The photo: John Siano's Wife Beth Smyth Siano with Pop Pop Di - Beth grew up in Havertown as practically a daughter of Bill Di.

The Whitemarsh and Philadelphia Whitemarsh rugby community suffered a set back this week with the passing of the father, William Henry DiFrancesco, of one of the greatest rugby families in Whitemarsh history. Bill Di was a constant fixture on the sidelines watching his boys, Billy, Tommy, Eddie and Michael, play rugby for Whitemarsh. I had the extreme pleasure of playing with all four of his sons on one side and another over the years often with Bill Di on the sidelines cheering the team on. Whitemarsh has lost a great man.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the entire Di family. We wish the many family members of Mr. Di the strength and love needed to survive the pain.

After the every Saturday adventure that rugby was for all of us at one point or another, I spent many an extended family party hanging out with Mr. Di laughing joking talking rugby and golf. The man loved to golf! He will forever be remembered by me for his strength, his pure joy and his ability to gather a crowd, entertain them and make all - especially me - laugh. I think he did a fine job of making everyone around him just a little bit better - a little bit happier.

I can't think of a more influencial man, who through his four talented sons, Billy, Tommy, Eddie and Michael, had as much of an impact on Whitemarsh as Mr. Di.

Stephen Siano

Whitemarsh, Brothers of a Different Nation

I only knew him as Mister Dee-eye, father of four of the craziest sons, and best people, I have ever met. It's been, Jesus, it's been more than 40 years since I first suited up for Whitemarsh.  And in my marvelous youth I had brothers who played rugby.  Their names were Dougie and Bill, Kevin and Al, and Michael and Mike, and the other Mike, and the other Michael. Their last names were Coady and Little and Siano and Difrancesco and DeLeon and all the brothers who labored in the vineyards of Whitemarsh.

It is only now, after all these years, that I realize that Mr. Di met all of us in our prime. Not only were we a band of brothers, we were Whitemarsh, brothers of a different nation. We understood our difference, and we exalted in it. We really did believe that we were the best.  Or could be.  We never doubted that.

Such brothers come from fathers like Bill DiFrancesco.  I'm not going to say you had to be there, but. . . if you had been you would have seen what I saw. A dad who thrilled in the presence of his sons.  He was so proud of the rowdy crew he had produced. What he understood about the game, I have no clue.  But he was all in all the time.

So many brothers. Sean and Shane. Tim and Kevin. (And this all from one family). And Keith! The Novaks, the Konowals, the Haggertys, the Ruths, the McCarrons, the Ruffninaks, and all the other brothers names I haven't misspelled. There's only one John Dyduck. There's only one Harry Higgins. But the rest of us came in numbers.  I was one of three brothers to play for Whitemarsh. Once, magically, we all scored tries in the same B game.  My older brother Bill, my younger brother Doug, and me.  We were, in the words of the next week's short lived  Whitemarsh rugby newsletter, described by author Mike Novak, as the "daring DeLeon brothers."

That was so cool. Maybe that's why I started writing the Lineout.  To celebrate the brothers.  So many over so many years. Believe it or not, I have a nephew of one of my Whitemarsh brotherbrothers in my journalism class at Montgomery County Community College. His name is Richard (Blank) and his family hails from (Blanksborough).  His father is a younger brother I never met.  The son describes the relationship with the uncles who played rugby as "distant". I decided not to share with him a copy of the Lineout in which his uncle was quoted, famously, as describing Washington. D.C. upon his first seeing it ever in his life -- from the back of Shane Coady's 98 Oldsmobile at one in the morning --" almost clean streets and dressed up niggers."

Yes.  We were racists.  We're still racists, if you'll let us. And that's where we need grace.  And Mr. Di always carried himself with grace and dignity. And I will always honor that.  Because that's what brothers do. Honor the uncles.  Because without uncles. . .where do the stories come from?
 
Clark DeLeon

Pop Pop's services this weekend

The viewing is on Friday November 25th from 6:00-8:00pm and Saturday November 26th from 8:30- 9:15am at the Donohue Funeral Home, 8401 West Chester Pike, Upper Darby.  The Funeral Mass will be held on Saturday at 10:00am at Sacred Heart Church, 105 Wilson Avenue, Havertown.