‘The world needs more Mr. D’s’

Frank DeCicco Sr., the man who for many was the Inwood Buccaneers Athletic Club, and was an example of what civic duty is all about, died at home in Lawrence last Sunday. He was 72.
The Herald’s 2010 Person of the Year, DeCicco spawned a cottage industry of community service by taking people under his wing, getting them involved, motivating them to get things done and working alongside them.
“As a young cheerleader for the Inwood Buccaneers, I can still remember him running the sidelines at every game, yelling to kids to come get jelly apples and hugging kids after a tough loss,” said Inwood resident Patty Vacchio, who helps run the Buccaneers. “The next time you wonder if you should give to a child or donate to a cause, don’t hesitate, do it with a smile. The world needs more Mr. D’s.”
Born April 12, 1941, DeCicco lost his father when he was 12. He played football for Lawrence High School (class of 1959) but his athletic career was cut short by a couple of broken bones.
He worked in the construction industry, but the best thing he continued to build was the Buccaneers. The organization was founded three years before he graduated from LHS, and DeCicco was involved in its activities for 38 years. Nicknamed “Motor,” he never stopped doing or helping.
“I knew him when I was just a child. He played softball with my father,” said Bill Allsop, a former Buccaneers board member. “He was one of the kindest guys you want to know. There is not one thing he wouldn’t do for anyone.”
DeCicco’s flexible work schedule allowed him the time it took to run the organization, which grew over the years to include football and cheerleading programs in the fall, indoor soccer in the winter and basketball in the spring, along with several annual events and team parties. It now operates 10 months of the year, and children from as many as 300 families are involved. The league has a no-cut policy.