NORTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (WLNE) — North Kingstown High School honored former football Coach Joe Gilmartin Friday night after he died in a tragic accident on Oct. 14. His former assistant, Head Coach Dave Giorgi, said Gilmartin would leave a lasting impact on the program. “He was the most kindest individual that you would ever meet,” Giorgi said. “Most people thought he was this intimidating figure and he was the compete opposite, full of laughter, full of life, he was caring, he had a heart the size of Cleveland. He just was a remarkable person.” Giorgi said he was “devastated” after receiving the news that Gilmartin had died in a boating accident off the coast of Narragansett. “I don’t get too emotional, but this one got me,” he said. “One of my close friends who is related to Coach Gilmartin, he told me on the phone and I just broke down. All those quick memories that we had, it all came to fruition right then and there.” Gilmartin was named Rhode Island High School Coach of the Year in 2018 after leading North Kingstown to its first Division II super bowl championship in 2017. He then led the Skippers to back to back Division I titles the next two years, before retiring from coaching in 2019. “Usually you say a legend is a person who passes; he was a legend before that,” Giorgi said. “He will always be a part of this program, no matter what, I will always make sure his legacy stays at the top level. He will be with us tonight, I know he will.” The team usually auctions two field-side seats to fans for a chance to see the action up close, but on Friday they remained vacant for Coach Gilmartin, and what a game he’d see. North Kingstown faced off against a major division opponent in Burrillville, scoring on the first drive of the game. They immediately followed that with a pick-six, setting the tone for what was a storybook victory for the Skippers, rallying behind the spirit of a program legend. All funds raised at Friday’s game went to the Point Judith Fisherman’s Scholarship in Gilmartin’s memory. Categories: High School Sports, News, Rhode Island