South Harrison’s youth sports community mourned a defining figure this week after Robert Lynn “Bob” Kester of West Milford died on Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, after a twelve-year-long cancer battle.
Kester, 80, founded South Harrison’s Pop Warner football program and coached it for 26 seasons, turning the program into a consistent contender.
He also coached Jerry West Basketball and Little League, leaving a legacy that stretched well beyond wins and losses.
Kester’s teams regularly reached championship games under his steady leadership.
He was known for teaching fundamentals, discipline, and how to be a teammate, traits former players still point to when they call themselves “his boys.”
Read More-: Coolidge, Arizona Mom Accuses High School Baseball Coaches of Using Her Son’s Name Without Permission
Tributes Pour for the Late Coach
Those bonds were on display in the immediate reaction to his passing, with friends, former players, and parents posting short tributes and longer remembrances across social platforms.
Benjamin Hall, who worked alongside Kester and coached with him, captured the coach’s impact in a longer tribute:
“A man that inspired so many young men ….. a man that showed so many the love of Jesus! He led by example and loved unconditionally! A man that even in his weakness said…. How can I pray for you? A man who called us all HIS BOYS! Thank you coach, for it all!”
Other public messages reflected the same tone of respect and sympathy.
Linda Parasiliti Greenleaf wrote, “Heartfelt sympathy to you and his family.” Kim Hyman posted, “Sorry for your loss.”
Sharon Moran Firneno added, “I’m sorry for your father’s loss of your uncle Graig. My condolences and prayers.”
Michelle Watkins offered, “Prayers for his family and friends.” Those reactions underline how Kester’s influence reached beyond the field, into families, churches, and the wider community.
A native of Clarksburg (born Sept. 8, 1945), Kester graduated from Unidis High School in 1964, served in the Army National Guard, and spent more than 35 years as a supervisor with Equitable Natural Gas Company.
He and his wife, Cheryl “Sherry” Diaz Kester, recently marked their 60th wedding anniversary.
After retiring, he worked part-time at Amos Carvelli Funeral Home and remained active in local churches.
Family and friends may call at Amos Carvelli Funeral Home, 201 Edison St., Nutter Fort, on Wednesday, from noon–8 p.m.
Funeral services are scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 11, at 11 a.m., with interment at Floral Hills Memorial Gardens.
Kester built a program that will carry on, but coaches, players, and parents know the steady hand that shaped it is gone.
The region will remember the championships, and the coach who made sure the boys he led grew into better men and left an unforgettable legacy for those who knew him the best.
Explore Further: Former Highlands Teacher Sean Dicer Arrested in Brackenridge on Charges of Child Sexual Assault and Grooming
