David Sofge August 13, 1961 - August 5, 2018

Condolence(1)

1. 

   REPLY

   John Goebel says

   April 15, 2019 at 4:07 pm

   DAVID BRIAN GOEBEL
   AKA DAVE, GHOST, BIRD, KING OF THE HILL, ZORBOB, WINNER, CHAMPION, SON, BROTHER, NEPHEW, UNCLE, FATHER, COUSIN, FRIEND AND MOST IMPORTANTLY TO ME, BIG BROTHER.
   A STOIC, HARD WORKING, BLUE COLOR, HARD ROCKIN, BUDWISER DRINKING, NO SHIRT WEARING, STANDING BACKFLIP PERFORMING, GOOD TIME HAVING, TOM BRADY ICE-IN-HIS VEINS TYPE, GENUINE-WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET, LOYAL TO THE DEATH, GENEROUS, TOUGH GUY REPUTATION HAVING, OLD SCHOOL, HARD CHARGING, GUY’S GUY THAT CARRIED HIMSELF WITH A CONFIDENT, BUT NOT COCKY, SWAGGER THAT WAS EARNED.
   HE HAD TREMENDOUS ATHLETIC ABILITY WHICH WAS MADE APPARENT IN MANY OF HIS ATHLETIC ROLES INCLUDING AS “THE GHOST”, FLOATING AROUND SOFTBALL FIELDS MAKING GREAT PLAYS. EXTREMLY INTELLEGENT AND CARASMATIC. ONE OF THOSE FEW OUT THERE THAT POSSESSED BOTH INTELLENCE AND RAW STREET SMARTS. THE GUY YOU LOOKED FORWARD TO TALKING TO AT FAMILY FUNCTIONS AND NEEDED WITH YOU WHEN YOU WERE MAKING A DEAL. A FIERCE COMPETITOR WHETHER IT BE A VIDEO GAME, TEXAS HOLD EM TOURNAMENT, OR A CHAMPIONSHIP ATHLETIC EVENT. HE HAD THAT PETE ROSE HUSTLE AND DID WHATEVER IT TOOK TO WIN; INCLUDING STAYING UP ALL NIGHT TO PLAY AND READ MANUALS SO HE COULD DOMINATE YOU THE NEXT DAY IN SPACE INVADERS.
   ONE OF HIS POSITIONS ON EARTH WAS TO BE MY BIG BROTHER. WHILE SERVING IN THAT POSITION HE HELPED INSTILL NUMEROUS ATTRIBUTES IN ME THAT SURVIVE HIS DEATH AND WILL BE PASSED ON TO MY CHILDREN. A TESTIMENT TO HIM, THEY INCLUDE:
   WHILE NOT SEEKING IT OUT, HE WELCOMED A RIGTIOUS BATTLE. HE ALWAYS SQUARED UP ON HIS OPPONENTS IN LIFE AND “DANCED”, EVEN WHEN HE WAS OUTNUMBERED. AS I WITNESSED SEVERAL TIMES, HE JUST WASN’T THE RUNNING TYPE. HE WAS THE GUY THEY CALLED “BIRD” ON THE BASKETBALL COURTS MOST PEOPLE WOULD BE TOO SCARED TO EVEN WALK BY. YES, BIRD AS IN LARRY BIRD. HE CONTINUED DELIVERING ALONE IN NEIGHBORHOODS HE HAD BEEN ROBBED AND ASSAULTED IN BY STREET THUGS.
   HE IN A VERY RECENT TEXT BETWEEN US RELATED TO PAINFUL HEALTH ISSUES HE WAS HAVING, ONLY WHEN ASKED, HE WROTE, ‘COME ON, IT CAN’T TAKE ME DOWN. I’M NOT THAT OLD (SMILEY FACE) ALL GOOD.’
   MY BIG BRO STAYED ON THE FIELD IN LIFE EVEN WHEN HE WAS HURT. HE DIDN’T WHINE AND CRY ABOUT TOUGH SITUATIONS THAT WOULD BREAK MOST AND ALSO DIDN’T DO EITHER OVER SOME BAD LIFE CARDS HE WAS DEALT. INSTEAD HE DID WHAT HE HAD TO DO AND SURVIVED, PROBABLY MORE THAN 9 TIMES. HE DIDN’T COMPLAIN ABOUT HIS HEALTH ISSUES OR THE PAIN HE WAS IN. HE “HELD HIS OWN WATER”. HE WAS THE TYPE THAT, WHILE NOT BEING ABLE TO BREATH SO WELL, EGARLY WANTED TO ENTER A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS PURSUIT, DID SO, AND WAS INSTURMENTAL IN CORNERING DANGEROUS PERPETRATORS AND IN FACILITATING THE RECOVERY OF THE VEHICLE THEY HAD STOLEN. AS A TEACHER, HE ALSO ATTEMPTED TO HARDEN ME FROM CHILDHOOD THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. A CLAIMED UNINTENTIONAL HARD TAKLE INTO A WALL DURING KNEE FOOTBALL SUPERBOWL III, A FORCED TRIP TO THE POOL’S HIGH DIVE WHERE I WAS HELD BY MY ANKLES AND DROPPED. A PHANTOM JAB TO AN ALREADY INJURED EYE DURING A BOXING DEMONSTARTATION FROM THE QUICKEST HANDS I HAVE EVER SEEN. HIS SUBSTITUTION OF ME INTO A VIOLENT BACK YARD FOOTBALL GAME AGAINST OPPONETS HE HAD BEEN TERRORIZING, AS HE SO OFTEN DID.
