What Makes Wilmington Special? The Good Guy Award!

(Each entry in this blog will highlight a person, place, or thing that makes Wilmington special.)

Did you hear?  There’s a new “good guy” in town!  Or should I say “good gal?”  Last night, the Wilmington Good Guy Committee inducted Jomarie O’Mahony into its ranks.  Jomarie is President of the Women of Wilmington; President of the Wilmington Educational Foundation; and, along with a committee of others, is responsible for tomorrow’s wonderful Run For Wilmington/Kim Forte Walk, not to mention WEF’s Annual Vendor Fair (I just love those creative auction prizes!), the Walk For WEF, and so much more.  Jomarie, like all previous Good Guy winners, was nominated by community members and then selected by a group of past winners.  The Good Guy winners and the annual award itself, which was created nearly 45 years ago to recognize the good deeds of Wilmington residents, certainly MAKES WILMINGTON SPECIAL.

I must tell you that it was difficult to locate a list of all Good Guy winners online.  (I had to consult a 2007 Lowell Sun article via a newspaper database the Wilmington Memorial Library subscribes to.)  Hopefully this blog post will help all future curious Googlers out! 

Here are the 49 winners:

1967: Rocco DePasquale

1968-1969: No Award Given

1970: Ralph Ambrose

1971: Lillian Woodside

1972: Raymond McNamara

1973: Carl and Hazel Backman

1974: Marion Boylen

1975: Richard Duggan

1976: Frank Sferrazza

1977: Josephine O'Neil and Larry Noel

1978: John Brown

1979: Rico Catalano

1980: Jack Cushing

1981: Bill Lopez and Howie LaFavor

1982: Jean Muise

1983: Bob Shelley

1984: Ken Spinelli

1985: Frank Kelley

1986: Judith DiPalma

1987: Lillian Brown

1988: Paul Bova

1989: Ivan Palmer

1990: Harry Cunningham

1991: Irene Brennan

1992: Jim Hatchey and Robert DiPalma

1993: Tom Pazyra

1994: Les White

1995: Ed Whitney

1996: Jim Buckley

1997: Phyllis Vieira

1998: Bill Ross

1999: Chip Bruce

2000: Joan Searfoss

2001: Richard Grinder

2002: Charles "Mickey" Rooney

2003: Paul and Sandra Curtin

2004: William and Barbara Hooper

2005: Chuck and Matt DePasquale

2006: Louis Cimaglia

2007: Brian Anderson

2008: Ed Celli

2009: John Arvantis

2010: Chris Neville 

2011: Jomarie O’Mahony

Look at those names!  I see past and present community leaders who have helped shape Wilmington into the special place it is today.  If you happen to see any of the Good Guy winners around town, please be sure to thank them for their service.  Show your appreciation for the love, kindness and dedication they’ve showed Wilmington!

For more information:

- Find the Women of  Wilmington on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Women-of-Wilmington/127739113945349

- Find the Wilmington Educational Foundation on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wilmington-Educational-Foundation/119460230868

Download the movie