Sewanhaka High School was sad to share the news of the passing of Ralph Mazzeo, beloved custodian, on March 24th, 2026. Ralph was a dedicated member of the Sewanhaka community who served Sewanhaka High School and our school district for forty-two years. He was known for his kindness, humor, and dedication to his job. Ralph took immense pride in his work and brightened the days of the staff and the students who knew him.
Ralph invested in the Sewanhaka Central High School District for a very long time. He was a graduate of Elmont Memorial High School. After school he was hired as a custodian at Floral Park. Eventually he made his way to Sewanhaka. He was extremely well-liked during his time in both positions. His children have also grown up in the community and spent their high school careers in this very building.
“He was a loving guy,” says Chris Kind, one of Ralph’s closest colleagues at Sewanhaka High School. “He loved his job, he loved his friends at work, he loved all the students and the teachers…”
Chris worked alongside Ralph for years. He described Ralph as a fun-loving, humorous man who loved what he did and loved the people around him.
Ralph was known as the prankster of the job environment, and did small acts of humor to brighten the days of his colleagues. “He used to leave fake twenty-dollar bills on the floor when we were cleaning!” said Grace, another one of his colleagues.
According to Mr. Kenny, Sewanhaka High School principal, Ralph was an extremely positive person and always in a bright mood. “I have known Ralph for 29 years, and I have never seen him in a bad mood,” he said. “He was also an extremely talented dancer.”
“He was a kind person,” Mrs. Karen Walsh, esteemed English teacher at Sewanhaka, added. “He greeted me with a smile every single day… he told me I’m pretty even on the days I didn’t feel pretty.”
Mr. Tsolekas, another English teacher at Sewanhaka, expressed his closeness to Ralph and talked about their time together at Sewanhaka. “I taught Ralph’s son a few years ago,” Mr. Tsolekas said. “He told me that Ralph’s nickname was Butch… he would always smile when we called him that!”
Mr. Tsolekas also mentioned that Ralph was a huge fan of hockey and his favorite team was the Chicago Blackhawks. He was passionate about the sport and loved discussing game results with his coworkers.
Ralph spent his life dedicating his time to this school and the community. His presence in this school and in the lives of our staff and students will be greatly missed. He left an impact on Sewanhaka High School that will never be forgotten.
