Dane Roman Memorial
Donation protected
Friends,
Dane Roman was more than a friend to us. He played several roles to many. He was a mentor, leader, brother, teammate, physiatrist, barman, and a wingman. He brought hope to all the balding men of America that "bald is beautiful!" ;)
We are gathering funds to alleviate the stress, the service and typical bills that come along during these unfortunate times. Dane's older brother Dominic is the last one left in the family. He has taken on the majority of the responsibilities of Dane's passing. As we all know, Dane wasn't much of a life planner and so he had no will or trust set up. Several of us have been in these situations and know that the expense can add up. Again, we thank you for whatever you can donate- big, small or just a prayer.
All monies not used will go back to Mission Bay Football in which Dane loved and lived for. Dane gave to everyone and didn't give enough to himself.
Celebration of Life is THIS SUNDAY at OFFSHORE TAVERN at 1pm 2253 Morena Blvd. If you have a photo of Dane that you could print and bring, we would appreciate it. I am sure several will be coming into town this week and so Beach Comber will obviously be a place of gathering to see old friends and faces.
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This was posted by Dane's brother Dominic on his Facebook page...
As only a few of my friends ever had the pleasure of meeting Dane, I wanted to take a moment to talk about and celebrate the life of my only brother.
Earlier this week, I was informed that he had passed away while at home in Ocean Beach, CA. Since everyone always asks “What happened?”, I will tell you that the cause of death is still pending but appears to have occurred under natural circumstances and will leave it at that. Besides this post isn’t about those details or about condolences or my grief and sadness. It’s about me telling you a little about my brother, his accomplishments and the hundreds of people he influenced and affected in the hopes that it will compel all of us to do good.
My younger brother was tall, athletic and excelled at many youth sports but once he started pee wee football that would become his passion.
In high school he was an all star defensive end on the football team at Crescenta Valley High School. He took his football talents to Humboldt State, in NorCal where he continued to play as a defensive end and once football ended he transitioned into the closest thing to football, rugby. He played on the Humboldt club team for a few seasons before moving back down south.
In the early 2000s he moved down to San Diego where it would become his home. He lived and worked in South Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach.
Though his football playing days were long over he transitioned his passion for the game to coaching and mentoring.
He was a longtime assistant football coach at various local schools, including Cathedral Catholic, Helix, St. Augustin and Castle Rock. Last year was his first as the head football coach at Mission Bay High School. He also continued playing rugby as a player and then later coach on the Old Mission Bay Athletic Club rugby team.
My brother wasn’t one who could work in an office environment and therefore ended up working at several restaurants and bars in various positions. Eventually he landed at the place that would be his home, the Beachcomber, aka the Comber in South Mission Beach. He was a bouncer, bartender, dj and after a few years became a 50% owner. On slow nights he often played all of those roles.
He hated vegetables though on a few occasions Id see him down a naked juice. He could have been the spokesman for the meat and potatoes diet and I’m pretty certain he sat on the California Cheese Board. If deviled eggs were being served he’d put them all down. Although he had many athletic abilities, coordination and fine muscle movements were not in his arsenal. He was terrible at dribbling a basketball and though he loved fishing as my whole family did, he wasn’t the most adept at it. What he was though was strong, fast, a team player, worked hard than everyone and was the toughest guy on the field. The smell of his bare feet could clear out a room faster than a fire. Many never knew this but he actually did have hair when he was younger. Thick, curly red hair that my mom and grandmas loved. He hated it and would wear it short. When he first started losing his hair he finally had his excuse to shave it all off.
He loved the RAAAAAAIDERS, Dodgers and Norte Dame football even though when growing up our parents had season tickets to USC. He loved dogs especially his current dog Gigi, an enormous Bernese Mountain dog, who became and will remain a staple in the community.
My brother was stubborn, kept most things inside, could be unpredictable, didn’t complain, got into a lot of fights, wasn’t always reliable and was always late. But damn if he didn’t have one of the biggest hearts and was one of the most selfless people I knew. In addition, he’d always have your back especially when the shit hit the fan.
Through rugby, coaching high school football, working at the Comber and volunteering he met and befriended hundreds of people and became a mainstay in Mission Beach. He gave individuals jobs at the Comber when they had hit rock bottom and had no other options. He’d train them, promote them and share everything he knew with them.
He coached and mentored hundreds in football and rugby. He often coached at inner-city schools where kids didn’t often have much for money and didn’t always have the best home life. Wasn’t uncommon for Dane to buy them meals or equipment or provide a safe place to spend the night.
