JOSEPH PRZYBYSZEWSKI
"SHIBBY"
July 15, 1947 - March 16, 1999
"Gentlemen, that is how the game is played."
Beth Driscoll McMaster:
I am trying to think of all the lines he used to say. I worked with him
and the people here just LOVED him. They don't get to experience many people
who know how to have a good time. The only thing I keep remembering is at
his funeral mass, Mike McCall gave the eulogy. At the end he said how sad
it was to lose such a good person so early in life and then said if Shibby
were there he would have used one of his famous lines, "Gentlemen, that
is how the game is played." It was just a very touching moment and I
think possibly a good title for his memorial spot.
On a funnier note, Joe Lees and Matt Brierley always talk about the birthday parties he used to have for himself at the Barefoot Bar at Diamond Beach. He owned the Bristol Stop at the time and about two months before hand he would start telling all of us to tell our mothers to save our gallon milk jugs, and wash them out if they would be so kind, so that he could use them as beer pitchers at the party. He would have a trunk full of them by August.
And my personal favorite: When he owned the Bristol Stop he sponsored my softball team at Piccoli, I was around 13. The shirts said: The Bristol Stop, You Can't Beat My Meat. Later in life I realized that it was really not right to have a bunch of adolescent girls running around with that printed on their shirts.
Joey Dunleavy:
Shibby was the greatest. He used to make me laugh my ass off. My brother,
Reidy, Guv, Townsend, Pinhead and the rest of the old LYCO/STUMBLE gang used
to tell the most hilarious "SHIBBY stories" - when Shibby was in
"his prime"!!! Even when he went into his "semi-retirement,
he was always good for a real load now & then ... and without-fail his
shirt(an maybe the rest of his clothing) would be off by the end of the night.
I think Shibby was a 'nudist' at heart. I remember playing in the Piccoli
summer basketball league and Shibby sponsored a team: Sugar Shack & the
Sugar Hill Gang. Shibby was "SHACK" before there ever was a "SHAQ"!!!
Remember the shirts at the old CASTOR: Shibby's back/Back Shibby. I used to
love when he was delivering pizzas for Paul's and he would see you on the
street and stop ... tip his glasses down his nose and just look at ya and
shake his head and then ride off laughing out loud. He was unique. Whenever
I'd run into him and we'd talk about anything - sports, women, golf, etc.,
etc., - he would always inevietably end up standing there shaking his ('huge')head
and saying: "little Dunleavy, you'll just never understand!!!" Shibby
you were probably right ... as of course you were about everything ... which
you never failed to let us know; In no uncertain terms!!! You were a Philospher/Poet.
A true "Character" ... that could'nt have been 'written better'
... and YOU are truly missed.
Denise Driscoll Golebiewski:
One of my fondest memories of Shibby was one nite there was a fist fight
at the AD club I got punched by a guy who was going for his girlfriend!! Shibby
then walked around with me by the hand for the rest of the nite "Is that
him Denise? - how about that one is that him?" Shibby wanted to kill
him and did not believe me when I said I never saw his face!!! He was a great
guy.
George Hamilton:
Remembering Shibby: One of the best Shibby lines was at Leo's first golf
outing which now is named for Shibby, when Shibby arrived real late with his
knee high white basketball socks, cut-off pants and a real smirk on his face
looks at Leo and says: " This better be good Leo, I just got out of bed
with two women". Shibby used to make me play one on one B-Ball with him
at Piccoli and then after he beat me up, took me to Charlie Ricci's and bought
me a sandwich.
Steve Lucianetti:
Shibby, Many people didn't know this about Joe, but he was an avid historian,
particularly about the Civil War. He startled me one work trip to Cherry Point
with his depth of knowledge about the battles of the Civil War. Joe was always
"street smart" but over the years it was great to see him really
take to formal education. Joe could have been a great actor. There were many
sides to him...all good...that only few people got to see. I was glad to know
"Shibby", but also just as happy to know Joe.