Terry Ranieri Memorial Scholarship Fund to distribute first Hempfield Area award

The legacy of the late Terry Ranieri, a staunch supporter of the Hempfield Area marching band and beloved community member, will live on through a scholarship fund.

The Terry Ranieri Memorial Scholarship Fund will provide a qualifying Hempfield band member with $1,000 to help cover college expenses. The first scholarship will be awarded this spring.

“He was a big band groupie — Hempfield band groupie,” said Tony Ranieri, Terry’s brother. “When he passed, I had numerous people say to me, ‘Could I develop a T-shirt?’ or ‘Could I do something in his memory?’ So we thought that we would kind of do a fund that might benefit one of the band members each year.”

Terry Ranieri, a 1975 Hempfield Area graduate who died in 2019, attended home football games regularly over the decades. He greeted fans at games while watching the band warm up for their halftime show or offered up classic “Terryisms” — such as “jammin’ like Route 30” and “cool like whip.”

He had a developmental disorder called Williams syndrome, which is marked by unique personality characteristics and distinctive facial features.

He died in August 2019 at the age of 64 after being diagnosed with cancer.

Shortly after his death, family members began raising money through a GoFundMe page. Today, $20,000 has been raised for the scholarship fund.

According to Tony Ranieri, criteria for selecting scholarship recipients will center around grades, likeability, leadership and goals. The student must be planning to attend college.

“We were always really proud of Terry,” his brother said. “He was never sheltered, never isolated. We always did whatever we could to get him out into the public, so he was a real blessing to our family. He was a blessing to a lot of people.

“This just would be something that he would be really happy about since he loved the band so much.”

Tony Ranieri said he is working with Hempfield band director Brian Tychinski to iron out details surrounding the fund.

“I’m thrilled that the fund is getting off the ground,” Tychinski said. “Terry was an incredible fan of the band, and this is a fantastic way to remember him and pass his love of the band on to future generations of students.”

Donations are still being collected. Those interesting in contributing can do so through The Pittsburgh Foundation website, community.pittsburghfoundation.org.

“We’re so appreciative of the support and the generosity of his fan club,” Tony Ranieri said. “I think that’s a lot of money to raise for an individual, and we’re so very grateful to all the people that donated and the support that he reached and the recognition that he got.”