Link for the website of Giordano Curry website is now active.

Sadly, yesterday I received word from Gary Conklin that Zach Gillon passed away. Gary saw a post from Timothy Farrey. I have searched online for an obituary but cannot find one, so with Tim's permission, I have posted below what he wrote. Even if you didn't personally know Zach, what Tim wrote captures the essence of a very good person and outstanding athlete.  From comments I have read on Facebook about Zach over the years, he stayed true to who he was and he was a soft spoken, kind, sweet man. Rest In Peace Zach. May your family find comfort in their hearts from the memories they hold so dearly.

From Tim Farrey:

Zachary Gillon was a Peekskill phenom.

Zack played varsity basketball, shooting long range left handed jump shots and he could dunk. He played first base in local leagues.  Jack Cothren saw him doing some incredible triple jumping somewhere and mentioned it the track coach/social studies teacher John Zee who quicky recruited him.  

Early in the 1969 spring track season, when the Depew Park track was too wet to train, we used to run up Hudson Avenue starting near the tennis courts and run to the top, repeat, repeat. One day there were some girls chatting with the track boys from a VW bug which they stopped in our way. Zack casually ran over it from the back to the front. He didn't say anything or crack a smile. He just did it. He was too funny. 
 
Later during the spring of 1969, he would anchor the PHS 4x220 yard relay team at Depew Park as we all screamed on hearing the time. PHS school record!  It was a stacked relay with Bruce Pappas, Lestor Pearson, and Rudy Joseph.       

He would also break the PHS long jump record.  It may have also been a Westchester County record but I could not confirm that on the internet.

He came home from the Arlington Relays with an enormous five foot trophy for winning the triple jump in a record. I'm pretty sure that he was the MVP of the meet, thus the trophy.

His forte was the triple jump.  The Evening Star picked up on his efforts and published multiple photos. At dual meets, people who never attended a track meet would come out and watch him.  

At Yorktown HS, some team of boys or gym class come over to watch. Zack actually had to hold back on the distance of his jumps as the jumping pit was too short. He would have landed beyond the sand of the pit!  I was a wise ass and to confuse the local boys there, every time Dave Shepard triple jumped, I'd say, "Come on Zack!"  

In the spring of 1969, his triple jumps gathered national attention and he was invited to compete in the Golden West Invitational in California.  Only the best eight boys in each track and field event were invited.  There were fund raisers to pay for Zack and Coach Zee to travel to California.

The event came down to the last jump.  
Zack was winning but the boy in second place had a non-wind aided national record.  Zack's leading jump was wind aided and not eligible for the national record.  Coach John Zee gave the details of Zack's jump. 
There is a time limit to compete each jump and a wind meter.  The wind meter was visible to Zack.  He waited patiently for the wind to go below the allowable speed and then took off.  He jumped 50 feet 10 inches to secure both the win and the NATIONAL high school record.

At the outdoor 1969 PHS graduation ceremony when they announced, "Zachary Gillon", people jumped up and applauded and yelled!

The last time I saw Zack was at the Westchester Mall many, many years ago. I asked him about the recent passing of King Smythe. I had forgotten what a soft spoken man he was. I had to lean in the hear his words.

Tim Farrey: PHS Track and Field co-captain Spring of 1970.  

All the best to his family.

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