   MY BIG BRO DIDN’T TALK ABOUT THINGS A WHOLE LOT BEFORE OR AFTERWARDS, HE JUST TOOK CARE OF BUSINESS. NEVER BEING TOO CONCERNED WITH ALL THE TANGIBLE AWARDS HE RECEIVED OR BOASTING ABOUT VICTORIES. A QUIET PROFESSIONAL, SPARTAN LIKE.
   MY BROTHER ALSO MADE THINGS FUN THROUGHOUT MY LIFE AND HAD A LOT OF FUN DOING SO. AS A CHILD, AMONG OTHER THINGS, HE CREATED THE FIRST INDOOR ASTROTURFF ARENA FOOTBALL FIELD FOR KNEE FOOTBALL AND ALWAYS “ENTHUSIASTICLLY” SUITED UP AGAINST ME, CREATED THE SEWER MONSTER ZORBOB TO SCARE THE HELL OUT OF ME AND OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD KIDS AS WE WERE ATTEMPTING TO DEMONSTRATE OUR BRAVERY BY WALKING THROUGH THE TUNNELS, AND GRACIOUSLY AND NOT SO DELICATELY PROVIDED US WITH ASSISTANCE DOWN THE HILL DURING OUR KING OF THE HILL MATCHES FOUGHT ON HILL 1105. NEVER ONE TO PASS UP, A FAMILY NIGHT ON THE TOWN GET TOGETHER, HE VERY RECENTLY TREATED ME TO A TYPICAL FUN AND EVENTFUL NIGHT ON THE TOWN. THAT NIGHT WE STOPPED BY ANGILO’S REMINICING ABOUT THE FUN WE HAD THERE WITH MOM, HIS DEEP LOVE FOR HIS FAMILY, AND REDEMPTION ACHIEVEMENTS. MY BIG BRO WAS NEVER ONE OF THOSE GUYS THAT WAS TOO COOL TO HIT THE DANCE FLOOR AT MY WEDDING, BIRTHDAY PARTIES, AND OTHER FAMILY PARTIES AND I MUST SAY HE HAD MAD SKILLS.
   YOU SEE MY BIG BROTHER ABUNDANTLY HAD MANY OF THE ADMIRABLE ATTRIBUTES MANY IN TODAY’S SOCIETY LACK OR DO NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND BUT WOULD TRADE BIG MONEY FOR. INTANGIBLES THEY “CAN’T PUT IN YA AND THEY CAN’T TAKE OUT OF YA”. HE DIDN’T TALK ABOUT THEM OR READ ME A STORY ABOUT THEM HE DEMONSTARTAED THEM.
   I PLAYED WITH SOME STAND OUT ATHLETES OVER THE YEARS THAT WERE AS TOUGH AS THEY COME AND, OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, HAVE HAD THE PRIVELAGE AND HONOR TO TRAIN AND SERVE WITH THE BRIGHTEST, TOUGHEST, AND BRAVEST THE SURROUNDING AREA HAS TO OFFER. I CAN HONESTLY SAY I’D PUT MY BIG BRO UP AGAINST THE ELITE OF THOSE TWO GROUPS ANY DAY OF THE WEEK AND WOULD HAVE BEEN HONORED TO TAKE THE FIELD OR WALK THE BEAT WITH HIM.
   MY BIG BROTHER CLOCKED 90 YEARS WORTH OF MILE ON HIS 53 YEAR OLD CORVETTE. HE LIVED LIFE TO THE FULLEST, HAD A BLAST DOING IT, AND ALWAYS GLADLY MAINTAINED HIS GENUINENESS IN DOING SO. I HAVE NO DOUBT, THAT WHEN THAT DIRTY DENTED UP CORVETTE WENT FLYING INTO HEAVEN (TIRES SCREECHING AND SMOKE BILLOWING FROM THE HOOD) MY BEAUTIFUL MOTHER NANCY VIRGINIA GOEBEL WAS STANDING THERE IN WHITE; A BIG SMILE ON HER FACE, RINGING HER NEW YEAR’S EVE BELL SHE LOVED SO MUCH, CHEERING HIM ON WITH GOD RIGHT BEHIND HER SHOULDERS.
   I ALWAYS LOVED AND FELT VERY PROUD AND SAFE IN BEING “GOEBEL’S LITTLE BROTHER”. JOB WELL DONE BIG BRO, YOU EXCELLED AT YOUR POSITION.
   I LOVE YOU, WILL MISS YOU, AND WILL ALWAYS THINK OF YOU WHEN HEARING, “IT’S BETTER TO BURN OUT THAN FADE AWAY”.