in memory

Looking at myself and my two siblings, it is apparant that in the short time that my mom had with us, she fulfilled her role as a mother and prepared us for life. To understand what my mom was like, you simply have to look at her three children. My younger sister has so many qualities similar to our mom; she is outgoing, creative, and fun-loving, and now she too is a loving mother of a daugter (Avery) and son (Collin). My older brother, equally magnanimous, is the consummate caregiver. Ever since I could remember, he looked out for both my sister and I (even buying me my first car out of college!) and now he is a wonderful dad to his own son (Tyler) and daughter (Mia). When I spend time with my brother and sister, I am reminded of my mom because they too live their lives with the same energy and laughter and like mom, they take very little for granted. Anyone who knows my siblings and I know that we work hard but play equally hard. I'm happy to say that in the time that my mom had with us, there was not a moment that we did not tell her how much we loved her.

Vic is my best friend's dad and he passed away from cancer in October of 2005. Observing the way Vic lived his life, I learned three very important lessons. Live life simply and be happy and content doing so; think globally and act locally; and have a sense of humor in everything you do. Vic was a man who did not require a lot to be happy and he found joy in simple things. Though Vic lived life simply, he was not a simple man. He did not have the opportunity to go to college, but he valued education immensely and he loved to learn. He had the skills and knowledge of a successful politician but lived his life as a humanitarian. He was the foster parent to numerous children; he valued and respected the senior community and spent his weekends helping them as a handyman; and he was an advocate for new immigrants and others who could not speak for themselves. I am both blessed and proud to have known Vic and thankful that his son is my best friend.

Following is a speech I gave at Stan's funeral, who recently lost his battle with cancer in July of 2007. "Stan's coaching career extended back to 1969 when he started coaching a variety of boys basketball teams at the Oakland Jewish Community Center. In 1984, he started coaching girls basketball at Head-Royce. In eight years, his teams played in the championship game seven times, winning five of them. After Head-Royce, Stan coached middle school and freshman girls basketball at Piedmont. Stan's connection with College-Prep started back in 1972 when the CPS boys basketball team started practicing and playing games at the Jewish Community Center. Stan eventually found his way back to CPS and for the past five years, he coached our girls jv basketball teams. Stan will most be remembered for his courage and his thoughtfulness. Stan, already a two-time cancer survivor, never let the current cancer get in the way of his coaching, choosing to coach this past season while undergoing radiation treatment. He never missed one single game the entire season and he even stepped up to coach both the varsity and jv teams in one day. There are so many other instances where Stan put others before himself. In his sickest days, Stan would still call the athletic office to wish everybody a nice day. If Stan called, the very first thing he would always ask was how your day is and then patiently wait and listen to your entire response. Athletic Director and Stan's good friend Linda Desimone adds, "Besides Stan's great sense of humor, we will miss his serenading the oldies and the CAL fight song in the office. Caspers, the burger joint around the corner will definitely miss him and our staff will greatly miss his timely visits with full bags of peanut m&m's in hand." Just several weeks ago, Stan called up and excitedly said to Linda, "I have found my female basketball assistant! My wife, Pat! I took her to the Warriors game and she was all into it...even telling the officials what to do! On a personal note, I would like to thank you Stan for the past five years. To me, you are the personification of all things kind, but your courage stands out most prominent. You showed bravery by wanting to work with children and did so fearlessly and compassionately. I don't think these kids know fully how much you cared and how important they were to you, but I do, and I will always remind them. And I also want to thank you for the courage you have given me in my own life. So many times this past year, when faced with a setback, I found myself drawing courage from the way in which you handled your cancer with such grace and humor. Thank you Stan and Linda said to keep the gym key. She, as well as all of us, expect you to come back and shoot hoops, sing the CAL fight song, and keep the spirit of March Madness alive!"

