Mark Ginanni
May 8, 1959-Dec. 21, 2025
Palo Alto, California

Mark J. Ginanni, age 66, passed away peacefully on December 21 at his home in Palo Alto after a thirteen-month-long battle with Glioblastoma Multiforme. Born on May 8, 1959, Mark was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, coach (Wilcox and Palo Alto High Schools), teacher (Peterson and Jordan/ Greene Middle Schools), and friend, whose presence touched the lives of so many.

Mark was a Bay Area native, born and raised in Sunnyvale, surrounded by cherry and apricot orchards. His family lived across the street from his elementary school and a park where he spent most of his childhood playing with friends and playing baseball at the Little League field.

Mark attended Peterson High School in Sunnyvale, De Anza College, and San Jose State University, where he majored in Human Performance and Nutrition. Mark played football and baseball at Peterson and baseball at De Anza and SJSU. Mark married his high school sweetheart, Cindy Raffarin, in 1980 and worked at Eastman Kodak on Page Mill Road in Palo Alto. Upon earning his teaching credential, Mark taught at Peterson Middle School and coached varsity baseball at Wilcox High School in the Santa Clara Unified School District. While he was coaching baseball, he returned to the field to play baseball for the Palo Alto Oaks. In 1994, Mark joined the faculty of Jordan Middle School (now Greene Middle School) in the Palo Alto Unified School District and became the varsity baseball coach at Palo Alto High School until 1999. Mark continued teaching at Greene Middle School until he retired in 2020.

Mark's joyful spirit and outgoing nature made it easy for him to connect with people wherever he went - he could make friends with anyone regardless of the language they spoke or their background. A common love of wine, sports, or fishing was generally his jumping-off point, but his genuine interest in others meant he could find commonalities among differences, too. He will be fondly remembered for his warmth, honesty, and boundless energy.

Athletic and adventurous, Mark embraced the outdoors and found happiness in exploring the beauty of nature and catching fish in any creek, stream, river, or lake he could find. Friends and family cherished his stability under pressure, his unwavering optimism, and the genuine goodness he shared so freely with those around him.

Mark’s passion for life was evident in his relationships and the countless friendships he cultivated. It’s impossible to express here the impact Mark had on others - he had a unique gift for making people feel happy, special, seen and heard - his ability to build relationships was profound and can only be measured by the love he accumulated from the people he surrounded himself with. All who knew him knew what it meant to be loved, and we are all better because of it. This will be his legacy. His laughter, kindness, generosity, integrity, and loving commitment to his family will continue to inspire all who knew him.

Mark is survived by his wife, Cindy of 45 years, children, Joe, Christie, and John, their spouses, Tristan, Joe and Kaylyn, grandchildren, Asher, Hank, Norah, Jack, and Lorenzo, sister, Joanne (Bruce), brother, Joe (Suzy), niece and nephews, Alyssa, Matt, Justin, and Ryan, cousins Katy and Claudia, great-aunt Mary Belle Ginanni, and countless friends, former students and players.

A celebration of his wonderful life will be held at the Lucie Stern Community Center in Palo Alto on March 1, from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. RSVP www.online-tribute.com/MarkGinanni All are welcome to join in remembrance of a truly remarkable man.

Tags: teacher/educator, sports