Frank DeFelice
Legendary Coach
Frank DeFelice, an old-school coach who taught his players how to play, how to win and, most important, how to live, died January 14 at Salem Hospital. He was 84 years old.
“He was the guiding light of the family,” said his wife, Susan, to whom he was married for 56 years. “He kept us all in line.”
There are those who would argue that “Saint Susan” – as she is affectionately known, in acknowledgement of her pliability over the last 5½ decades – deserves at least equal credit for holding down the home front as her husband coached four sports at 10 high schools and colleges over the last 60 years.
DeFelice often said that in 1968, when he and the former Susan Mahegan got married, his version of a pre-nuptial agreement was an unwritten contract that read, “I will always coach football.”
Born on June 3, 1940 to the late Anthony “Lefty” and Eleanor DeFelice, Francis A. DeFelice grew up in Winthrop and was a 1957 Winthrop High School graduate. He went to prep school at Worcester Academy and played baseball for the legendary Dee Rowe, before moving on to Boston College, where he starred in football and baseball, sandwiched around a two-year stint in the U.S. Army.
After graduating from BC in 1965, DeFelice began his football coaching career as an assistant to his brother, Bob, at Christopher Columbus High School in Boston. He joined Stan Bondelevitch’s staff at Swampscott High School in 1966, the year he became baseball coach. DeFelice served as an assistant to “Bondy” from 1966-71, a period in which the Big Blue ran off a 32-game unbeaten streak and produced three NFL players: Bill Adams, Dick Jauron and Tom Toner.
DeFelice left Swampscott in 1972 to take the football job at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, moving with Susan to Medway. After five seasons at Xaverian, he returned to Swampscott in 1977 as head baseball and football coach. He coached football at SHS through 1981 and baseball until 2005. In 35 seasons as SHS baseball coach, DeFelice compiled a career record of 465-257, including a state championship in 1993 and three North sectional titles. He is one of 42 coaches in the history of Massachusetts high school baseball with at least 400 wins, according to Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association (MBCA) records. He was a teacher in Swampscott from 1965-71 and 1978-2000 and at Xaverian while he coached there.
DeFelice was inducted into the Hall of Fame at Winthrop High, Swampscott High and the MBCA. Last spring, the Swampscott High baseball field was named Frank DeFelice Diamond.
DeFelice served as an assistant football coach at BC, Northeastern, Merrimack, Endicott, Bentley, Lynnfield High School and Hamilton-Wenham High over a 30-year period. ?His last coaching position was as a baseball assistant at Endicott College, retiring in 2017, but remaining a valued consultant to the program until his death.
“I would tell recruits that I have (former Major League manager) Don Zimmer sitting next to me in the dugout,” said Endicott Coach Bryan Haley. “He’s forgotten more about baseball than most people know. He was an amazing resource of information and a great storyteller.”
In addition to his wife, DeFelice is survived by their three adopted children and their spouses: Jim and Kelly DeFelice, Paul and Jaime DeFelice and Mary Frances and Rob Bozarjian; six grandchildren: Ally Rose DeFelice, Robbie, Brooklyn and Harrison Bozarjian, and Shyla and Emme DeFelice; and his sister, Susan DeFelice. His brother, Bob, died in October.
When he wasn’t coaching, DeFelice was watching his children play high school and college sports. Jimmy was a three-sport star at Dom Savio, Paul was a standout track athlete at Bentley and Mary played on sectional championship basketball teams at Swampscott High.
“He was a great father. He never missed our sporting events and he always had what you might call constructive criticism,” Mary said.
A coach is always on the clock.
DeFelice was a voracious reader who especially enjoyed books about history and wars, which became a source of bonding with Paul. “He would share books with me,” Paul said. “That was something he and I did together my entire adult life.”
DeFelice’s sister, Susan, said he always wanted to go to Normandy, but only for a quick visit, telling her he was not a big fan of the lack of resistance put forth by the French in World War II. She said she would make that trip in his honor and memory.
A Funeral Mass was celebrated at St. John the Evangelist, Swampscott, on January 21. In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, or Swampscott High Athletics, 200 Essex St., Swampscott, MA Directions and guestbook at www.solimine.com.
Jennifer A. Dow
Sept. 11, 1974 — Jan. 18, 2025
Jennifer A. Dow passed into eternal peace on January 18, 2025 at Massachusetts General Hospital surrounded by her family, where she slipped the surly bonds of earth and touched the face of God.
Jennifer was born on September 11, 1974 and was a graduate of Winthrop High School. She went on to become a caseworker for intellectually and developmentally challenged adults. Jenn provided them with the same great love and care that she did with everyone whose life she touched.
She had an intellect that compared to none, an incredibly quick wit, a sense of humor that could make anyone laugh and an uncanny ability for learning world languages, destinations, and cultures.
Jenn was predeceased by her mother, Regina (Keck) of Everett. She leaves behind her father, Joseph Dow and wife, Margaret, of Winthrop; her older brother,. Joseph of Everett, her sisters, Kristine, Robin and husband, Mark Rotondo and Jacqueline, all of Winthrop. Jennifer was also the very proud aunt of Joseph M. Dow of Colorado and Victoria and Emma Rotondo of Winthrop. They were without question her greatest pride and joy in life.
Services for Jennifer will be private and will take place at Caggiano Funeral Home in Winthrop on January 23, 2025. Following the services, Jennifer will be laid to final rest at Belle Isle section of Winthrop Cemetery.