September 20, 2021
Marinaro, Nicholas
On September 14, 2021, Nicholas (“Nick”) Marinaro, Jr. of Dedham passed as he lived, fast and hard and without making a big deal about it. He was born in Morristown, NJ on February 2, 1944 to his beloved parents, Nicholas Marinaro, Sr. and Elizabeth Marinaro. Nick coached basketball at Northern Indiana University, and football, basketball and baseball at Rivers School, before finding his home at Noble & Greenough School, where he taught and coached for 45 years before retirement. In retirement, Nick loved to fish, swap stories with his buddies at the VFW, watch the Jets win and the Red Sox lose (though he never got much of either), and swear at his iPad while slowly learning to FaceTime his grandchildren.
Where to begin in describing the legacy of this giant of a man who touched the lives of thousands of students and athletes throughout his distinguished career of more than 50 years. His enormous physical stature belied a soft, compassionate manner that allowed him to forge deep friendships with students from all walks of life. “The Big Ragu” was beloved for his humor and singular ability to cultivate confidence in both the classroom and football field. Though we may mourn his passing, his spirit will surely live on through generations in countless “Coach Marinaro” stories.
Nick is survived by his sister, Ann Marie Saccaro and husband, Dr. Bernie Saccaro of Hackensack, NJ, his daughter, Dr. Corrie Marinaro and her husband, Jeff Lucas, of Fairfield, ME, his daughter, Kate Pascuzzi and her husband, Steve Feemster, of Tulsa, OK, his granddaughters, Ashlee, Abby, and Anastasia of Maine, his grandchildren, Thomas, Matthew, Samuel and Lluisa of Oklahoma, his nieces and nephews Dr. Victoria Saccaro, Laverne & Kevin O’Boyle, Beth & Paul Humenik, and Bernie & Christina Saccaro, and many grandnieces and grandnephews. He was no-so-patiently waiting on the birth of his first great-grand niece but decided she’s been chooching around far too long. We believe he is also survived by Mrs. Leveska, though her current whereabouts are unknown.
Nick requested that his celebration of life be held in Dedham with the formal date and location to be announced. In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to The Nicholas Marinaro Chair for Relational Teaching at Noble and Greenough School: Noble and Greenough School, c/o Advancement Office, 10 Campus Dr., Dedham MA 02026-4099 www.nobles.edu/giving/ In “Designation” box, please enter In honor of Nick Marinaro
Comments(3)
Dear Kate and Corrie,
My dearest condolences to you and your family.
I met your dad in 1966 in Florida. A sweet and caring man.
So very saddened to hear of his passing. Hopefully it was peaceful for him.
He so loved you girls and grandkids. Loved by many through his years of teaching and coaching!!
Sincerely, Stephanie
I’d like to pass on my condolences to the Marinaro family for the loss of Nick
I had the opportunity to coach with Nick after both of our head coaching years were past, as an assistant @ Braintree High.
I was always impressed by his knowledge of the game, his passion for it and the way he presented both to the players he coached. The kids loved him. We became close on the field based on similar backgrounds both in football and our Italian ancestry.
The passion he had for the game of football was evident in his eyes whether he was coaching on the field or relating his attendance at the “sudden death” overtime win by the Colts over the Giants. He will be remembered with a smile.
Frank Tricomi
Nick was a friend when we both attended Madison N.J high school class of 1962. A real great guy with a tremendous sense of humor.He could light up the room. RIP Nick