{"id":242573,"date":"2026-05-24T20:59:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-24T20:59:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/242573\/"},"modified":"2026-05-24T20:59:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-24T20:59:09","slug":"beloved-brooklyn-baseball-coach-killed-in-fire-mentored-generations-of-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/242573\/","title":{"rendered":"Beloved Brooklyn baseball coach killed in fire mentored generations of kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

A longtime baseball coach killed alongside his elderly mother<\/a> in a raging fire was a mentor to generations of Brooklyn children \u2014 and in the hours before his death was making plans to bring his team to a tournament.<\/p>\n

Jose Castro, 65, and his 86-year-old mother, Maria, were killed by a blaze that tore through their second-floor apartment in East Flatbush Saturday morning.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just crushing,\u201d said Jerry Katzke, the treasurer and athletic director of the Bonnie Youth Club<\/a> where Castro volunteered as a coach.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was a big part of our organization. He\u2019s one of these guys that everybody liked and everyone wanted to work with.\u201d<\/p>\n

The cause of the 6:50 a.m. fire in the thee-story building on Nostrand Ave. near Beverly Road<\/a> remains under investigation.<\/p>\n

Castro, who made a career out of mentoring and coaching youth sports, joined the all-volunteer Bonnie Youth Club about 40 years ago, Katzke said. He also coached junior varsity baseball at The Packer Collegiate Institute<\/a> in Brooklyn Heights.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhether it\u2019s in a school setting or whether it\u2019s in a sandlot setting like ours, everything he\u2019s really done has revolved around kids and baseball and tutoring,\u201d Katzke told the Daily News.<\/p>\n

\"Youth<\/p>\n

Obtained by Daily News<\/p>\n

Youth baseball coach Jose Castro, 65, died in a fire on Saturday morning. (Obtained by Daily News)<\/p>\n

Castro, who didn\u2019t have children of his own, lived with and helped out his bedridden mother, Katzke said.<\/p>\n

Katzke had a phone conversation with Castro the night before the fire to discuss an upcoming weekend tournament for Castro\u2019s team that was ultimately postponed due to inclement weather.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was very kind and very caring and very determined and dependable. He really enjoyed working with kids of all ages,’\u201d Katzke said. \u201cHe never turned a kid away. He\u2019d always be willing to help anyone who needed help and he would just gain the confidence and the trust of the kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

Katke said he\u2019s heard from parents of the children in the baseball clubs. \u201cThey were all very shook up,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"Firefighters<\/p>\n

Theodore Parisienne \/ New York Daily News<\/p>\n

Firefighters respond to the fatal fire on Nostrand Ave. in Brooklyn on Saturday. (Theodore Parisienne \/ New York Daily News)<\/p>\n

Heartfelt condolences and testimonials flooded social media.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have the words to express my shock and sadness,\u201d Brian Friedman, the athletic director at the John Jay Campus, wrote in a Facebook post.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cNo one did more for the game for all the right reasons. Always about the kids. Always about the game. Always about collaboration. Always about love \u2026 You\u2019ll always be loved, missed, and remembered for the incredible man and coach you were. RIP to a legend.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Clutch Recruits USA youth baseball league also posted on Facebook<\/a> about Castro\u2019s legacy.<\/p>\n

\u201cCoach Jose was more than a baseball coach. He was a mentor, a role model, and someone who genuinely cared about the young people he coached,\u201d the post reads. \u201cSome people never realize how much a simple word of encouragement, patience, or belief in a child can mean. Coach Jose gave that to so many families and young athletes over the years. His kindness, dedication, and presence will never be forgotten.\u201d<\/p>\n

Other mourners spoke of the direct impact the coach had on their lives.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou dedicated your life to helping others through baseball,\u201d Juan Mercado wrote on Facebook<\/a>. \u201cThank you for everything you did for me and my family. You will be missed greatly.\u201d<\/p>\n

A neighbor told The News Saturday that Castro\u2019s brother, Miguel Navarro, was a model, fashion designer and party promoter who worked with rappers and hip-hop stars. Navarro was murdered in December 1996 and his killing was never solved, according to a post on Castro\u2019s Instagram page.<\/a><\/p>\n

Saturday\u2019s blaze comes as the city combats a 64% increase in fatal fires this year. As of May 18, 46 people have died in fires so far this year, compared to 28 deaths in the same time frame last year. The causes range from electrical fires to accidents, to arson, officials said.<\/p>\n

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