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Date: 6/14/2018
EAST LONGMEADOW – Annually, the East Longmeadow 4th of July Parade allows one lucky member of the community be the Parade Grand Marshal. This year resident Robert “Bob” Mazzariello, a 54-year resident of the town, was selected for the esteemed position.
Hailing from Springfield, Mazzariello attended Cathedral High School and graduated in 1957. From there, he went to Springfield College where he majored in English History. Mazzariello moved to East Longmeadow in 1964 following his time serving in the U.S. Army.
“There was a teaching job opening in East Longmeadow, and it was my first job back [from the Army] in 1964,” he explained.
Mazzariello was a teacher at Birchland Park Middle School from 1964 to 1969. From there, he moved up to the high school and taught from 1969 to 1988.
“I was teaching and coaching and I was approached by many of my colleagues when the Assistant Principal position opened up, so I did [apply] and I got it,” Mazzariello reflected. “I loved every minute of it.”
From 1988 until 2000 Mazzariello served as the assistant principal at East Longmeadow High School. Following his retirement from the schools, he served on the East Longmeadow School Committee for six years, with three as chairman. Additionally, throughout his years of teaching, he coached the wrestling team at Cathedral High School, he formed and ran the wrestling club at East Longmeadow High School, helped to establish varsity wrestling and served as both a soccer coach and golf coach.
While he had retired from teaching at the grade school level, Mazzariello couldn’t stay away for long. He has been an English professor at Springfield Technical Community College for the last 15 years.
Though he has kept busy over the years teaching and coaching, Mazzariello found the time to pen his first book titled, “Smashed Bologna Sandwiches.” The book is based on the former Springfield Boys Club and the Springfield Boys Club summer camp, which was located in Brimfield. When Reminder Publications asked Mazzariello why he chose the seemingly strange title, Mazzariello affectionately shared a story of his days at the Boy’s Club hiking with friends to a nearby lake.
“We used to walk to Little Alum Lake which was a couple of miles from the camp. In those days, we didn’t have backpacks, so the chef would give everyone bologna sandwiches and a piece of fruit and we would put them in our pockets,” he explained. “Of course, by the time we walked three miles to the lake they were smashed.”
Over the course of his years as an educator and coach, Mazzariello has been honored with a series of awards: East Longmeadow High School (ELHS) Educators Hall of Fame, ELHS Coaching Hall of Fame, New England Wrestling Hall of Fame, UNICO awardee, and now, 4th of July Parade Grand Marshal. He’s served as a high school wrestling referee, college referee, is a past-president of the Officials Association, ELHS Athletic Hall of Fame Committee president and is now the president of New England Wrestling Officials. He started the summer reading program at Birchland Park and ELHS, and began the Robert Mazzariello ELHS Golf Scholarship Tournament, which ran for 23 years, but still awards scholarships today.
Clearly a busy man, Mazzariello calls himself a “homebody” and is an accomplished twig painter.
“I’m a member of the Scantic Valley Artisans, it’s in Hampden, and I’m a member there and have shown there. I’m always working and I’ve got a couple [paintings] in progresses. My wife is happy because I’m not bugging her,” Mazzariello laughed.
Similar to most parents and grandparents, Mazzariello couldn’t help but share the accomplishments of his children and grandchildren, expressing how important family time is to him. His youngest son is a head professional golfer at Stockbridge Country Club, his daughter is a dance teacher at East Longmeadow’s Academy of Dance, and his eldest son is a motocross racer.
“I’m very proud of my kids because whatever my kids have decided they want to take part in, they have excelled, and my grandchildren are coming up the same,” he beamed.
While he hasn’t been recognized as Grand Marshal for the town parade until this year, Mazzariello explained that in his neighborhood on the 4th of July there is a party where they host their own “parade” down their street.
“I’ve been the Grand Marshal of the 4th of July party on Braeburn and I’d get on my John Deere tractor and lead it around the neighborhood,” Mazzariello chuckled, “I’m being moved up from JV to varsity.”
“I consider it a very, very great honor. I’ve devoted my life to East Longmeadow. Next to my wife and family, the two things I cherish most are having served my country in the military and having served my town as an educator,” Mazzariello said.
The East Longmeadow 4th of July Parade will kick off at 10 a.m.