Walsh Jesuit mourns loss of Bill Ricco

The entire Walsh Jesuit Community is deeply saddened by the loss of B. William “Bill” Ricco, 77, who passed away August 27 at 2 p.m. at Akron General Medical Center, following a short illness.
 
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS
• Calling hours will be Tuesday, September 1, from Noon - 7 p.m.
   in Walsh Jesuit's Chapel of the North American Martyrs
• Mass of Christian Burial will be Wednesday, September 2, at 11 a.m.
   in Walsh Jesuit's Ricco Fieldhouse.  Fr. Jim King, SJ, will serve as
   main celebrant; Fr. Mike Marco, SJ, will be the homilist.
• Interment at Northlawn Memorial Gardens immediately following Mass;
   cemetery is located at 4724 State Road in Cuyahoga Falls.

(A full obituary will appear Saturday and Sunday in the Akron Beacon Journal and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.) 
     
For alumni, alumni parents, current families, and members of the school’s extended community, the name Bill Ricco is synonymous with Walsh Jesuit.

“He was the heart and soul of this school,” said Fr. Mike Marco, SJ, president of Walsh Jesuit, “and his death leaves a void that can never be filled.”  Marco ordered the school flag flown at half-staff to mark Ricco's passing.

A Cleveland native, Ricco joined Walsh Jesuit as a teacher and coach in 1965, the same year the doors opened. Over the next four decades, he served in various capacities, including athletic director, assistant principal, and principal. In 1996 Ricco joined the Alumni Relations Office and worked as a college counselor, keeping a full-time schedule until the 2008-09 school year and holding both positions until his death.

For many of the school’s early alumni, he will forever be “Coach.” Ricco, in fact, was Walsh Jesuit’s first football coach, retiring in 1979 with a remarkable 94-14-1 record, which included three undefeated seasons.


Bill Ricco


Not surprisingly, Ricco also earned numerous accolades from outside the school. He was named 1970 Summit County Coach of the Year, 1976 Ohio High School Coach of the Year, 1977 University of Dayton Distinguished Alumnus (he was a 1958 graduate who was a center on the football team while Gerry Faust was quarterback), 1986 Ohio High School Coaches Hall of Fame inductee, and 1997 Cleveland Diocese Educator of the Year. He also was a recipient of the Humanitarian Award from the Beacon Journal and the 2006 Christian Service Award from the University of Dayton.

In 2006 Walsh Jesuit presented Ricco with the Manresa Award, the school’s highest honor. The award is given to members of the school community who have served selflessly to further the school’s mission and are exemplars of the Jesuit motto: Men and women for others.

Ricco’s plaque was inscribed with these words: Presented this 40th anniversary year with deep and lasting appreciation for your exceptional dedication, inspirational leadership, and selfless service to the students, alumni, and parents of Walsh Jesuit High School, all of whom continue to benefit greatly from your caring work. You have served Walsh Jesuit proudly — and with remarkable devotion — in numerous roles since the school’s inaugural day, performing your duties and living your life as a “man for others.” You are an extraordinary exemplar of the Magis, and the entire Walsh Jesuit community shall remain forever grateful.

Ricco was preceded in death by his wife, Carolyn, and is survived by two daughters, Teresa and Lisa, and a son, Bob. Please keep the family in your prayers.

Rest in peace, Bill.