John P. Vallely

Newtonville – Mr. John P. 'Jack' Vallely, of Newtonville, died Monday, February 23, 2009 at Emerson Hospital in Concord. He was 89. Jack was born in Waltham on October 31, 1919, one of seven children of the late Edward J. and Mary M. (Maher) Vallely and grew up on the city's South Side. He and his family moved to Newtonville in 1963. Jack coached sports at Saint Mary's in Waltham and at Sacred Heart in Newton and later became a coach at Northeastern University's Huntington Prep School in Boston. In 1948, when he was just 29 years old, he began work at Curry College in Milton as its director of admissions, basketball coach and assistant to the president. That same year he became the school's baseball coach when Ken O'Donnell gave up the position to become an advisor to then Congressman John F. Kennedy. Jack retired 51 years later, and only when illness forced him off the field. During his baseball coaching career at Curry, Jack never missed a practice and coached his teams in 1, 011 games. His career record of 726 wins, 278 losses and 5 ties (a .727 average) place him among the elites in college coaching ranks. He was the longest active collegiate baseball coach in the nation at the time of his retirement and his accomplishments earned him election this year into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame. During his fifty plus years of coaching, forty of his players signed major league contracts and all but one graduated, an accomplishment that made him proudest. He received countless national awards including Coach of the Year honors from the American Baseball Coaches Association; the Louisville Slugger Award for outstanding coaching achievement; the New England Intercollegiate Baseball Coaches Association Coach of the Year; the College 'All Star' Game Coaches Award; the Boston Globe Sportsman of the Year and in 1991 became the first coach inducted into Curry College Athletic Hall of Fame. In addition to his coaching duties, Jack was a professional baseball scout for more than forty years, earning four championship rings from the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets and Oakland A's. In 1987 he retired as the scouting supervisor for the Cleveland Indians. On October 24, 1998, Curry College dedicated its baseball field 'Jack Vallely Diamond'. Less than a year later while suiting up for the opening practice of his fifty-second season Jack suffered a stroke that ended his coaching career. He remained however an active and beloved fixture in the Curry College community. Jack was the husband of the late Dorothy M. (Gray) Vallely and leaves his children, Anne E. Vallely-Geslien of Stratham, New Hampshire, Janet V. Reese of Boston, John P. Vallely, Jr. and Ronald J. Vallely, both of Framingham and Brian J. Vallely of Boston; his grandchildren, Jason and Christopher Reese and Danielle and Jonathan Vallely; his sister, Florence McShane of Clearwater, Florida and many nieces and nephews. He was also a brother of the late Edward, James and Joseph Vallely, Rita Tarpy and Jean Pomer. Family and friends will honor and remember Jack's life by gathering for calling hours at The Joyce Funeral Home, 245 Main Street (Rte. 20), Waltham on Thursday from 4 to 8 p.m. and again at 9:30 a.m. on Friday morning before leaving in procession to Our Lady Help of Christians Church, 573 Washington Street, Newton where his Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Burial will follow in Calvary Cemetery, Waltham. Memorial donations may be made to the Jack Vallely Scholarship Fund, Curry College, 1071 Blue Hill Avenue, Milton, MA 02186.