- Date Of Birth: April 11, 1931
- Date Of Death: January 19, 2022
- State: Indiana
Br. Herman Eugene Zaccarelli, C.S.C., 90, died at Holy Cross House, Notre Dame, Ind. on January 19, 2022 after a short illness.
Br. Zaccarelli was born to Frank and Mary (Germaine) in New Castle, Pa., on April 11, 1931. He was the middle of three children and was raised by loving Italian immigrant parents. After graduating from New Castle High School, Br. Herman entered the Congregation of Holy Cross as a brother of the Eastern Province of Priests at North Dartmouth, Mass. He made his First Vows on August 16, 1951, and his Final Profession of Vows on the same date in 1954. It did not take long for him to find his vocation and life’s work in the hospitality industry. From 1951 to 2022, in the course of his religious life in Holy Cross, he published a number of books and more than 500 articles in various food industry trade publications and journals. Br. Herman, sometimes dubbed the “Heavenly Chef” wrote, “my philosophy is that life is not a problem to be solved but rather a mystery to be lived.”
From 1951 to 1954, Br. Herman began by cooking for various CSC community houses. He served as Director of Food Service for Notre Dame High School in Bridgeport, Conn. from 1954 to 1961. From 1961 to 1971, Br. Herman was founder and Director of the Food Research and Education Center for Religious Institutions on the campus of Stonehill College located in North Easton, Mass. He was well known for writing training materials and served as Director of Educational Research and Development and Acquisitions Editor at Cahners Publishing Company from 1971-1976. In 1976, Br. Herman founded Purdue University’s Restaurant, Hotel and Institutional Management Institute, where he remained director until 1986. From 1986 to 1991, he served as Director of Business and Entrepreneurial Management at St. Mary’s University in Winona, Minn. From 1991 to 1997, he served as Director of King’s College Conference Center in Wilkes Barre, Pa. where he developed educational and training programs for educational conferences. In 1998 at the age of 68, Br. Herman retired to Florida where he went back to school earning a bachelor’s degree in Educational Administration in 2001 and a master’s degree in Institutional Management in 2004. In 2012, Br. Herman moved to Notre Dame, Ind. residing at Fatima House before moving into Holy Cross House, Notre Dame, Ind. in 2013.
Br. Herman was a recognized leader in the hospitality industry earning prestigious awards and honors along the way including: named one of the ten most notable people in foodservice by Food Service Marketing Magazine (1965), Community Leaders of America Award for extensive sociological involvement with feeding the aged poor (1969), Executive Directors Award of the American School Food Service Association for exceptional service to children (1972), International Man of Achievement Award from Biographical Centre in Cambridge, England (1974), Who’s Who Among American Business leaders (1976), Who’s Who Among International Business Leaders for Community Service (1978), elected honorary member of the American Academy of Chefs (1979), elected member of the Honorable Order of the Golden Toque (1980), and the Brother Herman E. Zaccarelli Memorial Award established at the Restaurant, Hotel, and Institutional Management Institute at Purdue University (1986).
Br. Herman was preceded in death by his parents and survived by his older brother, Frank Zaccarelli and younger sister, Anna Marie Neutrelle.
