Marist High School will host the 4th Annual A Night of Honor, Glory, and Fame on Saturday, December 5, 2026, at The Larry Tucker Marist SportsPlex. This unforgettable evening unites alumni, parents, and friends to support student financial aid, helping ensure that present and future RedHawks can continue to benefit from a Marist education. Marist is also proud to honor amazing individuals with two awards, the Distinguished Alumni Award and the Heart of Marist Award. The Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented to Marty Mullarkey ’82, Matt Mullarkey ’88, and Mike Mullarkey ’90. The Heart of Marist Award will be presented to longtime Marist legend Frank Manna, founder of the Marist Band.
Distinguished Alumni Award
The Distinguished Alumni Award is presented annually to a Marist High School graduate who embodies the mission of Marist. The recipient will have excelled professionally through exemplary leadership and/or made a meaningful impact through community service or involvement. The recipient will share a devotion to Catholic values and Marist principles, including care for “the least favored.” The recipient will have made positive contributions to the community and built a supportive relationship with Marist High School through philanthropy and volunteerism. The recipient will have distinguished himself/herself as a role model students and others can admire by displaying commitment, effort, leadership, pride, and respect.
Heart of Marist Award
The Heart of Marist Award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated an extraordinary, lifelong commitment to the Marist community. The recipient will have positioned himself/herself as a positive role model by reflecting the Pillars of Marist which espouse the values of Presence, Simplicity, Family Spirit, Love of Work, and In the Way of Mary. The award recognizes those who have fully embraced the Marist charism which includes the school’s mission, the Marist Brothers’ traditions, and Marist’s work to make Jesus known and loved among young people.
Read more about our honorees below!
The 2026 Distinguished Alumni Award Recipients: Marty Mullarkey ’82, Matt Mullarkey ’88, and Mike Mullarkey ’90.
For Marty ’82, Matt ’88, and Mike ’90 Mullarkey, Marist was more than a high school; it was a foundation for a lifetime of faith, family, and shared values. As brothers shaped by the same classrooms, coaches, and traditions, their Marist experiences became a defining chapter, not only in their individual lives, but in the story of their family.
Raised in a strong Catholic household, the Mullarkey brothers were part of a family of six children where faith and education were central. Their parents made sacrifices to ensure each of them received a Catholic education, a gift that left a lasting impression. Coming from St. Catherine’s, Marist was a natural next step, reinforcing the structure, discipline, and values that would guide them for years to come. Their sisters, Colleen, Grace, and Mary all went to Mother McAuley and had a similar Catholic reinforced experience.
Each brother carved his own path during his time at Marist, while sharing in a common experience rooted in camaraderie and competition. Marty recalls the impact of legendary teacher Owen Glennon, whose influence extended from the classroom to lifelong lessons in discipline and perseverance. Matt’s experience was defined in part by athletics, playing on successful varsity football and baseball teams while also being challenged academically by teachers and classmates who inspired him to excel. Mike competed in baseball, basketball, and football, and credits coaches like Brian O’Connor, Pat Richardson, and Werner Emmerick for shaping his mindset and approach to teamwork and accountability.
While their individual experiences varied, the lessons they carried forward were remarkably consistent. Marist reinforced in each of them a strong work ethic, a sense of accountability, and a competitive drive to succeed. Those values, instilled by their parents, became the foundation for their professional and personal lives.
After Marist, the brothers pursued different career paths, with Marty and Mike continuing in the family business, Mullarkey Associates, Inc., a multi-line manufacturer’s representative firm serving the industrial water treatment and pool and spa industry since 1971. Based in Tinley Park, the company is known for its industry expertise and commitment to service across the Midwest and Northeast. As President and Vice President, they have upheld a long-standing tradition of quality, reliability, and strong relationships. Matt built a successful career in commercial real estate, finance and investment, spanning more than 30 years. Yet across all of these industries, their approach has remained the same: work hard, stay disciplined, and lead with integrity.
