Eugene C. Renzi, general, Northeastern football star

Eugene C. Renzi, with his sons, Richard and Robert. (globe/file 1960)

WASHINGTON - Eugene Carmen Renzi, a retired US Army major general who was an East Boston native and football star at Northeastern University, died of cancer Feb. 9 at his home in North Springfield, Va. He was 74.

General Renzi served 32 years in the Army, including two tours in Vietnam, before retiring in 1990. Among his numerous assignments, he served as deputy chief of staff for operations and plans for the US Army Communications Command in Fort Huachuca, Ariz.; director of Defense Communications Systems in Washington; and director for command and control and communication systems for the US Pacific Command at Camp H.M. Smith in Hawaii.

In 1993, he became a senior executive vice president at ManTech International, a national security technology firm. Three years later, he became president of ManTech Telecommunications and Information Systems. In 2004, he became the group president of ManTech Defense Systems Group.

At ManTech International, he managed corporate business development related to defense communications activities that span six continents and support US military efforts around the world.

General Renzi was born in East Boston, Mass., and grew up there and in Watertown, Mass., where he held records in high school football, track, and field. He was inducted into the Watertown High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

For the Northeastern Huskies, he was captain of its football team and was considered one of the nation's top linemen on both offense and defense in the mid 1950s. In his senior year, he was an All-American and a first-team selection to the All-New England team, and he won the B'nai B'rith trophy as New England's outstanding player. He also made the All-New England track team, setting Northeastern's school record for the shotput.

He was inducted into the university's Hall of Fame.

He received a bachelor's degree in business administration in 1957 and a master's in education from Northeastern in 1966.

He was drafted by the Chicago Cardinals and played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

He attended the US Army Command and General Staff College in 1970 and the National War College in 1979.

He was a decorated veteran of Vietnam, where he served as a captain in 1970 and a major in 1972. His honors included the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal with oak leaf clusters, Legion of Merit with oak leaf clusters, and Bronze Star Medal with oak leaf clusters.

After his Army retirement, General Renzi served as vice president of resource development at the United Way of America in Alexandria for a year. He also served as commissioner of Youth Football in Virginia in the 1970s.

He was chairman of the board of the electronics association from 2003 to 2006.

His wife, Faye Marie Renzi, whom he married in 1957, died in 1986.

He leaves five children, US Representative Rick Renzi of Flagstaff, Ariz., Robert L. Renzi of Flushing, N.Y., Ronald P. Renzi of Leesburg, Regina M. James of Ashburn, and Ralph D. Renzi of Springfield; two brothers; a longtime companion, Stephanie Gaskill of Orleans, Mass.; and 23 grandchildren.

A funeral Mass will be said at 9:30 a.m. Thursday at St. Michael Catholic Church in Annandale, Va. A full military burial will be at Arlington National Cemetery