Wayne Robert Willis Tribute

I could go on an on about this man. We bonded over basketball, but that wasn't mattered most to him. It was making sure that he was teaching me how to be a good man, a good son, a good teacher and one day eventually a good father. I can still see his smile, and hear that big gregarious laugh. I miss being on the court and having him cheat just to try rattle me. He'd call phantom fouls, he'd set illegal screens, and when you got hit by one of those you felt it for awhile. But there was always a lesson behind every thing. Anyone who ever worked out with Pops remembers the post game talks. The weren't just talks, they were life lessons. I remember going to Pops and asking him to help me get in shape and he said "ok, I'll see you tomorrow at 5:30". I said i would pick him that afternoon and he said "No, 5:30 in the morning". Four months we did those work outs, every morning. Just me and him. There was the time he wouldn't let me quit the Basketball team at Costa. I'll never forget heading towards Marx' office, fire in my eyes and he grabbed me by the arm and stopped me. He talked me out of it of course, because that is who he was. I loved how he took interest not only in me but my three brothers, and my parents. He was a part of our family. He was simply know as Uncle Wayne. My little brothers would ask when was Uncle Wayne coming over to teach them more. I know how much it meant to my brother Sean when Pops finally let him play with the big boys. How much it meant that Pops cheered his every move. I think about how much Pops would have loved seeing my brother Tim play football and become the leading receiver in the South Bay his Senior year.
I think about how much I would have loved for him to have met my wife. She knows so much about him and I wish he could have just met her one time.
I think about Pops all the time. I miss him to this day. He will never be forgotten by me or my family
Daren Flam