Price City’s 2024 International Days Parade Grand Marshal has been announced as Frank Rocco Ori, an individual that is well-known and very cherished throughout the community and beyond.
“If you had to describe Frank Rocco Ori using only two words, they would be: Fighter & Survivor,” stated Price City Event Coordinator Megan Marshall, who has spearheaded the local parades for many years.
Ori was born in October of 1974 to Frank Angelo and Janet Marie Ori of Price. The oldest of four children, he developed a love for sports at a very young age, particularly basketball and baseball. Marshall stated that this love would become a driver force for his career. Ori attended school in Carbon County until his graduation from Carbon High School (CHS) in 1992.
He graduated from the College of Eastern Utah with an Associate’s Degree in spring of 1995, working two part-time jobs during this time, with one of the jobs being at Carbon County Recreation and the other at CHS.
Ori continued his education at Mesa State College and continued part-time work. During this time, he became a high school sports official, refereeing football, basketball and baseball games in Grand Junction. In 1998, he graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications with an emphasis in Broadcasting and Public Relations.
Ori returned to Carbon County and began his long-standing tradition of wearing many hats within the community. He worked for Carbon Rec, helped in coaching baseball at the college, and became the voice of college basketball on the local radio station. In October of 2000, Ori was promoted to Assistance Director of Recreation with the county, which was a title he held until his promotion to Director of Recreation in 2014.
He continued his passion for sports, for recreation and for the community as a whole, broadcasting many sports games, teaching Fitness for Life, and later becoming a morning radio host.
“The most proud day of his life came on February 4, 2015, when his only child Addison Marie Ori was born at Mount Timpanogos Hospital,” Marshall shared. “The most rewarding part of his job was his ability to help kids. He never refused to let a child register for a program, even if they missed the deadline.”
In December of 2017, Ori suffered a massive stroke that affected the left side of his body. He was completely paralyzed for nearly three months on that side and the stroke was so severe that it required six brain surgeries. Ori lost usage of his left hand and returned home in May of 2018.
He retired from Carbon County in March of 2021, leaving behind a career legacy that spanned nearly 28 years. Currently, he is continuing his progress with Pro Rehab and stated that is very grateful for Mike Gagon and the staff, saying “you truly come in as a patient and leave as a friend”.
Ori has a bucket list to visit all the major league baseball stadiums and is a huge New York Mets Fan, though he is saving money to go see the Braves play in Atlanta next season. He spends a great amount of his time at the Notre Dame Catholic Church, attending mass weekly, volunteering in the RCIA Program and enjoying bible study with Father Daas.
“He would like to give a special thank you to his parents, family, siblings, and his daughter for their never-ending support of his recovery. Being named Grand Marshal for International Days is an honor he will cherish for the rest of his life,” said Marshall. “You have a few choices when faced with a life-threatening illness or disease. You can either give up or you can work as hard as possible and attempt to recover as completely as you can.”