The Marian Catholic gymnasium has seen plenty of championship teams and all-star players over its nearly 60-year history.

Jack Malarkey has been there for all of them - first as a teacher and coach, later as principal, and since retirement in 1998, as the school’s biggest fan.

So when the school set out to create a permanent monument to its “living legend,” officials chose the gymnasium.

“The ability to name it in honor of him was fitting because that gym literally held Jack’s blood, sweat and tears for Marian Catholic,” said Father Allen Hoffa, who has served as Marian’s interim Head of School the last year.

The new John P. “Jack” Malarkey Gymnasium was unveiled to Marian alumni during a reception April 30. The project was funded through a campaign in Malarkey’s name, which generated over $140,000 for the school.

The project was the most extensive update to the gymnasium since Marian opened its campus in Hometown in 1964.

The 57-year-old wooden bleachers were replaced. The new bleachers are safer, thanks to handrails and aisles. They also bear the Marian Colt logo.

The project also included updates to the school entrance, and new banners which will carry the names of the championship teams and athletes who Malarkey cheered on over the years. With all the success that the school’s sports programs have had over the years, there wasn’t enough room on the walls or rafters to celebrate them all.

“This is a way to know all of Marian’s history from its nearly 60 years in existence,” Hoffa said.

The actual construction project took place during the month of April, while students were in session. Contractors removed the old bleachers and built the new ones in their place.

The boards from the bleachers were saved. Marian supporters will have a chance to buy a “seat” from the gymnasium - made into a keepsake by students in the school’s STEM lab.

During the reception to unveil the gymnasium, Hoffa presented Malarkey with the first piece - Row 1, Seat 1 - Malarkey’s regular seat for Marian games.

The school also recently updated the stage which overlooks the gym, thanks to a donation from Sue Flavello. The stage has blue and gold padding with the Marian name on it.

Malarkey’s name and image now hang outside the doors to the gymnasium, which has been renamed the John P. “Jack” Malarkey gymnasium.

The gymnasium is a fitting place to honor Malarkey. Not only has he been a coach and a strong supporter of Marian athletics, he also helped maintain it. He would paint the lines in the gym himself. Malarkey was known for doing any project that the school needed, regardless of his busy schedule. During his reception, Malarkey said his students excelled in a variety of activities, but athletics were always a good tool to motivate students to perform in the classroom.

“We always felt if you wanted to be an athlete, you would be a good student as well,” he said.

In addition to funding the gymnasium update, the campaign in Malarkey’s honor will help families pay their way at Marian for many years to come. A tuition fund named for Malarkey and his wife, Jane, will continue his mission of providing students with a Catholic education.

Hoffa said the project shows how Malarkey impacted his Marian students.

“So many people were affected by his life over the years. To see people really be thankful for the opportunity to do something in his name was really awesome,” Hoffa said.