By Joe Barkovich
Some people are legends in their own mind, others are legends in their own time. John “Boxer” Belcastro, who died Friday, April 11, aged 91, was one of the latter.
A funeral Mass for the beloved, former Notre Dame College School principal will be celebrated today, Wednesday, April 16, 11 a.m. at St. Kevin Church, his long-time parish.
Mr. Belcastro was named a recipient of the Niagara Catholic Education Award of Distinction in 2024. Excerpts from the school board’s announcement follow:
“Mr. Belcastro spent his entire career at Notre Dame save for brief sabbaticals in Kenya in 1965 and attending UCLA to obtain his Master of Education in 1967. As principal, Mr. Belcastro oversaw the implementation of full funding for Catholic secondary education in 1984 and remained at Notre Dame until his retirement in 1994.
“An active supporter of Catholic education, Mr. Belcastro frequently canvassed neighbourhoods throughout Welland, asking families who sent their children to Catholic school to ensure they directed their tax support to the English-Separate board.”
Tributes to the Class of 1952 graduate, Notre Dame’s sixth principal and first vice-principal and principal from outside the clergy were not hard to come by. In telephone conversations over the past two days, there was no shortage of superlatives, nor no lack of compliments, nor heartfelt appreciation and precious memories.
The current Notre Dame principal, Andrew Boon, said Mr. Belcastro was his principal when he attended the Smith Street school.
Like so many others, he remembers Mr. Belcastro as a “gentle and kind man.”
He complimented Mr. Belcastro for being “a big reason” why he chose to pursue a career in education.
“ND became a massive part of my life. All that started with Boxer.”
He said Mr. Belcastro was a man of many gifts and qualities. One that he chose to single out: “He was mindful of taking time for people. As a student I always felt he had time for me.”
Boon said his former mentor will be missed “from a personal standpoint but also from a ND perspective and the community’s. He’s a legend for sure.”
Ralph DeFazio, a former principal, said Mr. Belcastro built a legacy of kindness, respect and commitment to others.
“He showed respect to everyone irrespective of their background. He worked tirelessly for the underdog and the underprivileged. It earned him the respect of everyone in the community.”
DeFazio believes he became “a successful individual” because of Mr. Belcastro’s influence on his life.
Turning lighthearted, DeFazio said he won’t forget the occasional punch on the shoulder from Mr. Belcastro with those “strong hands of his.” They were never punishing blows, DeFazio said, just “actions of endearment.”
One can’t talk about Mr. Belcastro without referencing his commitment to Catholic education, said DeFazio. He worked hard to maintain standards of excellence started at Notre Dame by the Holy Cross Fathers.
“He took that role very seriously,” DeFazio said.
Ted O’Leary was a long-time guidance counsellor and Mr. Belcastro’s successor as trustee on the Catholic school board. He said the Holy Cross Fathers and then Mr. Belcastro were builders of Notre Dame.
“We all followed their example and his example. They were the foundation for Notre Dame as it is today and we built on it.”
In O’Leary’s opinion, Mr. Belcastro is “right up there with Kuska.” The reference was to Alexander Kuska, a pioneer/builder of the Catholic school system in Welland. He said he has no doubt Mr. Belcastro will go down in history as “a giant” of Catholic education.
Mr. Belcastro’s gifts were numerous, said O’Leary. He had great ability “to get the most out of everybody”, he was a strong leader who was not intimidated by “strong personalities” and he was a man of faith.
Not to be forgotten, O’Leary said, is that Mr. Belcastro was “a Welland guy”, born and bred in the community, and that was important especially in the school’s earlier days.
“He understood it (Welland) like no other.”
I called Mr. Belcastro’s brother, Vic, to ask how the “Boxer” nickname started.
He didn’t know for sure. But he thought it might have been after Mr. Belcastro punched his brother Babe on the shoulder. One thing he did know – Boxer was never a boxer.
Nicknames were common in the Belcastro family, he said.
“I think I got my nickname, Yogi, after Yogi Bear, from Boxer.”
Marilyn Barnhart, a retired Notre Dame secretary, said Mr. Belcastro was “a terrific boss.”
“He cared about everybody. It didn’t matter if you were a student or teacher. He was always helping somebody, always listening to somebody. He was that kind of guy.”
Joan Parent said Mr. Belcastro and her late husband Gib became friends in elementary school days and then attended Notre Dame together. Mr. Belcastro was campaign manager for Parent in federal elections but she wasn’t sure how many times.
“John was a very lovely man. He was a kind man, a gentle man. He was so kind to people. John will be missed by many.”
Paul Turner, a former teacher and the current Welland trustee on the Catholic school board, called Mr. Belcastro “The best principal I worked for.”
Turner appreciated Mr. Belcastro having a policy of asking staff for advice. He saw that as an important asset for people in leadership. Those who seek to lead, Turner said, should be the best listeners of all.
“He’d say, ‘What do you think of this…what do you think of that?’ He asked everybody. I was in my third year of teaching and he came up to me and asked, ‘What do you think of that, Turner?’ I thought wow, he’s asking me?’”
Because Mr. Belcastro was so inclusive in his leadership,“ You wanted to work for the guy, you didn’t want to let him down, ever.”
Asked about a favourite memory of Mr. Belcastro, Turner shared a story from early in his career. He had been on supervisory duty at a school dance and had to return to the school to pick up something that had been left behind.
“The school was still open. Boxer was the only one there. He was sweeping the floor, late at night. I’ll never forget that.”
The last word about Mr. Belcastro goes to a member of the Holy Cross Fathers.
Fr. John Vickers taught at the school “five or six years” starting in the mid-1970s, then went on to other duties. He will be the homilist at the funeral Mass.
“John was by nature a very generous and kind person. He had time for people. No matter how busy he was, you were more important than whatever that busyness was.”
Mr. Belcastrro’s long career at the school – a student, a teacher and coach and vice-principal and principal – contributes to his reputation as a legend, said Vickers.
“John never lost the spirit of Notre Dame and his enthusiasm for it. He’s synonymous with Notre Dame. He loved Notre Dame, and the Holy Cross Fathers love him.”
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