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Greg Frangipani arrived at the South Philadelphia super site, 10th and Bigler streets, wearing his Horace Furness High School, 1900 S. Third St., black polo with orange-striped sleeves. The Falcons assistant varsity football coach quickly joined the team photo after a full day of teaching special education at Edward Bok High School, 1901 S. Ninth St.
For many, the 48-minute football game would complete the day, but not for the 53-year-old Packer Park resident who heads off to Barry Playground. 18th and Johnston streets, where he serves as an assistant rec leader.
Add it all up and Frangipani is making a difference for a lot of South Philly athletes, not including his two sons Gregory Jr., a sophomore at the The High School for Creative and Performing Arts, 901 S. Broad St., and Salvatore, an eighth-grader at Holy Spirit, 1845 Hartranft St.
During the school year, Frangipani often leaves his residence on the 1900 block of Forrestal Street, at 7 a.m. and doesn’t return home until 10 p.m. Why does this man of many titles cram so much into his day?
“I do it because I love it,” he said.
He isn’t going to slow down come December as Frangipani is replacing the late Lloyd Jenkins as Bok’s boys’ basketball coach after spending close to 20 years running the girls’ hoops program at the East Passyunk Crossing-based school. By springtime, he will again coach Bok’s softball team, but winning isn’t the only message he tries to get across.
“Especially with the girls’ sports, I want them to learn the game and let them have some fun,” Frangipani said of girls’ teams where filling the roster is often a challenge.
Frangipani said his wife of 18 years, Marie, has been very understanding about his many roles, but weekends are reserved for family time, including summer excursions to the Jersey Shore. In July, Frangipani had a rare trip to the disabled list following hip-replacement surgery, which presented him with a situation that seemed more challenging than drawing up a play with two seconds left on the clock.
“It was like a vacation because I was forced to rest for two weeks,” he said with a laugh. “I couldn’t do it.”
Now back to his full slate of jobs, Frangipani has learned that the heart and soul that he puts into his daily routine is something others have noticed.
“I am very honored and humbled by it because I am just doing what I do everyday,” he said of being selected a Difference Maker.
Contact Editor Bill Gelman at bgelman@southphillyreview.com.
More 2011 Difference Makers:
Madeline Brinkman Louis DiRenzo Bonney DosSantos Andrew Emma Darren Fava
Sara Feinstein Gary Harkins Kelly Hile Mitch Little Robert Malara
Jessica Mammarella Chris Menna Anton Moore John Murawski Cassie Plummer
Sue Posternock Michelle Rumbaugh Letty Santarelli Christy Santoro
Marianne Squillaciotti Walter Stewart Jennifer Swain Angelica-Victoriano Joe Whelan
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