VARNO
It’s hard to describe exactly who Joe Varno was to me. It’s almost like there’s not a word in the dictionary unique enough to do our bond justice. In my book, Joe falls into his own, perfectly imperfect box. More than a friend, he was someone I especially revered. I looked up to him as a mentor and equally appreciated his quirky persona. On the surface, Joe was painting contractor who worked hard just to get by...but in reality he was a part time guardian angel/part time cartoon character. He both amazed and amused me. In his dirty white painter pants and vibrant blue American little league coaching shirt, Joe dressed every day as a superhero who flew under the radar. Unaware of his impact, he lived each day with profound simplicity and the type of exuberance that is both infectious and rare. Joe was a storyteller who would always make you smile as he loved to chat with people, and often started each story with his signature city slicker phrase, “Let me tell you somethin!”. He had a great sense of humor and a charming wit about him that was hard not to like. Lastly, and most importantly I think, Joe Varno was a volunteer baseball coach who dedicated countless hours of working with underserved youth. This is how I met him…and this is where Joe shined the brightest - in spite of the harsh blight that often trickled into the ballpark. He cared about all the kids at American little league, and protected them the best he could. I learned more from Joe about working with kids than I did going to college to be a teacher. He and I would often play good cop/bad cop. I would play the ‘good’ cop - only because it was easier, and Joe played the ‘bad’ cop and handled everything so effortlessly, usually after a long day of painting. He ran the show because he knew how to get through to those kids better than anybody. Before Joe and I crossed paths, it was Joe coaching on his own for years...alone, with no one watching. That is who Joe Varno was. Something tells me that wherever he is now, he’s still doing his thing. A man who put the character in character, Joe was as authentic as they come, and will always reside in my heart full of memories. He was a guiding light for me...
J.T. CONDE 