Philip Marazita, of Lansing (formerly of Niles)

Published 9:11 am Tuesday, October 16, 2018

June 10, 1931 — Oct. 9, 2018

Philip Marazita, 87, of Lansing (formerly of Niles), was a lifelong advocate of the positive power of family and sports in our lives.

Philip’s professional career spanned half a century and was dedicated to academics and athletics in the State of Michigan. After a childhood in Niles, Philp’s career path found him serving as a coach, administrator, high school history and math teacher, and finally, after settling in Lansing, as Athletic Director. Philip was inducted into the Michigan High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 1986, received the Michigan Athletic Director of the Year in 1987 and during his career organized 75 Michigan HS Athletic Association events. Philip successfully designed, managed and executed a sports facility improvement project at Waverly schools and was a pioneer in expanding opportunities for girls’ athletics in the State of Michigan. In recognition of these and other honors, the Waverly Football stadium was renamed the “Marazita Waverly Community Stadium” in 2014.

Philip Marazita

Philip is survived by his wife of 65 years: Eleanor Marie Harmon Marazita; and their seven children: Mary (spouse, Richard), of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Frank (spouse, Ava,) of San Jose, California, Dominic (spouse, Carmela), of Bradenton, Florida, Vincent (spouse, Lorella), of Canoga Park, California, Elizabeth, of Houston, Texas, Candice (spouse, Keith), of White Fish Bay, Wisconsin, Daniel (spouse Michaelle), of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 16 grandchildren: Marty, Tory, Cody, Tom, Sammie, Michelle, Monica, Katie, Ally, Amy, Zachary, Philip, Maggie, Sophie, Elijah, Izzi, Dominic, Zoe; and six great-grandchildren: Phoenix, Olympia-Moon, Jax, Jacob, Hunter, and Evelyn.

Sisters-in-law: Kathleen (Buchanan), Irene (Niles), Delphine (Sturgis), and Mary (Niles). Brothers-in-law: Bill and Neal (Spouse, Janet), and numerous beloved nieces and nephews and their children.

Philip was preceded in death by his parents, Francesco and Giuseppina, and 10 siblings: Joe (spouse: Josephine), Paul, Dominic, Mary, Ernie, John, Virginia, Tony, Albert and Warren. His in-laws: William and Martha.

The funeral mass will be celebrated at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, 2018, at St. Gerard Catholic Church with Rev. Fr. John Klein as celebrant. Interment will take place in Calvary Cemetery, Niles at 2:30 p.m. The family will receive friends Friday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the Palmer, Bush and Jensen Family Funeral Homes, Delta Chapel and Saturday beginning at 9:30 a.m. at St. Gerard Church.

For those wishing, memorial contributions may be made to The “Philip Marazita Memorial Fund” of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (URL to make a donation is: main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/Philip_Marazita), or The College Scholarship Fund of the Italian American Club of Lansing, Michigan: mail donations to: The Italian American Club of Lansing- Scholarship Fund, In Honor of Philip Marazita, PO Box 27456, Lansing, MI 48901. Friends may send a condolence to the family at palmerbush.com.