Aug. 30, 2002

Poughkeepsie, NY - The Marist College crew family lost another valuable member on Wednesday, August 28th, with the passing of Joseph Catanzaro at age 76.

Catanzaro, at the request of then Marist president Dr. Linus Foy, initiated the Marist Crew program, serving as the programs first coach from 1961-64.

"Coach Joe [is] truly a Marist treasure," said Bill Zabicki (Marist 1966), a Catanzaro coached member of the crew team in an August 29th email to Director of Athletics Tim Murray. "There could have been no better choice for the job [crew coach] at that time in Marist's crew history."

Coach Joe, as his athletes called him, took a young, inexperienced group of men those first years, and laid the groundwork of the successful Marist Crew program. "He taught us the value of hard work, teamwork, discipline, and, most importantly, to believe in ourselves," Zabicki remembers.

A 1950 graduate of Kutztown State University in Pennsylvania, Catanzaro, spent his entire life in the service of others. From 1944-1946 he served under General George Patton in the 3rd Army, 90th Division, earning the European Theater Battle Star and Occupational Division Battle Star.

Catanzaro began teaching Art and Humanities at Poughkeepsie High School in 1951, a position he would hold until 1981. Over the first 10-years of his tenure at Poughkeepsie, Catanzaro coached the crew team, winning the National Championship in 1956 in the Senior Four National Regatta. Catanzaro's quest for knowledge continued during his days at Poughkeepsie High School, as he did sabbatical studies in painting and sculpture at the University of Perugia, Italy, in 1959, and in Humanities at Williams College in 1969.