Jack and Maureen Fecio
Place of birth: Buffalo, NY
What are your professions? Maureen - Retired Nurse Practitioner; Jack - Retired Electrician.
How do you celebrate your Irishness? Through membership and active participation in many Irish organizations in the Buffalo area, including the Buffalo Irish Center, Knights of Equity, Daughters of Erin, Irish Cultural and Folk Art Association of WNY, and others. Through our positions in the Belfast Summer Relief Program, we also enjoyed connections with the Amherst Gaelic League and Town O' Tonawanda Irish American Club. We also enjoy traditional Irish music and dancing at many venues including the Buffalo Irish Center, Buffalo Irish Festivals, Airways Hotel, and Shannon Pub.
Name a hero you admire and why? Our favorite hero would have to be Martha Harkin, who with her husband Tom founded the BSRP in 1975. Through the next almost forty years, this organization brought 1800 children from Belfast and Derry, Northern Ireland to Western New York for a six week holiday, away from "the troubles". Though Tom passed away in 1981, Martha spearheaded the efforts until the early 1990's when she became unable to continue at which point she asked us to keep the program going.
Something people would be surprised to know about me... Maureen: I absolutely loved my job, first as a registered nurse in labor and delivery, and then as director and clinical coordinator of the OB/GYN Center at Mercy Hospital. Unfortunately I had to retire early due to the effects of a brain tumor. Jack: I also loved my job until I had to retire early because of severe psoriatic arthritis. Unfortunately I was diagnosed with cancer in 2016, surgery could not remove it completely and I'm still fighting the good fight.
Biography: We have both been recognized for our work with the BSRP by Trocaire College, the Amherst Gaelic League, and several other organizations. We were both elected Grand Marshalls of the Buffalo St Patrick's Day Parade, Jack in 1996 and Maureen in 1999. Maureen received Mount Mercy Academy's first Catherine McCauley Award, Trocaire College's Distinguished Alumna Award, Mercy Hospital's Employee of the Year Award, and the Daughters of Erin Tara Award.
Jack is past president of the Buffalo Irish Center and still serves as a director for over 30 years. He is also a member and past president of the Irish Cultural and Folk Art Association. The Knights of Equity also selected him as their Irishman of the Year.
