By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — Over 100 guests and four generations of the Carucci family attended the dedication of the Charles Carucci Senior Athletic Field Monday night at North Reading High School.
The multi-purpose natural turf field was named for a man synonymous with all things North Reading, dating back to the fall of 1957 when he was a member of the town’s first high school football team shortly after the original NRHS opened its doors. He remained a standout athlete throughout his high school years and served as Class President of the Class of 1960 which to this day still gets together for annual luncheons at Kitty’s.
His son and three grandsons all played football at NRHS; his wife of 62 years, Marianne, was a cheerleader at NRHS, and their two daughters and granddaughter were also cheerleaders for the Hornets. Only time will tell if their 8-month old great-granddaughter will follow in their footsteps!
Former Athletic Director Dave Johnson, who retired in June, nominated Carucci for the field naming honor. His nomination was subsequently approved by the School Committee and given the stamp of approval by the voters at June Town Meeting.
Delivering the keynote address Monday, Johnson said it was an “honor” to have this field named after Carucci. “Over the last 10 years, I cannot tell you how many North Reading alumni from the ’70, ‘80s and ‘90s have come back to see this school, beaming with pride with what the High School/Middle School building and athletic facilities look like. These have your fingerprints all over them, beginning with your guidance and direction with the Hillview Commission that allowed us to build a turf complex, to your leadership on the new High School/Middle School building project, and the money for the lights on this very field to be named in your honor,” Johnson said.
Johnson added that Carucci’s most impressive contribution may have been his vision to begin the annual 5K Turkey Trot which is now entering its 16th year and has become a beloved family tradition sponsored by the Hornet Hall of Fame Committee. Johnson said the funds this event has raised has had an “incredible impact on so many programs, most recently to complete our baseball complex — it was nice of Coach Arch to throw in a state championship at no additional cost!”
Johnson concluded by saying that the dedication of this field to Charles “Chuck” Carucci Senior “lets everyone know the impact the Carucci name has on the North Reading community. On behalf of the administration, players, coaches and North Reading community, I want to thank you for being a Hornet.”
Among those gathered Monday night were current students and alumni, current and former school administrators and superintendents, coaches, school committee members, friends and advocates of the school building project that reinvented the High School and reinvigorated the Middle School over a decade ago. The field dedication also coincided with the celebration of the 10-year anniversary of the opening of the Middle School, which occurred one year after the High School opened.
The town’s legislative duo at the state level, Rep. Brad Jones and Sen. Bruce Tarr, were also on hand to congratulate Carucci and present him with a citation from the State House.
“Let me say how wonderful it is to be here with all of you as we celebrate this 10th anniversary, which confirms the wisdom of this community in building that incredible complex for the education of our students in North Reading. For everyone who made the sacrifices and stood up and advocated for it, congratulations, because today we know it was a resonating success and will be for years to come,” Tarr said.
Tarr added that capital projects such as this would never come to fruition if it was not for the vision of people from the community like Carucci who volunteered their time and “paid attention to the details, pay attention to the planning, pay attention to how things are funded.”
“You have done so much for this community in terms of making sure that dollars are well spent,” Tarr said, and that the project was done right. He added, “Your heart, your passion and your vision for the things that have sprung up in this community are something that we can never fully express our gratitude for, but we can come here on a chilly November night and say thank you for staying the course.”
Jones said he was “fortunate to graduate from the old North Reading High School” but looking back, he could have never imagined how the building of this facility decades later would transform the community and put his hometown on map. “
Whether you are into athletics, academics or the arts, this complex has catapulted North Reading into a place where people want to come to visit and have their kids go to school here. You are in no small part responsible for that,” Jones said. “You got the message when you were young to give back, and you gave back exponentially. I’m thrilled that we are here to recognize you tonight.”
Select Board Chairman Stephen O’Leary thanked Chuck’s very patient wife, Marianne, for sharing her husband with the community over all his decades volunteering on so many committees, which has also included the Planning Board, Housing Authority and Hillview Commission.
O’Leary commented that Carucci was able to bridge the divide between the town’s many different demographics especially during the hiccups that occurred during the planning and construction of the High School/Middle School complex.
“When you get someone like Chuck behind you it means so much and it means you are going to have some success,” O’Leary said, adding, “When you look at that facility now, that looks like a brand new school.” He described Carucci as a “unifying force” which was evident when all the groups and committees that needed to approve the naming of the facility in his honor did so unanimously — from the School Committee, Select Board and Finance Committee, to Town Meeting. “You are so deserving!” O’Leary said.