Yianni, "It is
about time that you showed up" Imre said. He was glad to see me
one Tuesday morning, last September when I came to practice with
you all.
I had the luck to
meet Imre and play with him for a couple of seasons, about 10 years ago. I have
to say that it was a unique experience. He was one of the best soccer players
that I ever played soccer with. And most importantly, he was a great person who
was trying always to help his teamates, both physically and mentally. It was a
pleasure knowing Imre and it was a great privilege to be able to play
in the same team with him too.
I agree with
Phil. I think God needs Imre to show them up there how to pass and control
the ball. Nice and easy as he always did it with us down here.
We will miss a
beautiful friend for sure!
Sincere Condolences,
Yiannis Maxouris and Family
---------------
That is a true loss to
the soccer community in the area. He was a incredible person and I feel blessed
to have known him for the short time I did.
Brian Maloney
-------------------
My thoughts and
prayers are for his family and friends this morning. I don't understand why
these things happen, but what I do know is how Imre lived his life and for his
example I am grateful. Go with God Imre.
Terry Shay Breed
--------------------------
Imre you are love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,
self-control
Dear Imre,
Words never seem to
capture the true feelings a person has for another individual. We may not
remember all the things you said, but we won’t forget how we felt when we were
with you. We felt God’s love through you. I see you playing
that perfect game of soccer in heaven this morning, running beautifully with a
perfectly ageless intelligent performing body making good memories.
You can’t be replaced
Imre, there was only one unique you. We are going to miss you brother. You’ve
left us with good memories.
Andy Goddard
This writing from Max Lucado could have been written by
Imre. I feel he lived with these verses in his spiritual heart.
Each Day Max Lucado
It's quiet. It's
early. My coffee is hot. The sky is still black. The world is still asleep. The
day is coming.
In a few moments,
the day will arrive. It will roar down the track with the rising of the sun.
The stillness of the dawn will be exchanged for the noise of the day. The calm
of solitude will be replaced by the pounding of the human race. The refuge of
the early morning will be invaded by decisions to be made and deadlines to be
met.
For the next twelve
hours I will be exposed to the day's demands. It is now I must make a choice.
Because of Calvary, I'm free to choose. And so I choose.
I CHOOSE LOVE…
No occasion
justifies hatred; no injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love.
Today I will love
God and what God loves.
I CHOOSE JOY…
I will invite my
God to be the God of circumstance.
I will refuse the
temptation to be cynical… the tool of the lazy thinker. I will refuse to see
people as anything less than human beings, created by God. I will refuse to see
any problem as anything less than an opportunity to see God.
I CHOOSE PEACE…
I will live
forgiven. I will forgive so that I may live.
I CHOOSE PATIENCE…
I will overlook the
inconveniences of the world.
Instead of cursing
the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so. Rather than complain that
the wait is too long, I will thank God for a moment to pray. Instead of
clenching my fist at new assignments, I will face them with joy and courage.
I CHOOSE KINDNESS…
I will be kind to
the poor, for they are alone.
I will be kind to
the rich, for they are afraid. And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has
treated me.
I CHOOSE GOODNESS…
I will go without a
dollar
before I take a
dishonest one. I will be overlooked before I will boast. I will confess before
I will accuse. I choose goodness.
I CHOOSE
FAITHFULNESS…
Today I will keep
my promises.
My debtors will not
regret their trust. My associates will not question my word. Lisa will not
question my love. Jamie and Kelly will never fear that their father will not
come home.
I CHOOSE
GENTLENESS…
Nothing is won by
force. I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my
voice, may it be only in praise.
If I clench my
fist, may it only be in prayer.
If I make a demand,
may it only be of myself.
I am a spiritual
being…
After this body is
dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let
what will rot rule the eternal.
I choose
self-control. I will be drunk only by joy.
I will be
impassioned only by my faith.
I will be
influenced only by God.
I will be taught
only by Christ.
I choose
self-control.
Love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
To these I commit
my day.
If I succeed, I
will give thanks.
If I fail, I will
seek His grace.
And then, when this
day is done,
I will place my
head on my pillow
and rest.
Galatians 5:22-23(ESV)
22 But the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23
gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Rest in peace Imre,
you were so loved by everyone.
Andy Goddard
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God Bless him
Rafael Salerno
-------------------------------
I am stunned. . .that
such a positive and encouraging force in our soccer community is gone. His
example and coaching helped me.
