Bridget Zapata
On March 12, 2022, Daryl James Zapata, beloved dad, friend, teacher and coach, passed away at the age of 76. Daryl was the loving father of three daughters and devoted “Baba” of four grandsons, as well as the dedicated coach to countless athletes and teacher to thousands of students.
Daryl was born in San Francisco on May 15, 1945, the first child of Emerson and Anna Belle Zapata, and eventual older brother to Evan. He attended George Washington High School–where his love of track and field was born–and the University of California, Berkeley. Daryl returned to his high school alma mater to teach chemistry and physics for more than 35 years. Daryl married Bonnie in 1984 in San Francisco, and they later moved to Petaluma, where they raised their family.
Daryl–known to his friends as “Zap”–was a pillar of the early days of Bay Area competitive running. He held various course records for long periods of time and raced 13 marathons under 2 hours and 30 minutes with a personal best of 2:24:18 (Avenue of the Giants, 1977). Daryl loved running and his true passion was coaching. After running for the West Valley Track Club in the 1970s, he co-founded the Greater San Francisco Track Club in 1980, coaching many runners to personal records and numerous to Olympic Trials qualifications. Most importantly, he instilled in many a lifelong love of the sport. “Play hard and have fun with it” was one of his mantras (as well as “KISS: keep it simple stupid!”). He dedicated himself fully to all his athletes, spending hours on the phone, composing emails, and compiling (and continuously updating) personalized training plans for everyone who asked, from his daughters to high school students to professional runners up until his passing.*
Once Jean, Mollie, and Bridget were born, Daryl took great pride in all their achievements. He enthusiastically attended ballet recitals, swim meets, graduations, award ceremonies, ski races, and of course track and cross country meets. He was his daughters’ biggest fan in whatever they endeavored, showing up with clipboard in hand to keep track of their achievements. As an adoring grandfather, he loved attending his grandsons’ baseball games.
In addition to running, he was an avid surfer, fisherman, skier, and hiker. He shared these activities with his family and friends, teaching the people close to him the benefits of living portions of each day out in nature. Daryl was a big softie, never afraid to cry or say “I love you,” and he took great pride and joy in those around him being happy and achieving their goals. He loved singing along with The Cars, making a big pot of popcorn for the whole family (and dog), laughing along with Muppet movies, running Mt. Tam and going to brunch afterwards, sunning himself on the beach, and enjoying a Coca-Cola with a bag of peanuts at a baseball game.
Daryl is survived by his three daughters: Jean Nelson (Geoffrey), Mollie Zapata (Christopher Coffman), and Bridget Zapata (John Williams); his ex-wife Bonnie Zapata; and his four grandsons: Liam, Finlay, Campbell, and Heath Nelson.
In lieu of a funeral, the family will hold a Celebration of Life for Daryl in the fall. Donations may be made in Daryl’s name to the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy to support the areas he most loved spending time.
* If any of his former running buddies have more specific or different information, please reach out to Bridget so we can make corrections.
