Huge

In 1999, I headed up an experimental soccer team for the Cosmos soccer club.  The club had never started a team as young as Under 9 (U-9) before, but a couple of the other clubs were doing it and we thought we would try it out.  There were very few boys who showed up for that initial tryout and I ended up keeping 3 kids on the team who were a year younger, true Under 8 age players (ya, seven year olds), Jerry Dearden being one of them.  Little did I know at the time that would end up being the introduction to one of the finest men and greatest friends that I would ever know in my lifetime. 

I remember the first parents meeting when I told the parents to look around them because the people that are here today will probably end up becoming some of your best friends.  I had seen it many times before with all the time put into practices, games, and traveling to cities across the country that you always end up spending a great deal of time with those other soccer parents.  As I read the blog posts from various soccer parents, I see that many of those relationships have stood the test of time with Hugh and Diane.   

I quickly learned the Dearden family was one-of-a-kind, always there to help out in any and every way possible.  Not only did Hugh agree to be my assistant coach with the team, he also quickly became involved in the administration of the club.  I remember the first club meeting Hugh and Diane showed up to and on the agenda I had miss-spelled Hugh’s name and wrote HUGE.  I imagine he said something like “oh stars…”, and I really did feel bad about the error, but as it turns out looking back over the past 12 years, that miss-spelling may have been correct after all. 

I don’t know that I have ever met anyone that has had such a HUGE impact on others.  Maybe it was just Hugh’s HUGE heart or giving spirit or his HUGE smile and sense of comfort you received being around him.  He was a true example of what it meant to give service to others.  One day I was having some problems with my sprinklers and was telling Hugh about it.  Later that day, he showed up unannounced and out of the blue with his shovel and sprinkler tools to fix it.  Another time, he noticed a problem with my fence, the next day he showed up unannounced to help me fix it.  I could tell countless other stories of when he took time away from his family and just showed up to help, it is just who he was and I hope I can follow his example to be able to help others in the same way. 

Hugh always had connections for everything.  When we needed to raise money for our soccer team, he always had a guy he knew, like the guy who sold fireworks or ran the concessions out at Usana, and always seemed to have a solution way better than anyone else could ever dream up.  Everyone always benefited from Hugh in a HUGE way. 

A few years later, Jerry moved into his own age group and even though I was no longer his coach nor Hugh my assistant, he kept in regular contact with me about all the soccer experiences and regular updates about his family.  He would always call to tell me the details of a particular game, how good Conner was doing, or something that happened with Libby’s team.  You could just hear the pride in his voice as he told me about Daren getting his mission call or Jerry winning the State Championship.  I’ve worked with and known a number of great families over the years, but I can honestly say I have never met a dad that was so HUGELY involved in his children’s lives as Hugh Dearden. 

I will never forget the day Hugh called to tell me he had stage 4 cancer.  It was a real blow to him and his family.  However, he remained that steady rock and assured me that he was going to do everything he could to beat it.  It seemed like nearly every week there was another miracle happening but unfortunately Hugh’s condition was deteriorating.  A few months ago I took a business trip with him to Southern Utah since he was unable to drive that distance.  He kept thanking me, but all I could think of was to thank GOD for allowing me the opportunity to spend this kind of quality time with Hugh and letting us take this one final journey together.  I asked Hugh who he was most worried about, Diane, Daren since he was away, or Conner and Libby because they are still so young?  His reply with tears in his eyes was…”all of them”  He couldn’t separate his deep love and conviction for any of his family which to me again embodied who Hugh Dearden was. 

Now that Hugh is gone I am faced with really feeling the HUGE void in my life from this HUGE loss.  I keep thinking of all the things I wish I had asked him or that I should have done for him when he needed me the most.  I know GOD has a plan, but I find myself wondering why someone who has made such a HUGE impact on others the way Hugh has, would be taken away.  As I think back, I can’t remember Hugh ever saying anything negative about anyone or showing ill feelings about anything.  He was so easy going and yet when something had to be done, Hugh was always first to step up to the plate.  I have so many great memories of Hugh and it was a HUGE honor to have Hugh Dearden and the entire Dearden family in my life.  Hugh will always be a HUGE example to me of what it means to be a true and genuine hero.

Dave LiPuma