BRICK – The Jersey Coast Shark Anglers Club building was the place to be on a recent Sunday afternoon.
The venue was the scene of a Celebration of Life honoring Ron Jandoli, who scored the first goal in Brick Memorial High School boys’ soccer history in the Mustangs’ 3-0 win over Asbury Park on September 25, 1980.
Mike Kinney wrote in a piece on NJ.com that Jandoli took Mustang Pride in scoring the historic goal. The ball will be displayed in the Brick Memorial trophy case.
“He never minded relaying that fun fact to anyone who cared to listen for the first, second or 20th time,” Kinney said.
The 1982 graduate touched millions of lives as a journalist, family man and all-around loved person. An estimated 120 fans turned out to honor their icon.
“I can’t believe there are this many people here who liked Ron,” his brother-in-law, Curt Bowens of Toms River, said with a smile, drawing laughs from the audience. “Smart guy. Never took crap from anybody. If you made fun of him, he came back hard.”
There were embraces. There were kisses. There were tears among family and friends. There were jokes. There were plenty of anecdotes. There were numerous quotes. There were several glasses raised in his honor numerous times.
Most touched was his widow, Cheryl Jandoli, his wife of 17 years. She was in tears after the celebration on what would have been her beloved husband’s 62nd birthday. She greeted family and friends at the door with a warm smile. Jandoli passed away Nov. 24, 2025, after a brief illness.
“Ron’s life was cut short by a good 20 years,” she said. “He lived a life like none other. He will be with us forever. He never left anything unsaid. We worked it out so that the celebration would be on his birthday. There was no football so all of the guys could be here.”
Jandoli said she deeply feels her late husband’s absence.
“My days are empty now,” she said. “Don’t know what to do with myself. Awful. My mindset is scattered at best. I have lost my anchor, my person, my partner. It’s really something more than I ever expected.”
Jandoli took to Facebook after the celebration, stating, “Happy Heavenly birthday, Ronnie. I miss you so much and think about you every waking moment. You made such a huge impact on so many people and I got to hear so many wonderful stories today. To be with so many people who loved you helped my heart immeasurably. I love you now, always and forever. Thank you for being you.”
Jandoli’s family and friends have come to the rescue.
“Somebody is always there for you,” she said. “I have a very big, supportive family. Ron’s three brothers – Richard, Robert and Ray – check in with me. I don’t realize all of the things he did for me. I was sick two years ago and close to dying. Ron cooked and cleaned and ran the household. I’d try to get a drink and he’d say he’d get it for me. Anything I needed he’d just bring to me.”
Ron Jandoli was a scholastic sportswriter for The Star-Ledger from 1986 through 1987. His wife worked as a page designer in the sports department of The Asbury Park Press.
“Ron’s profile said he loved to travel, was a Yankees fan and loved the beach,” Cheryl Jandoli said. “Like myself, Ron worked in the media. Ron was fun. Stubborn. A fighter. Fought for what he felt was right. Fought for me and everything I needed. A great stepfather (to Alexis Furlong).”
Ron Jandoli had several sayings, according to his widow. One was, “The second place finisher is the first loser.” Another was, “MFer.” Still another was, “Never let the truth get in the way of a good story.”
“Ron cursed a lot,” his widow said. “He always had to win. He was very, very competitive.”
Jandoli played soccer for Elon College of NCAA Division I. His No. 10 Elon jersey adorned a table. It was signed by teammates. Memories of his life decorated the walls. There was a photo of Jandoli deep sea fishing with Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jeremy Phillips. Jandoli was pictured with New York Yankees legend Bernie Williams.
There were clippings of some of his articles in The Star-Ledger. There was a picture of Jandoli with pro basketball legend Julius Erving (Dr. J). There was an autographed photo of him with soccer icon Pele. There were numerous photos of him enjoying life with family and friends on a large overhead screen.
“Ron, we miss you,” his sister-in-law, Amy Mullen, told admirers. “Happy birthday. Ron was the life of the party wherever he went. Fun-loving guy. Also a man who loved my sister. He had a heart of gold from his dogs to people to coworkers to family to everybody. Ron was a lot of fun. He had a lot of love. He was always available. Always there.”
Mullen led a toast and said, “Here’s to Ron. His life was cut short, but his memory is not going away.”
Gregg Lerner, who wrote sports with Jandoli at The Star-Ledger, told admirers, “To know him was to love him. God bless Ron. We were all better for knowing him.”
Winners of the unofficial Long Distance Award were Bobby and Sarah Young. They reside in Virginia near Washington, D.C. They met the Jandolis nine years ago in Baltimore on a seven-day cruise to the Bahamas.
“It was instant friendship,” Bobby Young said. “We went on two cruises with Ron and Cheryl. I wore Oakley sunglasses. Ron wore Costa sunglasses. We had a great debate over which sunglasses were better. I am a Washington Commanders fan. Ron was a Dallas Cowboys fan. There was always a counterpunch with any jab. This is our first time in the presence of the Jandolis away from an ocean.”
The Jandolis drove to Bethany Beach, Del., to celebrate the wedding of the Young’s daughter, Erin. Sarah and Bobby Young were pictured in the slide show.
“Add water and shake – instant friendship – just perfect,” Bobby Young said.
“We traveled often and he made friends easily,” his wife said. “He turned me into a soccer fan and he allowed me to turn him into a Disney Adult. He loved dogs and cats and all animals.”
Jandoli was the media relations officer and website coordinator at St. Benedict’s Prep in Newark from 2007 until his retirement in 2023, Kinney wrote in NJ.com. He died holding hands with his wife, rock and travel companion.
Kinney explained that Ron Jandoli always tried to be fair in his coverage. Some coaches admired this but some were frustrated by it.
“One of those coaches who Ron frequently sparred with in that vein was former St. Benedict’s soccer coach Rick Jacobs. The Bees were – and still are – a national powerhouse during Ron’s coverage, with such Gatorade Players of the Year as Claudio Reyna, Petter Villegas and Pedro Lopes gracing those rosters. Jacobs, a guy not afraid to speak his mind, sometimes felt Ron was leaving some of his players off top teams to appease other coaches in the area, or his editors. Yet, Jacobs never doubted that Ron’s decisions came from a place of integrity and equity.”
“I think he always tried to be fair, and I think he tried to understand that the Ledger was a business and it was important to give the appearance of spreading the wealth,” Jacobs said. “I think he did a really good job with his teams, and he got me to understand his side of the job. He would say, ‘Rick, come on, dude, you might have seven of the best players in the state, but I can’t do that. You can’t have them all.’ “
