The Valley Central community entered the school year having lost one of its own.

Valley Central School District Superintendent Evette Avila announced on Aug. 24 that Sharon Delmonico, the district’s athletic trainer since 2015 died the previous day, surrounded by her family.
Delmonico suffered from Stage IV breast cancer.

“She was a caring and thoughtful person who enjoyed making people laugh, and she will be greatly missed,” Avila said.

Delmonico, a graduate of Valley Central, herself, was the district’s assistant swim coach from 2003, until 2004. She started her career as an athletic trainer at Minisink Valley High School before coming home to Valley Central in 2015.

Last June, she received the inaugural Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association Athletic Trainer of the Year Award.

Sharon was always there for our students, coaches, staff and parents,” Athletic Director Rich Steger II said. “Both athletes and non-athletes would seek her out for advice and support. Sharon treated the whole child, calming fears and anxieties in addition to attending to their physical injuries. Student safety and wellbeing was always Sharon’s priority.

Delmonico is survived by her parents, Edward Pearce and Nanette Hirsch Pearce; her husband Kevin Delmonico; her children, Cody Delmonico and Mackenzie Delmonico; and her siblings, Edward “Eddie” Pearce (Julie) of Newport News, VA., Michael Pearce (April) of Fort Rutgers, Alabama and Jennette Sheak (Paul) of Birdsboro, PA.. She is also survived by thirteen nieces and nephews: five uncles and one aunt.

Mackenzie Delmonico was a standout soccer player at Valley Central, and now plays Division I soccer at Manhattan College. She also played basketball and lacrosse for the Vikings.

Cody has played soccer and tennis in the past but didn’t play any sports last year.

“Sharon was always Valley Central’s greatest cheerleader,” Steger said. “Her enthusiasm and cheers from the sidelines were contagious.”

She was loved in the community, as well, as Sue Abel and Diane Mainor started a GoFundMe on Aug. 12 to help the Delmonico family alleviate any financial burdens or stress during her fight against Stage IV breast cancer.

They described her as a “hard-working, humble and private person.”
Through Thursday, the GoFundMe has raised $21,555 of a $15,000 goal for the family.

She also had a large impact on the students she worked with.

“Sharon had a really big impact on my life,” Valley Central graduate Grace Suchy said on a post on Legacy.com. She taught me so much and helped guide me to decide what I wanted to pursue in college and as a career. I loved learning from her and watching her be an amazing athletic trainer and mother.”