped away from the career that had consumed much of his adult life, beginning a retirement he had earned after decades of service. He had been retired for only three weeks when an ordinary afternoon at home ended in a tragedy almost impossible for his family, former players and community to comprehend.
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Pierro was mowing the lawn at his home in Steubenville, Ohio, on Friday when a thunderstorm moved through the area. While he was outside cutting the grass, Pierro was struck by lightning. The longtime coach did not survive.It was a sudden end to a life that had been defined by consistency, commitment and generations of young athletes. According to reports, Pierro’s death became the 14th lightning-related fatality recorded in the United States that year and the first reported in Ohio. Behind that statistic, however, was a man whose death immediately left an enormous absence in one football community.Book Grief Counseling
Only three weeks earlier, Pierro had entered retirement.
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