Death, soccer, bowling,bridge

Death doesn't take a holiday, even as the holidays approach.
It was evident in a short span recently when three people with Austintown ties died.
George Djisheff, Helen Storey and Norman Solomon passed away within nine days of each other.
Helen didn't play sports, but she did enjoy playing bridge.
Mrs. Storey was a genteel woman, like my mother-in-law who died at age 90 earlier this year. They were friends and, now, are probably reunited in heaven with their husbands at some cardtable. Mrs. Storey was 94.
Irony
It was ironic that Helen's obituary appeared the same day as her granddaughter's photo did on the sports pages. Danielle Storey was shown during a Fitch High's girls basketball game. That same day's paper also listed Danielle, a senior, as a second-team Federal League selection in soccer. She's the youngest of three daughters of Pete and Diane Storey.
Solomon, 62, of Austintown, was a good golfer and bowler. He also served as a director for the Youngstown Men's Bowling Association. As a golfer, he won the National Post Office Tournament twice. A son, Josh, helped Fitch to two state high school bowling championships. Josh is currently a student at Morehead State, a Kentucky school known for its bowling.
I didn't know Mr. Djisheff but a few years, but I liked the guy.
As founder and president of the S.O.I. soccer club, he knew and loved the game and helped hundreds of youngsters and teens.
He was a longtime referee, coached boys and girls soccer at Fitch and most recently Ursuline's girls team.
Boe Blevins, an assistant at Ursuline the past several years, said that Djisheff put on a coaches clinic when Blevins and Nick Dubas were organizing a youth league in Campbell about 18 years ago.
Djisheff, 60, was the force behind the soccer park on Bailey Road in North Jackson and was no stranger at the Valley and Tri-County Sports Complex.
Generous
"He'd pick up the dues for many kids who belonged to his teams -- club and high school," Blevins said.
"There wasn't a game we [Ursuline] had when our girls wouldn't actually be jealous because he'd know so many girls from the other squad," Blevins said. "Everybody knew George."
It reminds me of Djisheff's comment one time that "soccer people know other soccer people."
Before this season, Djisheff and his wife decided that it was time to sit in the background.
"In his last game coaching," Blevins said of Ursuline's sectional tournament game at Champion, "he grabbed all the seniors and walked off the field in tears because he knew he was going to retire."
After I had a heart attack a few years ago, Djisheff was sympathetic, then told me about his condition, seemingly more severe than mine.
At the funeral home on Nov. 23, a small piece of paper lay in the casket. The note read: "Uncle George, Second quarter score: Browns 6, Steelers 0. Final score: Steelers 13, Browns 6. Sorry, Uncle George."
Mr. Djisheff, who chided me for addressing him as mister, was a gentle man. He was a self-employed insurance broker on Mahoning Ave.
Caring
From my experience, it was clear that the Macedonian-born man cared about his players.
He went beyond teaching them the game. If there was a personal problem with his players, he wouldn't hesitate to speak up.
This year, I meant to call him to express my appreciation for his concern. This fall, I rang the number at his agency on Mahoning Ave. He had just left the office and was on his way home. I didn't try again.
I guess it's my lesson for procrastinating.
Sorry, George.
One in soccer, one in bowling and one in bridge.
XJohn Bassetti is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at bassetti@vindy.com.