In memoriam: Jared Beiswenger

Throughout his life, Jared Beiswenger loved to play and watch sports of every kind. At Great… Throughout his life, Jared Beiswenger loved to play and watch sports of every kind. At Great Valley High School in Malvern, Pa., he ran track and field. When he arrived at the University of Pittsburgh, he played intramural basketball and football. Jared was a devoted Eagles, Phillies and Pitt sports fan – even during the teams’ tottering years – and he attended countless Pitt basketball and football games with his friends. Throughout his life, Jared Beiswenger loved to play and watch sports of every kind. At Great Valley High School in Malvern, Pa., he ran track and field. When he arrived at the University of Pittsburgh, he played intramural basketball and football. Jared was a devoted Eagles, Phillies and Pitt sports fan – even during the teams’ tottering years – and he attended countless Pitt basketball and football games with his friends. He was a natural athlete and a guy whom everyone wanted on his team, said fraternity brother Greg Placone. Beiswenger, 23, died suddenly on May 18, 2008. He left behind his parents, Robert and Janet, and sisters, Rachel and Roxanne. A Pitt graduate in April 2006, Jared’s love for sports was apparent to everyone who knew him. “He was a die-hard Philly fan,” Placone said. “He went to probably more than 20 Phillies games this season alone, and he wouldn’t miss the Eagles on Sunday for anything.” Placone also remembered how hard Jared took each loss that his favorite teams faced. “It was impossible to even talk to him after a game was over,” he said. “He’d be too angry to even acknowledge your question.” Luke Fidler, another one of Jared’s fraternity brothers, remembered Jared’s competitive spirit and hatred for losing. “I’ll always remember going to Pitt basketball games with him,” Fidler said. “He was the craziest fan I’ve ever been with at a game, and the Zoo definitely lost one of its biggest fans,” he said. Jared always got his choice of seats at Pitt basketball games by arriving at the gate several hours before tipoff, Placone added. “He liked to wear an Adidas headband, harking back to the Julius Page days,” he said. “He read the PittBlather.com daily, and we’d always chat about the latest Pitt news posted on there.” Besides sports, Jared was a member of Delta Phi fraternity and served as the fraternity’s vice president and pledge master throughout his college years. While fulfilling these leadership positions, Placone recalled how Jared bettered and challenged others and led with an unwavering example. “He had the unique ability to give insightful advice, and he was particularly adept at giving advice without you realizing he was doing so,” Placone said. “His character was defined by strength, loyalty and passion for life, and I can say without hesitation that he epitomized the very notion of brotherhood.” Additionally, Placone said Jared helped him to understand when to take things seriously and when not to worry about the details. “Through his example, I learned to keep going and never give in simply due to adverse circumstances,” he said. “He did not want to waste time making the same mistakes, and his life was very much defined by maximizing every moment to make the best out of daunting challenges.” In addition to sports and his fraternity, another one of Jared’s interests included watching the television show “Lost,” Placone said. Jared discussed the show’s complex mythology with Placone through back and forth e-mails during their free time at work. “He loved to rehash theories about the show and its direction with any other ‘Lost’ fanatic,” he said. Placone said that Jared, who majored in communication and Spanish, planned to teach English in Peru through the TEFL program starting in January 2009. He already started the process with the certification program and spent lots of time researching where he wanted to teach in Latin America and what program would be best to do so. He also recently applied for his passport and was slated to leave for Peru in August. Although he never obtained the opportunity to teach in Latin America, Jared’s friends will always remember his determination and drive that led him in that direction. “As far as his strengths go, he never gave up on anything,” Fidler said. “He was one of the most determined people I’ve ever known. He had an awesome sense of humor and could make almost anyone laugh.” Steve Grisanti, one of Jared’s fraternity brothers who was in the same pledge class as him, said that Jared was one of his only friends that he could fully trust. “He never wanted anything in return,” he said. “He was always willing to sacrifice himself for the betterment of his friends. I think of him as one of my best friends, but so does everyone else who was close to him.”