SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield Township St. Patrick’s Day Parade Committee has announced that John E. Cooke, Ed.D., of Springfield, was named the 2025 parade grand marshal.
This year’s parade is scheduled to kick off at noon on Saturday, March 15.
Cooke, the president of Monsignor Bonner & Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School in Drexel Hill since 2015, is a longtime supporter of preserving and celebrating Irish-American heritage.
Cooke is a member and served on the board of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Dennis Kelly Division 1 (Delaware County).
He is recognizable from past Springfield and Philadelphia’s St. Patrick’s Day parades, where he regularly marched, dressed as St. Patrick.
Cooke currently serves as the Parade Committee Treasurer for the Springfield St. Patrick’s Day Parade. In 2024, Cooke was named to the Philadelphia St. Patrick’s Day Parade Ring of Honor.
“For someone like me, who is so very proud of being Irish, it truly is a great honor to serve as grand marshal for the Springfield St. Patrick’s Day parade and to represent my family, heritage, Bonner & Prendie, and the AOH Division,” Cooke said. “It’s wild to think that a kid from Northeast Philly, who moved to Delaware County over 22 years ago, and did not know much about it, is now serving as the grand marshal for the only St. Patrick’s Day parade in Delco!”
Along with his sisters, Jeanine and Kathleen, Cooke grew up in Northeast Philadelpha, the son of John J. and Patricia Cooke. He attended Our Lady of Calvary Catholic School and graduated from Archbishop Ryan School in 1991, where he was an All-Catholic/All-State runner.
From 1996 to 2000, the educator taught seventh- and eighth-grade math, social studies and science at Christ the King Catholic School in Philadelphia. While there, he was also the parish CYO athletic director, as well as the CYO boys’ basketball and track coach.
In 2003, Cooke was nominated by one of his former students and selected as a Philadelphia Phillies All-Star Teacher.
After leaving Christ the King, John returned to school full-time and was a graduate student at Bowling Green State University, where in 2003 he received his master’s degree in college student personnel.
From 2003-15, he held a 12-year tenure, serving in multiple roles in Student Life at Drexel University.
When he left Drexel in 2015 as the associate dean of students, he was overseeing the Offices of Campus Activities; Fraternity and Sorority Life; New Student and Family Programs; Commuter Student Programs; Leadership Programs; and Center City Campus Student Life.
While at Drexel, Cooke also earned his doctorate in educational leadership and management.
In 2015, Cooke left Drexel University to take his current position as Bonner & Prendie’s president.
Married for over 20 years, John and his wife, Kalen, have two sons, Patrick, 17, who is a junior at B&P and Connor, 15, who is a B&P freshman.
Cooke and his family belong to St. Dorothy’s Parish in Drexel Hill, where he serves on St. Dorothy’s Parish Council as co-chair, teaches prep class for eighth grade students and serves as an usher at Sunday Masses.
Additionally, Cooke serves on the IHM Center for Literacy Board.
For 10 years prior to 2024, the Cooke family ran St. Dorothy’s Breakfast with Santa event.
Putting his Santa experience to good use, Cooke continues to play the Santa role at local day care facilities and at Don Guanella Village’s annual Christmas party.
In his leisure time, Cooke enjoys traveling with his family, summer weekends down the shore in North Wildwood, N.J., attending the Philadelphia Eagles games, as a season ticket holder, cooking and spending time with his family, including his dog Delco.
“The Springfield St. Patrick’s Day parade is such a fantastic family and community event, not just for Springfield Township and Delaware County, but it’s a great occasion for the entire region,” Cooke exclaimed. “I am very honored to lead it down Springfield Road and Saxer Avenue!”
The annual Springfield St. Patrick’s Day Parade will have pre-parade entertainment by Thomas Curtis Sr., beginning at 11:30 a.m., on Saxer Avenue near the reviewing stand, located in front of Old Central School.
The parade will start at noon at West Springfield and South Britton roads and end at Saxer Avenue and Powell Road, near the reviewing stand.
The annual family-friendly parade features Irish dance groups, string bands, school groups, scout troops, fire, police and EMT, local businesses, government officials, Irish organizations, classic cars, musical bands, community groups, floats and much more.
In the event of inclement weather, the rain date will be Saturday, March 22.
For more information about the parade, or to register to march in it, go to https://springfieldstpatricksparade.com.