I will miss him.
Bob Gaare
-------------------------
I was stunned by this
. I enjoyed playing with Imre so much. He always had a suggestion or thought
how to improve your game or in your approach to life. I consider him my friend
and I will miss him.
Soccer will be a
little less fun without him.
If his family needs
any help count me in
Gary Howington
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Try as I may , I have
been unable to find the words to describe how shocked and saddened I am at the
news of imre's passing .
I had spent many
evenings this past two years
Try as May there are
no words to fully explain how shocked and saddened I was at the news that our
dear friend Imre had passed away, over the past two years I had spent many
hours in conversation with my wife about this one" older " player in
particular that on many occasions turned me inside out with his football skills
,touch and control specifically ,
my Tuesday and Thursday mornings will never be the same
again , the world not just us have lost a very special human being, my
condolences to your family Imre.
Gone never to be
forgotten
Gerald Newton
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He was a special human
being as a mentor and as a friend.
I’m shock, very
special men that I won’t never forget.
Pedro Moreno
--------------------------
Gentlemen:
I as well, am
shocked and saddened by the loss of our beloved Imre. He was a very special
man; a great player, coach, visionary of not only of soccer, but the human
condition as well. Let us carry on in remembrance of this truly special
person, and keep he and his family in our hearts and prayers. Rest in
Peace, our friend. May our Lord in Heaven keep you in the warmth of His
loving hands.
Psalms 16:11 You
will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your
right hand are pleasures forevermore. Nearness to God himself is the only
all-satisfying experience of the universe. God created us, and He created
us to live in fellowship with Him. Only as we do that will we know true joy
and satisfaction.
Robert Signaigo
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I only knew for less
then a year but found him to be a great human being, friendly and full of good
and friendly advise
Please let me know
when the wake and funeral arrangements are made.
May he rest in peace
and may God provide his family and friends the strength they need to cope with
their/ all of our loss
Franco Chillemi
------------------------------
I have struggled
all day to find the right words to describe my feelings in the loss of such
a strong individual. I had the joy of playing with and against (not
much joy, as he had a way of scoring goals past me many a time) Imre in
many games.
I look for comfort
in Proverbs 3: 5 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on
your own understanding”. I figure God needed Imre upstairs to train
his soccer team.
God Bless his
family and friends.
Phil Leone
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It will not be the
same with out him for a long time, we will miss him.
Steve Norton
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How
unexpected. We've lost a good friend. Imre was a very interesting
man, both on the field and off. Always looking to make himself and those
around him better, always level-headed and calming on the field.
I learned a lot from him for sure.
Jerry Hudson
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I’m shocked …. We
have lost a unique person and an irreplaceable soccer player!
His fair behavior, positive attitude and team spirit will be missed
forever. A wonderful individual. Imra we will miss you!
Best regards,
Karl-Heinz Lochner
------------------------
Imre has left us
all with so many fond memories and also great examples of how to be better
players and better people. I always looked forward to playing a game if
Imre was on our team. He understood how to play, how to communicate and how
to lead. He was truly an inspiration. Most, if not all, of my best Rovers
memories include Imre.
If Sonja and
family need any help / assistance with anything please count me in.
Sincere
condolences,
Mark Collins and family.
Sarasota, Florida.
---------------------------
A very sad day
indeed. Everyone was touched by this unique man.
My thoughts and
prayers for his family…..
HUGO Lanfranco
----------------------------
I'm the one who
got him into
Soccer 20 years
ago. He never
Changed, a king
among men.
stephen denton
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Wow, really sad to
hear. I would see him at our school from time to time with his karate or
tae Kwan do program.....
Really sad!
Alex Tis
--------------------------------
There are many
things I admired about Imre. The biggest is that he was a passionate
man…passionate about friendships, passionate about soccer and certainly
passionate about life.
He knew I was a
sloth when it came to living by his philosophy of ones mind and spirit over
body. When he saw me coming the first thing he would ask is “ George what
hurts today?” and I’d chuckle and say "nothing Imre, I’m
perfect." We'd then laugh together. He cared about everyone and was
convinced he could help anyone who wanted help....on or off the soccer
field. I was lucky enough to spend time with Imre in the presence of his
wonderful wife Sonja on a couple of occasions. One in particular in Florida
at a tournament where we stayed up until the early hours in a condo just
talking about life and telling jokes.
