Shad Araby

Joseph "Shad" Araby (May 13, 1924 – August 17, 2006) was an American veteran, custodian, and supporter of Dedham youth, particularly Dedham High School athletics.

Joseph "Shad" Araby

Personal life

Araby was born in Dedham, Massachusetts.^[1] As a student at Dedham High School, Araby earned the nickname "Shad" from humming the Louis Armstrong song Shadrack.^[1][2] He was the water boy for the football team and served on the Boosters Club.^[1] After graduating from Dedham High School in 1942, Araby joined the United States Navy and served in World War II.^[1][2] He had a son, Frank, two grandchildren, a brother, James, and two sisters, Edith and Frances.^[1]

He was a member of the Italian American Citizens Club of Dedham.^[1][2] He enjoyed sports, reading, and jazz music.^[1]

Career

After being discharged from the Navy, Araby took a position as an equipment manager for the Boston Red Sox.^[1][2] He was later known for referring to all the children of Dedham as "good kid," a practice he picked up from Ted Williams.^[2]

He then took a janitorial position at Dedham High School in 1959.^[1][3][4][2] He would remain at his alma mater for 31 years, retiring in 1990.^[1] He then was elected as a trustee of the Dedham Public Library.^[3][2]

Supporter of Dedham youth

Araby was a passionate supporter of Dedham High School sports and did not miss a football or basketball game in many decades.^[3][1] While in the Navy, he went AWOL in order to watch the Dedham-Norwood rivalry football game.^[1][2] For a lifetime of support, he was a member of the first class of inductees to the Dedham High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999.^[5][2]

Araby supported anything to do with Dedham youth, including the St. Mary's LifeTeen program.^[4] Araby was the first member of the Dedham High School Alumni Association's Shiretown Club.^[6] A party for his 75th birthday was a fundraiser to build a skate park behind the Dedham Pool.^[7][2][8] Described as "the biggest bash Dedham has ever seen for one of her individual residents," with 1,000 tickets available, the party was held at Moseley's on the Charles.^[8][a]

After retiring, Araby volunteered at the Dedham Middle School, handing out sticks of Juicy Fruit gum and helping students who were having a tough day. He had a special focus on students from broken homes, trying to set a good example for them.^[1] When the Middle School hosted a "grandfather's coffee," where students interviewed their grandfathers and then invited them into the school for a special event, Araby would stand in for students whose grandfathers were not able to attend.^[9]

Legacy

Araby MS Display Case

He died on August 17, 2006.^[4][1] His funeral was held at St. Mary's Church on August 19, and he is buried at Brookdale Cemetery, Veterans Hill.^[1]

The access road to the Dedham High School gym is named "Shad and Wendy's Way" for Araby and Wendell Clement. A tree in front of the High School was dedicated in his honor, and then rededicated on May 13, 2024, on what would have been Araby's 100th birthday.^[3] The Dedham Middle School gym is dedicated in his honor. Outside of the gym is a display case featuring items from his life.

The Shad Araby Award is given each year to a staff member of the Dedham Public Schools who shows a dedicated effort to support the students.^[10] The Dedham High School Booster's Club awards the Shad Araby Memorial Athletic Scholarship to a graduating senior each year.^[11]

Notes

1. Among the committee members planning the party were JuJu Muccaccio, Bob Coughlin, and Paul McMurtry.^[8]