		Looking at myself and my two siblings, it is apparant that in the short time that my mom had with us, she fulfilled her role as a mother and prepared us for life. To understand what my mom was like, you simply have to look at her three children. My younger sister has so many qualities similar to our mom; she is outgoing, creative, and fun-loving, and now she too is a loving mother of a daugter (Avery) and son (Collin). My older brother, equally magnanimous, is the consummate caregiver. Ever since I could remember, he looked out for both my sister and I (even buying me my first car out of college!) and now he is a wonderful dad to his own son (Tyler) and daughter (Mia). When I spend time with my brother and sister, I am reminded of my mom because they too live their lives with the same energy and laughter and like mom, they take very little for granted. Anyone who knows my siblings and I know that we work hard but play equally hard. I'm happy to say that in the time that my mom had with us, there was not a moment that we did not tell her how much we loved her.


High school graduation (1990); In Denver (1980); Sister's wedding (2004)-click images to enlarge		Yen Tran

	Vic is my best friend's dad and he passed away from cancer in October of 2005. Observing the way Vic lived his life, I learned three very important lessons. Live life simply and be happy and content doing so; think globally and act locally; and have a sense of humor in everything you do. Vic was a man who did not require a lot to be happy and he found joy in simple things. Though Vic lived life simply, he was not a simple man. He did not have the opportunity to go to college, but he valued education immensely and he loved to learn. He had the skills and knowledge of a successful politician but lived his life as a humanitarian. He was the foster parent to numerous children; he valued and respected the senior community and spent his weekends helping them as a handyman; and he was an advocate for new immigrants and others who could not speak for themselves. I am both blessed and proud to have known Vic and thankful that his son is my best friend.

Believe it or not, Vic at a wedding (1996)-click image to enlarge	Victor Mazzarelle

	Following is a speech I gave at Stan's funeral, who recently lost his battle with cancer in July of 2007. "Stan's coaching career extended back to 1969 when he started coaching a variety of boys basketball teams at the Oakland Jewish Community Center. In 1984, he started coaching girls basketball at Head-Royce. In eight years, his teams played in the championship game seven times, winning five of them. After Head-Royce, Stan coached middle school and freshman girls basketball at Piedmont. Stan's connection with College-Prep started back in 1972 when the CPS boys basketball team started practicing and playing games at the Jewish Community Center. Stan eventually found his way back to CPS and for the past five years, he coached our girls jv basketball teams. Stan will most be remembered for his courage and his thoughtfulness. Stan, already a two-time cancer survivor, never let the current cancer get in the way of his coaching, choosing to coach this past season while undergoing radiation treatment. He never missed one single game the entire season and he even stepped up to coach both the varsity and jv teams in one day. There are so many other instances where Stan put others before himself. In his sickest days, Stan would still call the athletic office to wish everybody a nice day. If Stan called, the very first thing he would always ask was how your day is and then patiently wait and listen to your entire response. Athletic Director and Stan's good friend Linda Desimone adds, "Besides Stan's great sense of humor, we will miss his serenading the oldies and the CAL fight song in the office. Caspers, the burger joint around the corner will definitely miss him and our staff will greatly miss his timely visits with full bags of peanut m&m's in hand." Just several weeks ago, Stan called up and excitedly said to Linda, "I have found my female basketball assistant! My wife, Pat! I took her to the Warriors game and she was all into it...even telling the officials what to do! On a personal note, I would like to thank you Stan for the past five years. To me, you are the personification of all things kind, but your courage stands out most prominent. You showed bravery by wanting to work with children and did so fearlessly and compassionately. I don't think these kids know fully how much you cared and how important they were to you, but I do, and I will always remind them. And I also want to thank you for the courage you have given me in my own life. So many times this past year, when faced with a setback, I found myself drawing courage from the way in which you handled your cancer with such grace and humor. Thank you Stan and Linda said to keep the gym key. She, as well as all of us, expect you to come back and shoot hoops, sing the CAL fight song, and keep the spirit of March Madness alive!"

Stan's coaching mug shot from 2004	Stan Silver