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

Dedham High School Dedham High School is a public high school in Dedham, Massachusetts, United States, and a part of the Dedham Public Schools district. The school was founded in 1851 by the oldest public school system in the country. It earned a silver medal from ' ...

athletics.

Personal life

Araby was born in

Dedham, Massachusetts Dedham ( ) is a New England town, town in, and the county seat of, Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States. Located on Boston's southwestern border, the population was 25,364 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. First settled by E ...

. As a student at Dedham High School, Araby earned the nickname "Shad" from humming the

Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901 – July 6, 1971), nicknamed "Satchmo", "Satch", and "Pops", was an American trumpeter and vocalist. He was among the most influential figures in jazz. His career spanned five decades and several era ...

song Shadrack. He was the water boy for the football team and served on the Boosters Club. After graduating from Dedham High School in 1942, Araby joined the United States Navy and served in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. He had a son, Frank, two grandchildren, a brother, James, and two sisters, Edith and Frances. He was a member of the Italian American Citizens Club of Dedham. He enjoyed sports, reading, and jazz music.

Career

After being discharged from the Navy, Araby took a position as an equipment manager for the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...

. He was later known for referring to all the children of Dedham as "good kid," a practice he picked up from

Ted Williams Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 193 ...

. He then took a janitorial position at

in 1959. He would remain at his alma mater for 31 years, retiring in 1990. He then was elected as a trustee of the

Dedham Public Library The Dedham Public Library is a public library system in Massachusetts established in 1872. It is part of the Minuteman Library Network. History Social library In 1794, just four years after the first circulating library was established in Massac ...

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. While in the Navy, he went

AWOL Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ...

in order to watch the Dedham-Norwood rivalry football game. 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. Araby supported anything to do with Dedham youth, including the St. Mary's LifeTeen program. Araby was the first member of the

Alumni Association's Shiretown Club. A party for his 75th birthday was a fundraiser to build a

skate park A skatepark, or skate park, is a purpose-built recreational environment made for skateboarding, BMX, scootering, and aggressive inline skating. A skatepark may contain half-pipes, handrails, funboxes, vert ramps, stairsets, quarter pipe ...

behind the Dedham Pool. 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 Moseley's on the Charles, located on the banks of the Charles River in Dedham, Massachusetts, was the oldest continuous-running ballroom in the country. Founded in 1905 by Elisha Moseley, it originally functioned as a summer canoe house in addition ...

. After retiring, Araby volunteered at the Dedham Middle School, handing out sticks of

Juicy Fruit Juicy Fruit is an American brand of chewing gum made by the Wrigley Company, a U.S. company that since 2008 has been a subsidiary of the privately held Mars, Incorporated. It was introduced in 1893, and in the 21st century the brand name is reco ...

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. 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.

Legacy

He died on August 17, 2006. His funeral was held at

St. Mary's Church St. Mary's Church, St. Mary the Virgin's Church, St. Mary Church, Saint Mary Church, or other variations on the name, is a commonly used name for specific churches of various Christian denominations. Notable uses of the term may refer to: Albania ...

on August 19, and he is buried at

Brookdale Cemetery Brookdale Cemetery is an historic cemetery in Dedham, Massachusetts, United States. More than 28,000 people are buried there. Mother Brook runs behind it. History For nearly 250 years after it was established, Old Village Cemetery was the only c ...

, Veterans Hill. 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. 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. The Dedham High School Booster's Club awards the Shad Araby Memorial Athletic Scholarship to a graduating senior each year.

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Araby, Shad 1924 births 2006 deaths category:Janitors Sportspeople from Dedham, Massachusetts United States Navy personnel of World War II Military personnel from Dedham, Massachusetts Boston Red Sox personnel Dedham High School alumni Burials at Brookdale Cemetery