I can only imagine
the Pataki family's pain today. My deepest condolences to them.
He believed that
anyone could achieve anything they wanted to and while I will miss his
presence, I will forever celebrate a life with great meaning, very well
lived!! Well done Imre, you've shown us the way. RIP!!
George Georgiou
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I am completely
stunned. His voice still rings in my ears and the images of him in my
brain after tournament practice just this past weekend. So fit and tuned
to health when so many of the rest of us are much less so. Hard to
digest. Imre, you were taken too soon mate, and there is another empty
space in the soccer community that can never be filled again. Prayers for
peace, strength and comfort for his family and all of us.
We lost a much
beloved and respected member of the Atlanta Soccer community last night.
Imre Pataki died
at the Atlanta Soccerplex.
Details are
unknown at this time.
Imre's
involvement and leadership within the Atlanta Adult Soccer community has
had far reaching effect. His decisions and direction were instrumental in
the growth not only of Rovers FC but the founding of this team. Express
Locomotive.
He will be
missed.
RIP Imre.
Paul Kelly
Express Locomotive
---------------------
Sad day for his family as well as
the entire Atl soccer community. Imre was a great ambassador of the game
we all love. Great friend and a great teammate. As Alan said, way too
soon for those of us left behind.
My condolences
to his family.
Brent Bennett
---------------------
the teacher has
died...RIP Imre
Quique Lopez
--------------------------
There is nothing
more that I can add to all the great things that has been already said
about our great soccer player and friend ambre I did see
him Sunday morning at the star and had our last talk as always
enjoyed our conversation I am still in shock !!!!
Joseph
Golshani
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On Saturday morning,
I watched Imre glide-dribble past three players, as if they were cones. He was
wearing jeans and tennis shoes, in that, he had not planned to play with us.
A fourth player took the ball off of his feet. Of course, we joked
about this moment.
I will miss his smile,
his positive outlook, and his passion for the game. I will hold on to the
memory of his passion for life , and, the way he brought out the promise in
what others were trying to do. I will miss my spiritual captain, even if
I have trouble saying “full physical function”
Nova, Michael
Joseph
-------------------------------------
Rest in Peace my
brother. We have played together for over 12 years, and have won many
battles together. You have though me a lot, even though you always said
that I was either hard of hearing, or had selective hearing. You will be
missed and will be in my daily praires...God Speed my friend, and see you
again on the other side....
Frank
Loureiro
--------------------------------
I was shocked
and sadden to hear the terrible news. I knew Imre for many years and
played with him last season. It was great knowing him as a person, as a
leader and an outstanding soccer player. It was a lot of fun playing with
him, he will be missed very much. Life is not fair. My condolences to
Sonya and the family.
Shlomo &
Marilyn Kassis
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I am deeply saddened
by the loss of Imre. I have so many pleasant memories of playing soccer
with him. I really got to know and appreciate Imre at the early Rovers FC
kick rounds on Robinson Road. Imre was such a great mentor and I consider
myself very lucky to have met him. He provided so much positive and
uplifting advice, wit, and wisdom and was truly inspirational for me and
countless others.
Imre, you will be
missed but not forgotten.
Sincere condolences,
Mike Kinion and
family
--------------------------------------------
a day to reflect on a
tragic death what a wonderful man imre was and his family whom he
adored so fit and charismatic when you were in his company you just
listened and the bullet points would flow in relation how to keep yourself
fit and how to improve and win the game with the half time team talk I have
heard the cause of death a ruptured aortic aneursym found easily on an
ultrasound scan of abdomen eminently treatable and life goes on i am sure
all the family and sons and daughters will know to get scanned after the
funeral takes place please everyone get a scan over the age of 50 to
reassure themselves they do not have an aneursym i still cannot believe
this has happened and it brings tears to my eyes keep me informed
when the service takes place
dr ian smith
family practitioner over the pond in cotswolds of england
----------------------------------------------------
I am still in shock.
This is Imre we are talking about, fit, positive, healthy, promised us to live
at least to be 100, helping others telling them how to live better and become
better and then he left us. I don't know what to say. RIP my friend.
Engin K.
-------------------------------------------
God bless you,
Imre... Thank you for your tireless service.
Nick Aliffi
-----------------------------------------------------------
So very sorry to hear.
His family is in my prayers.
