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Longtime Harrison resident John Styczynski died on Thursday, April 6 at the age of 57 after being hit by a New Haven Line train near the Harrison station around 1:20 p.m.
According to his obituary, Styczynski was a "lifelong sports fan" who was defined by his passion for basketball, football, and racing.
After graduating from Hofstra University in 1988, he began his sports media career at KEUN Radio in Eunice, Louisiana, and eventually went on to earn several United States Basketball Writers Association awards and honors in 2005, 2008, 2010, and 2012.
Through his work, he also became friendly with several famous college basketball coaches, including former Hofstra coach Jay Wright, who went on to coach Villanova to four Final Fours and two national titles.
In addition to sports writing, Styczynski also worked as a media researcher for several well-known media outlets, including NBC, the New York Times, and People Magazine, meeting several "top names" in American journalism through this work.
He also passed along his journalistic knowledge to a new generation during a stint as a journalism professor at the City University of New York, which he took great pride in.
In addition to his journalism work, Styczynski was also passionate about helping people. In 2013, he moved to New Orleans and became very involved in rebuilding the city and fixing the damage caused by Hurricane Katrina.
Willing to spend whatever vacation time he had to help out, Styczynski was eventually promoted to a supervisory position with AmeriCorps.
Upon returning to Harrison in 2015, Styczynski became well-known on the basketball courts of Rye, often keeping pace with people half his age, his obituary said.
Ultimately, Styczynski will be remembered for his "endless well of positive energy and enthusiasm," and for bringing out the best in the people around him, according to his obituary.
A funeral service for Styczynski will be held on Thursday, April 13 at 7 p.m. at Compassionate Funeral Care in Saratoga Springs at 402 Maple Ave.
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