Good Neighbors: The Marino Family Builds a Legacy of Service in Burlington Schools and Community

Good Neighbors is a joint initiative of Burlington Buzz, Burlington Cable Access Television (BCAT), and the Town of Burlington, celebrating residents whose kindness, generosity, and everyday actions make Burlington a better place to live. Know someone who deserves recognition? Submit a nomination and help us spotlight the people strengthening our community. Learn more about Good Neighbors here.

The Marino family name is a familiar one in Burlington school hallways, on athletic fields and at community events; it’s a name built over decades of steady, behind-the-scenes work in the town they’ve long called home.

Dennis Marino, a lifelong Burlington resident, said the sense of community is what convinced him to stay, raise a family and build a career in the local school system.

Many residents recognize him from his custodial work, but his career in the district began in the central office, where he handled interoffice deliveries, everything from mail to cafeteria supplies. While less visible, he said, those roles are essential to keeping schools running.

After 15 years, Dennis left that position in search of what he described as a “retirement job,” eventually returning to the district in a custodial role that brought him into more daily contact with students and staff.

“You see a lot, and you get to know a lot of people,” he said. “When you’re out and about, you recognize people, and they come up and say hi.”

His sons followed different paths but ultimately returned to the same community.

Both Ben and Jourdan Marino graduated from Shawsheen Valley Technical High School and Burlington High School before finding their way back to Burlington Public Schools. Jourdan is now an eighth-grade science teacher at Marshall Simonds Middle School, while Ben works in custodial services at Burlington High School.

Jourdan first joined the district as a substitute teacher near the end of college. He later returned for a full-time position and has been teaching in Burlington since.

“My favorite part is that, at some point, you become a mentor,” he said. “Even now, I’ll see former students come back as teachers or substitutes. Seeing where they are years later—that’s one of my favorite parts.”

Outside the classroom, Jourdan stays active in the community by coaching in the Burlington Parks and Recreation gymnastics program and working as a DJ at local events.

He said those roles deepen his connection to the town.

“Knowing so many people, and so many people knowing me, you don’t really start over,” he said. “You just pick up where you left off.”

Ben’s path back to Burlington schools was less direct. After graduating from Shawsheen Tech, he worked as a mechanic, including as a diesel mechanic, before applying for a custodial position in the district.

“I took the test, passed it, and waited for an opening,” he said. He started working in the schools in March more than two decades ago.

Recently marking 25 years in the district, Ben said one of his proudest moments came early in his career while supervising a night shift crew.

“We weren’t just a group of guys, we were friends,” he said.

Like his brother and father, Ben’s involvement extends beyond his job. He regularly attends school and town events, from football games to the annual Fourth of July parade.

“It matters,” he said. “It’s the kids, seeing them.”

Working alongside family members can be challenging, but the Marinos say it has strengthened their relationships. At one point, multiple members of the family were employed in the school system, including their mother, who worked in food services for 25 years.

Jourdan said that shared experience helped bring the family closer while also connecting them more deeply to the community.

He also sees the Marino family as part of a broader pattern in Burlington.

“It’s pretty cool seeing generations of families,” he said. “You have students, and years later you see them come back. Watching that progression in the same community. It’s fun.”

Asked to describe their experience in Burlington, each offered a different perspective.

“Epic,” Ben said.

“A good experience,” Dennis added.

“Continuous,” Jourdan said.

For Ben, the work is also about changing perceptions.

“It’s not just taking out the trash,” he said. “You’re part of events, you meet people, you experience different cultures, that’s what it’s all about.”

Together, the family said their years in Burlington have allowed them to build lasting relationships and stay connected to the town across generations.

“It’s kind of fun knowing people see the Marinos in different schools and different roles,” Jourdan said. “It makes you feel part of something and it brings our family closer, too.”

Juliana Pinto and Taylor Anderson are students at Endicott College studying journalism. This story is published in partnership with the Massachusetts New Service.