Hempfield's Terry Ranieri to be honored at Heinz Field before Steelers game

Hempfield’s beloved Terry Ranieri is getting a posthumous honor this weekend at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.

Ranieri, who died Aug. 22, will be recognized Sunday during Steelers pregame festivities that will feature his favorite musicians — the Hempfield Area marching band.

“I think it’s really nice that the Steelers did this, the band and all the people involved that have put this together,” said his brother, Tony Ranieri. “It just shows his love is powerful.”

Terry Ranieri’s family will be on the field before the 1 p.m. kickoff against the Baltimore Ravens for the band’s performance. They will receive a jersey in his honor.

The recognition will be part of the National Football League’s Crucial Catch campaign. Through a partnership with the American Cancer Society, the league promotes the importance of early detection and cancer risk reduction.

Terry Ranieri has been a well-known part of the Hempfield community for decades and often was seen interacting with fans at high school football games.

He always had a “Terryism” ready for friends, new and old — such as “jammin’ like Route 30” and “cool like whip.” He graduated from the district in 1975.

He had a developmental disorder called Williams syndrome that is marked by unique personality characteristics and distinctive facial features, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Ranieri was diagnosed with cancer and died days after coming home from a hospital to hospice care. He was 64.

Hempfield band director Brian Tychinski said the band will perform part of its “British Invasion” show after the players finish pregame warm ups.

The band held a special concert for Terry Ranieri outside his Hempfield home on Aug. 20.

“Even since he was in high school, he loved the band,” Tony Ranieri said.

His family has set up an endowment fund through the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County that will be used to create scholarships for members of the Hempfield Area band, Tony Ranieri said. T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts with Ranieri’s “Terryisms” are for sale at Jake’s Haggle Hut on Route 30, Jason Wilkinson Nursery on Route 819 and Cash-In Culture behind the Westmoreland Mall.

T-shirts are $15 and sweatshirts are $30. Proceeds will be directed to the endowment fund.

Donations can be made directly to the fund online or by mail to the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County at 951 Old Salem Road, Greensburg, PA 15601. Terry Ranieri Memorial Fund should be written on the memo line of checks.