7 minute read
The DeCecco Family: Embracing Opportunities to Make Memories
Resident Feature by Sheila Turner-Hilliard
Photos by Sierra Clark Photography www.SierraClarkPhoto.com
Thanks to Alpha Century Security of Newtown Square for sponsoring our Resident Feature.
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This month, we are pleased to introduce you to The DeCecco Family, whose roots run strong and deep in our community.
Jason and Rachael DeCecco were both born and raised in our hometown: Rachael in Broomall, and Jason in Newtown Square. And although they first began their married life together in Chester County, they decided to come back “home,” to be closer to their families as they started their own.
Jason is the oldest of five, with one brother and three sisters who are also raising their children in Broomall and Newtown Square. Jason attended St. Anastasia’s and graduated from Marple Newtown High School. He attended Widener University where he played one year of football and four years of lacrosse; earned a degree in Chemical Engineering; and served as an active member of The United States Army through Widener’s ROTC program.
Jason continued his education at Temple University and graduated with an MBA in Business Administration and Management. He completed two year-long tours overseas with the Army: his first in Afghanistan in 2003, and the second in Iraq in 2007. He is now a Senior Manager of Supply Chain Strategy for Johnson & Johnson’s Medical Devices Companies.
Rachael and Jason DeCecco
Rachael is the second of four. Her parents, two sisters and one brother also live nearby. Rachael went to Worrall Elementary, Paxon Hollow Middle School and graduated from Marple Newtown High School. She continued her education at Princeton University, earning her degree in Psychology while also being named one of the country’s most decorated athletes in women’s lacrosse. She was a two-time National Champion at Princeton, leading the team to back-to-back titles in 2002 and 2003. Rachael is also the only defender in the history of the sport to win the Tewaaraton award, reserved for the most outstanding players in the NCAA, and she was recently inducted into the US Lacrosse National Hall of Fame.
After graduating from Princeton, Rachael attended The George Washington University, to earn her Masters in Health Care Administration/Management. After a successful 12-year career in the senior living industry, she decided to follow her passion for lacrosse, working in the front office for the Women’s Professional Lacrosse League. Just recently, she has been named the Head of The Premier Lacrosse League Academy, whose mission is to connect the next generation of athletes with the best lacrosse players in the world.
When you grow up in the same town, it’s hard not to cross paths, and that was no different for Rachael and Jason. They had known each other in high school because Rachael was good friends with Jason’s sister. But it wasn’t until Jason was at Widener and Rachael was a Junior at Marple that the two began dating. Their relationship flourished throughout their college years, and in 2004, Jason found himself proposing at one of Rachael’s favorite spots, the Rose Garden on Princeton’s campus.
Jason had just returned from a year-long deployment in Afghanistan and to celebrate, the couple had planned a trip to the Dominican Republic. Jason knew he wanted to propose when he got back from duty, so while overseas, he enlisted the help of Rachael’s dad and asked him to shop for the perfect ring. The plan was to pop the question while the two were in the Caribbean, but he simply couldn’t wait. The day before they were scheduled to depart, Jason drove to Princeton, to surprise Rachael where she was watching a lacrosse game. Rachael said, “It was perfect and I am so glad he didn’t wait because we were able to celebrate with our families before we left!” They married in 2005 at St. Anastasia’s, honeymooned in Hawaii and then bought a home in Broomall.
Home these days is in Newtown Square and just a few steps away from the baseball and softball fields where this very active family enjoys playing and volunteering. In fact, there probably isn’t a field in Newtown Square or Broomall where you couldn’t find one of the DeCecco kids.
The DeCecco Children (L-R): Grayson, Annie, Avery and Stella
Avery, the oldest of Jason and Rachael’s four children, is a 6th-grader at Paxon Hollow Middle School. She is a super-social girl who loves school, reading and softball. Rachael says she’s a “mini mom” who loves helping around the house.
Grayson, 9, is a 4th-grader at Culbertson Elementary who loves pretty much every sport that involves a ball. He’s into football, baseball and lacrosse, to name just a few. He's also a big Country Music fan: Luke Bryan is his favorite artist, and he and Rachael have gone to seven Luke Bryan concerts together.
Twins Annie and Stella, age 6, complete the DeCecco crew. They are energetic 1st-graders at Culbertson. Annie loves gymnastics and Stella loves dance. They also enjoy playing softball, especially because their Pop-Pop is their coach.
The DeCecco Family
For the DeCeccos, family is everything. Both sets of parents live just a few minutes away as do all of their combined siblings. Rachael’s parents have 11 grandchildren with one more on the way, and Jason’s parents have 10. That means lots of cousins to grow up with and a lot of support when they need it.
Just this past July, Rachael spent the month in Herriman, Utah, for the PLL Championship series, leaving Jason to care for the kids while he worked full-time from home. The planning and organizing took some time, but with an all-hands-on-deck approach, their families stepped in to make it seamless. Rachael loves that they are raising their kids together with their siblings and lifelong friends. Jason loves living here because, “It’s a tight-knit, unique community. We’ve had the opportunity to live pretty much anywhere else, but this is our home.”
In addition to both of them working full-time, Rachael and Jason find time to coach and volunteer in the community. Jason is an assistant and a coach for the Marple Jr. Tigers, the Newtown Edgmont Little League (NELL) and the Native Lacrosse Club. He also serves on the Newtown Square Environmental Advisory Committee. Rachael coaches for many area lacrosse clubs and clinics and volunteers at Culbertson. Unfortunately this summer, many of those programs did not run due to the pandemic, but instead of sitting idle, the DeCeccos did what they do best, and jumped on an opportunity.
While Rachael was wrapping up her time in Utah, she learned that the kids’ schools were going virtual for at least the first few weeks. Knowing that both she and Jason could work remotely, she began searching for houses to rent in Ocean City, New Jersey. “America’s Greatest Family Resort” has been their family’s go-to vacation spot for many years, and she found a perfect place on the south end of the island for them all to enjoy. They packed their bags, laptops and all, and spent four full weeks “zooming” from the beach. It was just the six of them and it was perfect! They made memories, rode bikes, played on the beach and ate endless amounts of ice cream.
The DeCecco Family eagerly awaiting Santa’s arrival!
Hard work, determination, ambition and work ethic is evident when you consider all that Rachael and Jason have accomplished. But equally as important is the abundant love, laughter, adventures and memory making that makes the DeCecco family and their home so very special.
Do you know a Newtown Square family, resident or organization that should become known by our community? Make your nominations for upcoming magazine features about Newtown Square’s residents, youth, seniors or nonprofit groups by emailing your ideas to Sheila Turner-Hilliard at STurnerHilliard@BestVersionMedia.com.
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