Their commitment to Marist has remained just as strong. Inspired by the sacrifices their parents made and the opportunities they were given, the Mullarkey family established a scholarship in their parents’ name — The Martin and Barbara Mullarkey Scholarship — in 2001 to support financial aid for future students. They have also been strong supporters of the Larry Tucker Marist SportsPlex, helping ensure that current and future student-athletes have access to top-tier facilities. Their giving reflects a deep belief in the power of Catholic education and a desire to provide others with the same opportunities that shaped their own lives.
That legacy continues into the next generation, as the Mullarkey family remains closely connected to Marist and Catholic education throughout the Southside. Mike’s daughters, Olivia ’26, Sara ’23, and Megan ’19, carry that tradition forward as members of the Marist community. Their shared commitment to faith, family, and community remains at the center of all they do.
As recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Award, Marty, Matt, and Mike Mullarkey are recognized not only for their professional accomplishments, but for the way they have lived out the values instilled in them at Marist. In their words, the recognition is humbling, never the goal, but a meaningful reminder of the community that helped shape them. Through their generosity, leadership, and quiet commitment to giving back, the Mullarkey brothers continue to make a lasting impact on Marist High School and the generations of students who follow.
Heart of Marist Award Honoring Frank Manna
Few individuals embody the spirit of Marist as fully as Frank Manna. As the founding director of the Marist Band, he devoted more than four decades to shaping not only a program, but the identity and pride of the school itself.
When he arrived in 1964, the school was just one year old and had no music program. With vision, talent, and unwavering commitment, Manna built the band from the ground up, starting with just 22 students, no uniforms, and no dedicated rehearsal space. What began as a modest after-school activity would, under his leadership, become one of the most respected and recognizable programs in the school’s history.
Over the next 42 years, Manna grew the program into a dynamic and multifaceted experience, expanding it to include marching, jazz, and pep band ensembles. The Marist Marching Band earned countless awards for excellence in performance and precision, while traveling across the country to perform in prestigious parades and events. Among many memorable moments, the band’s participation in the 2002 Rose Bowl stands out as a defining achievement, marking the first time an Illinois school was selected for the iconic six-mile parade. Whether performing on national stages or in front of the home crowd, his bands were known for their discipline, energy, and unmistakable pride.
While the accolades are impressive, Manna’s greatest impact has always been on his students. Generations of young musicians were shaped by his high expectations, attention to detail, and deep love of music. In rehearsal rooms, on football fields, and on concert stages, he taught far more than notes and formations. He instilled discipline, perseverance, teamwork, and a commitment to excellence that carried his students far beyond their time at Marist. Alumni often describe the band as a brotherhood, built on pride, accountability, and a shared commitment to always do their best. Many still stay in touch, with some going on to professional music careers, a reflection of the lasting influence he had on their lives.
Manna’s contributions are also woven into the school’s traditions. Alongside his wife Betty, he composed both the Marist Fight Song and the Alma Mater, two pieces that continue to unite generations of students and alumni. Written at their dining room table, the songs reflect not only musical talent but a deep personal investment in the life of the school. His influence extended well beyond campus as well, directing multiple elementary school bands and founding the Imperial Youth Band of Chicago, where he mentored young musicians throughout the Southside for more than three decades.
His dedication was never just professional, it was deeply personal. A devoted husband and father of eight, Manna often described his work as a calling rather than a job. His wife Betty played an integral role in supporting the program, and their family was closely connected to its life and traditions. Two of their sons followed in his footsteps as members, and even today, that love of music continues, with his sons still playing together.
His impact has been recognized in many ways, including the establishment of the Frank J. Manna Scholarship, created by a grateful former student to support future generations of band members. Today, that legacy lives on not only through this scholarship, but in every performance, every tradition, and every student who continues the standard he set.
As the recipient of the Heart of Marist Award, we celebrate Frank Manna for the extraordinary mark he has left on the community. His passion, leadership, and devotion helped shape the spirit of the school itself. A past recipient of the Champagnat Award, the highest honor given to a Marist faculty member, Manna’s lifelong commitment to faith, community, and excellence makes him a truly fitting recipient of this honor.
As Manna once reflected, “The highs and even the lows come together to paint a landscape of beauty that I will treasure until the day I die.” Through the thousands of students he taught and the traditions he created, that landscape continues to grow, ensuring that his influence will be felt for generations to come.
