The Jamestown Public Schools family is mourning the loss of Anthony J. “Tony” Dolce, a longtime Jamestown High School teacher, coach, musician, and student organization advisor. Beloved by students and colleagues during his nearly four decades of affiliation with the JHS community, Dolce passed away on July 18 at the age of 64.
The Jamestown Public Schools family is mourning the loss of Tony Dolce, a longtime Jamestown High School teacher, coach, musician, and student organization advisor.
Beloved by students and colleagues during his nearly four decades of affiliation with the JHS community, Dolce passed away on July 18 at the age of 64.
JPS Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker said in a media release, “Our community is mourning the loss of a great servant. Few lived and bled Red and Green like Tony Dolce. He dedicated his professional life to the students and families of Jamestown Public Schools as a beloved history teacher, coach, and advisor, shepherding many of our most cherished traditions with unmatched care and attention to detail. Even in retirement, Tony remained a constant presence at Jamestown High School as a substitute teacher, where he was woven into the fabric of the school community. His institutional knowledge, calm demeanor, and sense of humor will be deeply missed. Our thoughts are with his family, especially his wife, Anne, and their beloved children, Amelia and Christian.”
A 1979 graduate of Jamestown High School, Dolce returned to the district in 1989, serving for one year at Washington Middle School before spending the balance of his 35-year career at JHS prior to his retirement in 2024.
Throughout his career, Dolce left an imprint on nearly every aspect of student life. He spent 20 years as junior varsity baseball coach and had served as an assistant coach of the boys and girls cross country team since 2008. He also advised the classes of 1992, 1996, 2001, 2005, and 2017 — the latter of which included his daughter Amelia — and has overseen student organization since 2005, a position that placed Dolce in a position to oversee the annual JHS Battle of the Classes and other beloved traditions by the JHS community.
Dolce also enjoyed a close affiliation with the JHS A Cappella Choir, of which he was an alumnus, and was awarded the organization’s “VIP Award” in 2001.
For decades, Dolce also coordinated Jamestown High School’s annual Commencement Ceremony at the Chautauqua Institution Amphitheater. Arriving hours before each ceremony, he meticulously prepared every detail to ensure graduation unfolded seamlessly for each year’s class.
During his final commencement before retirement in 2024, Class of 2024 co-advisor Chris Maggio surprised him with a heartfelt tribute, that said in part, “We would like to acknowledge Tony Dolce tonight. He has been a fixture at Jamestown High School since 1990, which happened to be my junior year — yes, Mr. Dolce was my class advisor in high school when I was sitting in this Amphitheater. Tony has been a teacher, a coach, a class advisor, student organization advisor, and most importantly, he runs the Baccalaureate and Graduation programs. Without Tony, these performances would still run, but not with the precision that they have over the last 20-or-so years that he has done them.”
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