This was just put out by St. Joe’s Prep, which had many “Gino’s Scholarship” awardees prowl the halls:
We are saddened to announce the passing of Gino Marchetti. Mr. Marchetti is one of the men responsible for the famous Gino's Scholarships that made a huge impact on the St. Joseph's Prep Community in the late 1960s and 70s. During a 10-year span, 280 Preppers received significant financial assistance through these scholarships, many were Students of Color, allowing the Prep to become a more diverse community.
Gino's Hamburgers was a fast-food restaurant chain, founded in Baltimore, Md, by Baltimore Colts defensive end Gino Marchetti and running back Alan Ameche, along with their close friends Joe Campanella and Louis Fischer, in 1957. Then, through the generosity of Alan Amache and Louis Fischer, the Gino's scholarship program had a transformative impact on the Prep. The Prep will always be grateful.
Besides his wife, the former Joan Plecenik, Mr. Marchetti is survived by daughters Gina Burgess of Downingtown, Pa., and Michelle Kapp of Drexel Hill, Pa.; sons John Marchetti of Exton, Pa., and Eric Marchetti of West Chester, Pa.; stepdaughter Donna Lloyd of Mountain Top, Pa.; 16 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
Article on Mr. Marchetti's life: https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/nfl/bs-sp-colts-marchetti-obit-20190430-story.html
Saturday, May 4
Sts. Peter and Paul Church
1325 E. Boot Rd.
West Chester, PA 19380
Viewing: 9:30-10:50 am
Funeral Mass: 11 am
https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/paoli-pa/gino-marchetti-8269405
Col. (Ret.) Bill Gallagher '77 is head of peacekeeping activities in the South Sudan. When he heard about Mr. Marchetti's passing, he wrote:
"I was an only child living in Wissinoming. In 1968 when I was 9 years old, my father died and my mother had a crippling disease preventing her from working. Her monthly income was $700 from the VA and Social Security. We moved to a 1-bedroom tiny row house to survive.
A mentor, Prep Class of 1930, convinced me to go in the Army to escape poverty. He encouraged me to apply to SJP as that school could prepare me to apply to West Point. I made that my laser-focus goal and got accepted to the SJP Class of 77. We could not afford a small fraction of the tuition but I met the profile of the kind of kid Mr. Marchetti wanted to support with a scholarship.
Mr. Marchetti paid for a full, 4-year scholarship for me. I worked weekends at the SJP rectory and in the book store on weekdays as it was a work-scholarship. As predicted, SJP prepared me well and I got accepted to West Point and spent the next 32 years in the Army. I met my wife at West Point and we have 3 grown kids and a grandchild. NONE of that would have happened without the generosity of Mr. Marchetti."