Gloucester Catholic Grad died in plane crash/We Are Marshall is about that Tradegy

Best wishes to you and your family for great holidays. Your notebook is great. I look at it all the time. It\’s wonderful to have a reliable way to stay up on Gloucester City news no matter where you are. To have experienced Gloucester City in any way is to love it. One of the most fortunate things that ever happened to me in my life was to have played for the \”little Mustangs\” when I was a kid and to be coached by Bill Flynn and Johhnie Powell, and to have gone to Gloucester Catholic, thanks to Al Carelli and Ed Hlopak.

Just a note that may interest you and your readers, the \”We Are Marshall\” movie opens this weekend, I think. Most of the Marshall football team, coaches, and fans were killed in a plane crash on November 14,1970. As you may remember, Al Carelli was killed in that crash. He was married and had two small sons. His parents and sister Linda were devastated.

Al ( in photo from GCHS 1961 yearbook) was raised in Lindenwold, NJ. An outstanding athlete, he graduated from Gloucester Catholic in 1961. He was Senior Class president, was on the track team, and played football for the Rams. In his senior year he was named \”All South Jersey\” at center.

I went to grade school wth Al. He lived two blocks from me, as did Ed. We played basketball on our school playground all the time. He was also an excellent piano player. \”Canadian Sunset\” was one of his specialities, as was singing out \”Little Darlin\’\” at the top of his lungs, particularly the beginning part. Anyone who knew Al in grade school or high school couldn\’t forget it.

Al was a great guy, had a great sense of humor and was a person of real character. There wasn\’t anyone who knew him who didn\’t like him. He was the best of the best.