Marist Honors Bill and Susan Roche With Top Award
Marist School presented the St. Peter Chanel Award, its highest honor, to Bill and Susan Roche during its 125th year.
Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Awards
Marist School awarded Bill and Susan Roche its St. Peter Chanel Award, the school's highest honor, which recognizes selflessness, support, and leadership that advance Marist's mission in Catholic education. The award was presented as the school marks its 125th year.
Why it matters
The honor recognizes long-term volunteer and governance service to a private Catholic school in Atlanta, spanning board leadership and family involvement across decades. It highlights how alumni and parent contributions shape institutional continuity.
Bill Roche served 12 years as chair of Marist's Board of Trustees, and the couple's two children graduated in 2006 and 2010. The stub does not report how many people have received the award previously.
The players
Marist School
Marist School is a Catholic college-preparatory school in Atlanta, Georgia, founded by the Society of Mary in the nineteenth century.
St. Peter Chanel
St. Peter Chanel was a Marist priest who was martyred in Futuna in 1841 and is the namesake of the school's highest honor.
The details
Bill Roche, a Marist class of 1976 graduate who attended when the school was boys-only, previously chaired the board and served as vice-chair. Susan Roche has chaired the Holiday Traditions arts and crafts show, served as class mom and grade chair, and participated in Women Build, a Habitat for Humanity partnership begun in 2001.
Timeline
Marist's two Roche children graduated in 2006 and 2010.
Bill Roche attended Marist from 1970 to 1976, when it was boys-only.
The award was presented in 2026, marking Marist's 125th year.
Culture Shift
The award reflects a broader pattern in Catholic schools where lay families, rather than religious orders, carry governance and mission continuity. It continues the Society of Mary's educational tradition, traced to the first Marist school in Belley, France.
For Atlanta-area families, the award highlights the role Marist's alumni and parent volunteers play in sustaining the school's programs. Prospective families can see how board and parent involvement continues across generations at the school.
The takeaway
Long-term volunteer leadership, from board service to classroom and fundraising roles, is what sustains institutions like Marist across generations. Families considering similar schools can look at how parent and alumni involvement shapes daily life and mission.
Further reading
Explore more Awards coverage from across the region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Rough Draft Atlanta.