Bill Kimbro
---------------------------------------------------------------
I am at a loss for words. I was just kicking
the ball around with him and have many conversations with him at games. His
advice and calm demeanor will not be forgotten.
Jim Vadino
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Playing with him made me a better player , exercising and stretching with him made me physically better. All of us , young and old , have benefited from his enduring care for us.
The word selfishness did not exist in his vocabulary , he gave to all of us and made us better.
Although Imre’s body has departed he still lives in all of us. We all carry him and his mantras with us for the rest of our lives.
Our family wishes his family all the strength and love in this trying time , may he rest in peace.”
Edwin and Christine Hoenderdos
Playing with him made me a better player , exercising and stretching with him made me physically better. All of us , young and old , have benefited from his enduring care for us.
The word selfishness did not exist in his vocabulary , he gave to all of us and made us better.
Although Imre’s body has departed he still lives in all of us. We all carry him and his mantras with us for the rest of our lives.
Our family wishes his family all the strength and love in this trying time , may he rest in peace.”
Edwin and Christine Hoenderdos
---------------------------------------
When I met first met him, I was out of shape, angry, and generally horrible at soccer. When he would see me starting to lose my temper, he would jog over, give me encouragement and advice (even if he was on the other team), and go back to playing. MANY times I thought about throwing away my cleats before a well-timed Imre intervention set things right. Years later, he was reffing my over 30 men's league games...always asking how my dad was doing, saying he was proud of me for making a healthy turn in my life, and how much I've improved as a player.
This meant the world to me.
Imre taught "the gentile art of Akido" to kids when he wasn't refereeing games. He always told me how invested he was in ensuring that people had a healthy outlet,and that I should sign up for one of his classes. It was this past Sunday after donating his time refereeing for a Christmas charity soccer tournament that Imre passed away...his final moments spent in service. I thought about playing in this tournament...but I didn't. I didn't get a last chance to see my friend. So I'll have to remember the last time I saw him on the field, his arm around my shoulder much like a grandfather...
"Nicholas, you played well today."
Thanks Imre... I needed that.
Nick Aliffi
----------------------------------------------
Truly one of the most unique human beings I have ever met and his love for the beautiful game and people
in general was most evident in his quest for perfection of the skill and his gentle manner. God seems to take these special people from us early I guess with the hope that the impact of their special ways spreads. As I read the tributes he has impacted us all so lets honor him by applying a little each day of what he taught us especially, kindness, patience, understanding, and teaching which are attributes we need much more in today's seemingly upside down world.
Rich Leone
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Imre's passing is a shock (he was a great man), a friend - but what's more its a reminder we are all on borrowed time.
I sometimes throw my feelings down in writing, and shared this with a close soccer friend, who suggested passing on to you. I don't know his family - but feel free to pass anonymously the poem below (its rough and I am no poet) on your blog, to his family, whatever, if you think appropriate. He was a good soul.
The Referplayer!
The turf, the dreams, a pick up game,
That works in all of a player's life
Its the round that moves endlessly
The start is the end and the beginning
The game may rest but the adrenaline flows
And the vigor and happiness from family and friends
Its made more perfect the love
To have played and thought of it as y'all
To judge a spirit so enthusiastic and loose
It was the job of giving back
The purity of equity that my judgement be
But there is a referee that called the ultimate game
And his whistle was loader than me
But in all things the right call is soul liberating
And now the heart and spirit run free
And in the game I now play
All precious to those in mortal life
Is to let you all know we are spectators here!
And like an encouraging crowd
It can pain eleviate
And happiness elevate.
Feel the pass, the tackle, the save
The goal is to seek and to liberate!
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It is still sinking in, Just found out , a hour go, still trying to make sense of it , What a great human being , sports man , and soccer player, so soon taken away from us, What a wonderful human being , Philosopher , and teacher he was , always working to make others perform better , not only physically, but also spiritually, You will be missed dear friend, Rest in Peace Imre, we have all learned from you, THANK YOU.
John z.
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My condolences to his family.I wont be able to be dare for funeral.Going to visit my family in Ca.I will miss him on soccer field.He was excellent soccer player and a dear friend.My thoughts and prayers for his family in this difficult time. Mike Marcelic
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man I can't believe that emri I have to read your email over and over and over again like you said in your email we talked to him on Sunday he was in great spirits boy did he love the game I'll miss him
Mick Shannon
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