Vic Kubu Eulogy by long time friend
"The Best Beer I Ever Had"
The following was written by Vic Kubu's long time friend..Dr. Patrick Buddle of Wall. He plans to read it at Wednesday's memorial service. Here it is published with his permission in its entirety. It is very moving...
Victor E. Kubu…his real name is Everett Victor Kubu….actually for many years I never really knew that….he probably thought I was going to make fun of him….and he was right!!!
Myself, and maybe Kevin Hyland our athletic trainer were probably the only two people I know that could actually make fun of him and get away with it….I think he was scared we would take too many players out of the game!!.... Even at that, I still received a few arm punches every now and then!
n 1986.... 22 years ago, almost to the day, I was asked to work a high school football game. At that time I had no idea where the town of Manasquan was, much less the football field.
I worked the game, I believe we won…and after the game, Victor, coach Kubu, asked me if I would like to join him and the rest of the coaching staff for a post-game beer.
Victor’s version of this story, is that he wasn’t able to get rid of me since then!!!...but 22 years later, I can honestly say…that was the "best beer" I could have ever had.
It is because of Victor and this Manasquan football program…. That myself and my family have developed so many enduring friendships and have had so many great memories….I owe that all to Coach Kubu.
There’s a quote that says, "what you do for yourself dies with you….what you do for others….remains immortal." By the mere fact that this field bears his name, and by the sight of all of you here today…I believe Coach Kubu has taken a few steps towards some form of immortality.
When someone would ask Coach Kubu what his best win was…. he would quickly respond, "the next one!" However Victor did have his "Short comings"…the main one is that he never listen to
my football advice!!
Right now he’s probably reprimanding God for allowing Mike Mele last year to run the Statue of Liberty play, that went for a untouched 44 yard touchdown ....for the last 22 years I had been hounding him to run that play!! After its success you can be sure I let him know that he had used it a few more times we may have had 15 state championships!!!
I see it every day in the hospital…but Victor’s death reminds me once again, of how precious our lives really are. To all of you…. please enjoy your lives, family, and friends, …don’t wait until someone is sick to say you love them. As Victor would say often, " life is not a practice run…there are no do overs."
I would like to thank Sharon, Terri, Wendy, and Victor Kevin for their trust in me and allowing me to take care of Victor…I would also like to thank my other medical colleagues, physicians and especially Victor’s nurses for their assistance in Victor’s care….
You would have to ask Victor’s family how good of husband, father, and grandfather he was…but I would bet they would say he was a good one…
You would have to ask his coaches and players if he was a good coach…but I’m pretty sure they would say he was a great one…
The one thing I can say with 100% certainty and without reservation…. is that he was the best friend I could have ever had!!
Patrick M Buddle M.D.
Team Physician, Manasquan Football
The following was written by Vic Kubu's long time friend..Dr. Patrick Buddle of Wall. He plans to read it at Wednesday's memorial service. Here it is published with his permission in its entirety. It is very moving...
Victor E. Kubu…his real name is Everett Victor Kubu….actually for many years I never really knew that….he probably thought I was going to make fun of him….and he was right!!!
Myself, and maybe Kevin Hyland our athletic trainer were probably the only two people I know that could actually make fun of him and get away with it….I think he was scared we would take too many players out of the game!!.... Even at that, I still received a few arm punches every now and then!
n 1986.... 22 years ago, almost to the day, I was asked to work a high school football game. At that time I had no idea where the town of Manasquan was, much less the football field.
I worked the game, I believe we won…and after the game, Victor, coach Kubu, asked me if I would like to join him and the rest of the coaching staff for a post-game beer.
Victor’s version of this story, is that he wasn’t able to get rid of me since then!!!...but 22 years later, I can honestly say…that was the "best beer" I could have ever had.
It is because of Victor and this Manasquan football program…. That myself and my family have developed so many enduring friendships and have had so many great memories….I owe that all to Coach Kubu.
There’s a quote that says, "what you do for yourself dies with you….what you do for others….remains immortal." By the mere fact that this field bears his name, and by the sight of all of you here today…I believe Coach Kubu has taken a few steps towards some form of immortality.
When someone would ask Coach Kubu what his best win was…. he would quickly respond, "the next one!" However Victor did have his "Short comings"…the main one is that he never listen to
my football advice!!
Right now he’s probably reprimanding God for allowing Mike Mele last year to run the Statue of Liberty play, that went for a untouched 44 yard touchdown ....for the last 22 years I had been hounding him to run that play!! After its success you can be sure I let him know that he had used it a few more times we may have had 15 state championships!!!
I see it every day in the hospital…but Victor’s death reminds me once again, of how precious our lives really are. To all of you…. please enjoy your lives, family, and friends, …don’t wait until someone is sick to say you love them. As Victor would say often, " life is not a practice run…there are no do overs."
I would like to thank Sharon, Terri, Wendy, and Victor Kevin for their trust in me and allowing me to take care of Victor…I would also like to thank my other medical colleagues, physicians and especially Victor’s nurses for their assistance in Victor’s care….
You would have to ask Victor’s family how good of husband, father, and grandfather he was…but I would bet they would say he was a good one…
You would have to ask his coaches and players if he was a good coach…but I’m pretty sure they would say he was a great one…
The one thing I can say with 100% certainty and without reservation…. is that he was the best friend I could have ever had!!
Patrick M Buddle M.D.
Team Physician, Manasquan Football
posted by Tony Graham at 9:25 AM
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