John B. Coppola

John B. Coppola, Ed.D., of Forked River, New Jersey, passed away peacefully at the age of 83 in Toms River, New Jersey on May 13, 2026. A devoted family man and lifelong educator, John inspired his children and countless others to pursue careers in public service. John leaves behind an enduring legacy that will not soon be forgotten.

Born on February 4, 1943 in Trenton, New Jersey, John was the third of four children of Louis Sr. and Irene Coppola (née Wargo). He was raised in the Chambersburg section of Trenton, surrounded by his Italian and Hungarian family. The family later moved across the river to Yardley, Pennsylvania.

John graduated from Bishop Egan High School in Levittown, Pennsylvania in 1961. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Trenton State College in 1969, his master’s degree from Seton Hall University in 1972, and his doctorate degree from Nova University in 1975.

From a young age, John was drawn to public life. He briefly served as a special police officer with the Lower Makefield Township Police and worked as a radio announcer for several Trenton-area stations in the 1960s. John proudly claimed that he was the youngest disc jockey on the air in Trenton – a fun fact that he was always eager to share. In 1964, John served as a news correspondent for NBC television, covering the general election. While John cherished those early experiences, he ultimately found his true calling in education.

John’s career in education spanned from the 1960s through the 2000s. He earned a reputation as a sharply dressed and inspiring leader known for uplifting morale and making a meaningful impact on the lives of his students, faculty, and staff. As one student wrote in a poem dedicated to John, “[g]rowing up is so hard to do, it only comes easy to very few. So thank the guy with the yellow tie, your best friend, he doesn’t lie!”

“The guy with the yellow tie” began his career back home in Trenton, serving in several roles at Trenton Central High School and Jefferson Elementary School, including teacher, Assistant to the Principal for Discipline, Acting Vice Principal, and Director of Legal Hearings. John then moved on to Greenwich Township, where he served as principal at Nehaunsey Middle School. During this time, John also briefly taught at Seton Hall University.

John next joined the New Jersey Department of Education as Aide to the Deputy Commissioner of Education. Following his service with the State, John’s path led to Manchester Township, where he served as principal at Whiting Elementary School and Manchester Township Middle School, playing a key role in the middle school’s planning and construction. After his time in Manchester, John became principal of Meridian Academy in Keyport.

John’s most enduring impact may have been his decade-long tenure in Stafford Township, where he served as principal of Oxycocus Elementary School, McKinley Avenue Elementary School, and Stafford Intermediate School. He was also instrumental in the planning and construction of Ocean Acres Elementary. However, perhaps John’s most impressive accomplishment in Stafford was catching the eye of Oxycocus’ spunky basic skills teacher, Margaret Jensen. John and Margaret married in 1990.

John later returned to the Department of Education as an auditor, before concluding his career at Georgian Court University, where he spent ten years teaching undergraduate and graduate education courses.

Beyond his professional life, John was deeply committed to his community. He served as eucharistic minister at St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church in Forked River. A long-time resident of Lacey Township, John was involved in the planning and construction of Cedar Creek Elementary School. He also held leadership roles at several youth camps, including Director of Camp Conquest in Trenton, Director of Bonnie Brae Farm and Camp in Millington, and Assistant Director of Camp Columbus in Bamber Lake.

Above all, John was most proud of his family. John adopted his son, Thomas, who he raised as a single parent. Together with Margaret, John had two more children, David and Maria. He was immensely proud of their accomplishments and their careers in education, law and law enforcement – and he never missed an opportunity to brag about them.

John’s intellectual spirit fostered lifelong interests in faith, film, history, music and politics. John often interrupted family dinners with obscure trivia questions, historic facts, riddles, bits of wisdom, and tall tales that left everyone wondering whether they were true. John remained deeply connected to his faith, sharing his time between St. Pius X Roman Catholic Church in Forked River and Immanuel Lutheran Church in Lakewood.

John is predeceased by his parents, Louis and Irene; and his beloved grumpy dog, Buddy. John is survived by his wife, Margaret; son, Thomas and his wife Hope of Orange Park, Florida; son David of Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey; and daughter Maria and her husband Nick of Englishtown, New Jersey. John is also survived by his brother Louis, Jr. and his wife Dorothy of Hamilton Square, New Jersey; brother Fred and his wife Marie of Yardley, Pennsylvania; and his dear sister, Charlene DeLuca of Brick, New Jersey. John is also survived by many cousins, nieces, nephews and friends.

The Coppola family extends their sincere gratitude to the staff of the Evergreen wing at Complete Care at the Arbors in Toms River. Their tireless efforts brought tremendous joy, comfort and peace to John in the twilight of his life, and we are forever grateful.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in memory of John may be made to the Associated Humane Societies, P.O. Box 43, Forked River, NJ 08731, or online at ahs.givecloud.co/tribute. When mailing a donation, please include that your donation is for John Coppola.

Relatives and friends are invited to a memorial gathering on May 27th, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. A memorial service will begin at 2:30 p.m. at D'Elia Funeral Home: 1300 Vermont Ave, Lakewood, NJ 08701.