John Cortale

Devoted family man John Cortale calls his nearly 90-year-old grandmother weekly and never misses her annual birthday party on Long Island. A resident of Bethesda, Maryland, he remains close to his parents and extended family, including aunts and uncles, nephews and cousins. At Easter time, John Cortale joins the family for a trip to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and he regularly fishes in Montauk, Long Island, for bluefish with his father, uncle, and cousins. The family also gathers for fun times at a lake house in Massachusetts.

A graduate of the University of Maryland, where he received a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Accounting, John Cortale married a fellow Terrapin at the University of Maryland Memorial Chapel. Supporters of the Terrapin Club, the couple regularly attends school basketball games. For nearly 30 years, John Cortale also has rooted for the New York Yankees, even throughout their dark years. He can recount every detail of the final game of the 1996 World Series, including the final out that sealed the championship after a drought of 18 years.

In addition to cheering for teams, John Cortale enjoys participating in several sports, including biking, jogging, and hiking, all of which he can accomplish on the Capital Crescent Trail, which connects Georgetown, D.C., with Silver Spring, Maryland. Also attracting skaters, the trail sits atop an abandoned rail bed of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. John Cortale enjoys golf as well, a sport at which he excelled in high school as a member of the team his junior and senior years.

Active in the community, John Cortale regularly donates to the Special Olympics and supports the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, the largest fundraiser of the Avon Foundation. The event increases awareness of the disease as participants walk 39 miles through towns and cities across the U.S. John Cortale also assists the Arc of the District of Columbia, Inc., which aids individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families; and KEEN Greater DC, a provider of recreational opportunities for youth facing physical and developmental challenges.