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JAMES G. CARIDDI

CLASS OF 1944

Written By: Grace Ann Ancona & Family

A NEHS LEGEND - Mr. Cariddi, Jim, James, Jimmy – he was an inspiration to everyone that knew and loved him. He had the most beautiful smile and always greeted you with a hug, a kiss on the cheek or a hearty handshake.

Jim was born during the depression and one of the many things his Father instilled in him was the value of having a good education. Because his Father was the only one in the neighborhood who could read and write both English and Italian, the immigrants would come to their house for help with their naturalization papers. He would have "little Jim" sit next to him to listen and learn and stressed how important it was to study.

Jim always played basketball with his buddies and afterwards, they would go out for a coke but being poor, Jim didn't have the money for a "pop" so he would take his books and go home. Dr. Bisceglia, an Italian minister at the Community Center where the boys played, had watched them play all through high school. One day he called Jim over and said, "Jim, I have been watching you and I know you're a good student. You are always studying. But I have never seen you take a break and go have a coke with your friends. I want to give you a chance, so I am giving you a scholarship to Park College". So, Jim Cariddi got the opportunity to get a college degree.

The way Jim and Mae Cariddi ended up on Van Brunt Boulevard was because they lived for a short time in Chicago where his beloved Mae was born and raised. Coach Markey from Northeast High School happened to be in town for a conference and they invited him over for dinner. Coach Markey told Jim there was an opening for a Mathematics teacher at Northeast High School. The only way Mae would come to Kansas City was if there was a new house on Van Brunt Boulevard. Coach Markey told Jim there just happened to be a house for sale across the street from him. Jim called and put a down payment on the house, sight unseen, and he accepted a job at Northeast High School. In 1951, Mr. Cariddi made historic northeast his home, his love and his life dream.

James became a Math teacher at Northeast Senior, Principal at Northeast Junior and then Vice Principal at Northeast Senior, from where he retired in 1986. During those years, Jim and Mae had four daughters - Grace Ann, Ginna, Joette and Anna Marie. The girls grew up in Northeast and attended Northeast High School.

Mr. Cariddi always wanted to give back what he had received and as previously mentioned, he was an inspiration to many. Over the years, no matter where Jim and Mae went with the family, somebody knew him. They would always say, "Mr. Cariddi, because of you, I am an engineer." Or, you might hear someone say, "Mr. Cariddi, you taught me at Northeast." And no matter how many times he heard it, every time it brought a smile to his face.

While Jim "retired", he never stopped working. After retirement from NEHS, he was the Alumni Director at Park University for three years. But he didn't stop there, after leaving Park; he went to Longview Community College where he was a Professor of Mathematics for twenty years, leaving there at 80 years old. Most recently, he worked at HyVee's Grocery.

But work was only a small part of his life. His passion was giving back to the community that he loved. He was one of the founders of the NEHS Alumni Association and remained active in both it and the NClub throughout his life. He was frequently at NEHS and participated in many neighborhood events.

He was the Cofounder of "The 5 Gumbas", a singing group who sang Italian love songs. The group sang at various events including weddings and St Joseph table celebrations. One year he sang at 90 weddings!

And you can't talk about Jim without mentioning his love of golf. He played in the 2016 NEHSAA annual golf tournament as he had in many past years and golfed regularly as the weather and his schedule allowed. In 2017, the NEHSAA named that golf tournament "The Jim Cariddi Memorial Golf Tournament" in his honor.

James Cariddi left an impact on all who met him and he was deeply loved by all that know him. The void left by his passing will be felt deeply by all Northeast Alumni, the NEHS faculty, administration, students and the community.