"I know my mom just wants us to keep going," CJ Szydlik said. "That's how she was. She almost never missed one of our games. Fully supportive of my dad and her three kids and eight grandkids."
CJ, a lineman, and his brother, Steve, a quarterback, played at Frankford High, their dad's alma mater. Their sister, Christina, attended Little Flower, their mom's alma mater, and was a cheerleader for weight-ball teams representing the Frankford Boys Club. Mom dabbled in guiding the cheerleaders, while Dad got his coaching start there.
Keeping things upbeat, CJ remembered yesterday how Mom gave Dad a hard time after FBC games.
"I played center," he said, "and my dad would call in the signals on how to block. You know how young kids are; don't always pay attention. So my dad would have to yell. After the game, my mom would say to him, 'Why are you always yelling at him? Why do you have to pick on your own son?' He'd say, 'I'm not yelling at him. I'm just telling him what to do.'
"Lately, there was a running joke in our family about how I'm the head coach now and my dad is assisting me. When we'd sit around at family gatherings and my dad would ask me to do something, my mom would say every time, 'Careful, he's your boss now.' "
Eileen grew up on Discher Street in Frankford. Last June, she and Chalie celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary. CJ said his mom was a medical assistant when younger, then stepped away to dote on the grandkids.
"She loved being a grandmom and was awesome at it," he said.
The viewing will be 6 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at John F. Givnish Funeral Home, 10975 Academy Road, Philadelphia. Funeral Mass will be 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Charles Borromeo Church, 2500 Branch Pike, Cinnaminson, N.J., preceded by a viewing at 10 a.m.
