Eugene Cassioppi

I'm sorry Pam and I will not be there on Saturday as we are in Florida with family for a late Christmas and birthday. To Gerry, Julie, and James and your families, our heartfelt condolences to all of you. All of you know the extraordinary achievements your dad and grandfather achieved over a long career coaching both diving and swimming. Up to the end, he sought out opportunities to work with any eager diver, ready to impart the unparalleled formula for successful performance that anyone with a discerning eye could recognize. One of the things I quickly recognized about Gene's coaching was the methodical way he prepared every diver. Watching any group of divers over the years, I could select Gene's divers from the rest. Their approaches and form off the board were strikingly similar, a testament to his exacting practice standards. He maintained those throughout his career, something most difficult to do as new ideas and philosophies about diving came and went. I also knew that his scoring as a diving judge set a standard over time. Others would fluctuate, usually up in score, if they had divers in the contest or if a sectional was competitive among divers seeking the state cut. Gene rated dives, not divers, and maintained that high level of integrity to the sport. He urged me not to shy away from judging diving in a dual meet. I never did judge, and I told Gene that I simply could not see everything he saw, no matter how hard I tried. Even though I announced a lot of diving at those meets and even determined what I thought a dive should score in my head, I always knew that sitting in the judge's chair was an entirely different level of evaluation. Your dad was the best at it I ever saw. Chris Gyorkos and Dave Bowers, two friends who both officiated and coached with me, described being on the judging panel with Gene like being at a diving clinic. What they learned made them better officials, just as Gene's knowledge and advice improved my coaching ability.

One final memory of Gene will stand out among many. Shortly after your mom's funeral, your dad came into practice one afternoon. The boys were not out of the locker room yet, and he came over to me and started to cry. He shared through his words and tears how much he loved and missed Norma. Surprised as I was that he felt comfortable sharing that emotion with me, I will treasure that moment, both for Gene's sharing it with me and knowing what a sweet person Norma was. I understood the intensity of that moment -- it testified to many years of loving companionship.

Again, our sincere sympathies to all of you. Gene was a remarkable man who I had the rare privilege to coach with; his memory stays with me each day. All the best to you, Bill and Pam Miner