The Comber became better under him. Renovations, trivia nights, special events, hosting local sports teams and never charged a high price for a drink. He was known for slinging some strong drinks and doling out even stronger advice.
I’ll never stop missing, loving him and going through the rest of my life without him in it will not be easy. However reading the hundreds of postings and messages sharing all the wonderful memories and pics of Dane brings me joy and puts a smile on my face. As he was a pillar in the community, there will be a big memorial, tributes and dedications which I look forward to attending to hear some stories, see some pics, have some laughs and meet those he touched, affected and influenced.
RIP isn’t applicable to Dane as he never sat still and worked nearly every day of the week. I know though he’s with my mom, dad, grandparents and all the others in his life that he’s lost.
**Update on services.
Dane is being cremated by his brother and family. A celebration of his life will be held at Off Shore Tavern in Bay Park. Sunday, August 18th from 1-3pm. It is located on Morena Blvd. Afterward several will head over to THE BEACHCOMBER, where we know his spirit will live on forever. Thank you all for the support.
Sincerely,
Mina & Friends
Dane Roman was more than a friend to us. He played several roles to many. He was a mentor, leader, brother, teammate, physiatrist, barman, and a wingman. He brought hope to all the balding men of America that "bald is beautiful!" ;)
We are gathering funds to alleviate the stress, the service and typical bills that come along during these unfortunate times. Dane's older brother Dominic is the last one left in the family. He has taken on the majority of the responsibilities of Dane's passing. As we all know, Dane wasn't much of a life planner and so he had no will or trust set up. Several of us have been in these situations and know that the expense can add up. Again, we thank you for whatever you can donate- big, small or just a prayer.
All monies not used will go back to Mission Bay Football in which Dane loved and lived for. Dane gave to everyone and didn't give enough to himself.
Celebration of Life is THIS SUNDAY at OFFSHORE TAVERN at 1pm 2253 Morena Blvd. If you have a photo of Dane that you could print and bring, we would appreciate it. I am sure several will be coming into town this week and so Beach Comber will obviously be a place of gathering to see old friends and faces.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This was posted by Dane's brother Dominic on his Facebook page...
As only a few of my friends ever had the pleasure of meeting Dane, I wanted to take a moment to talk about and celebrate the life of my only brother.
Earlier this week, I was informed that he had passed away while at home in Ocean Beach, CA. Since everyone always asks “What happened?”, I will tell you that the cause of death is still pending but appears to have occurred under natural circumstances and will leave it at that. Besides this post isn’t about those details or about condolences or my grief and sadness. It’s about me telling you a little about my brother, his accomplishments and the hundreds of people he influenced and affected in the hopes that it will compel all of us to do good.
My younger brother was tall, athletic and excelled at many youth sports but once he started pee wee football that would become his passion.
In high school he was an all star defensive end on the football team at Crescenta Valley High School. He took his football talents to Humboldt State, in NorCal where he continued to play as a defensive end and once football ended he transitioned into the closest thing to football, rugby. He played on the Humboldt club team for a few seasons before moving back down south.
In the early 2000s he moved down to San Diego where it would become his home. He lived and worked in South Mission Beach, Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach.
Though his football playing days were long over he transitioned his passion for the game to coaching and mentoring.
He was a longtime assistant football coach at various local schools, including Cathedral Catholic, Helix, St. Augustin and Castle Rock. Last year was his first as the head football coach at Mission Bay High School. He also continued playing rugby as a player and then later coach on the Old Mission Bay Athletic Club rugby team.
My brother wasn’t one who could work in an office environment and therefore ended up working at several restaurants and bars in various positions. Eventually he landed at the place that would be his home, the Beachcomber, aka the Comber in South Mission Beach. He was a bouncer, bartender, dj and after a few years became a 50% owner. On slow nights he often played all of those roles.
He hated vegetables though on a few occasions Id see him down a naked juice. He could have been the spokesman for the meat and potatoes diet and I’m pretty certain he sat on the California Cheese Board. If deviled eggs were being served he’d put them all down. Although he had many athletic abilities, coordination and fine muscle movements were not in his arsenal. He was terrible at dribbling a basketball and though he loved fishing as my whole family did, he wasn’t the most adept at it. What he was though was strong, fast, a team player, worked hard than everyone and was the toughest guy on the field. The smell of his bare feet could clear out a room faster than a fire. Many never knew this but he actually did have hair when he was younger. Thick, curly red hair that my mom and grandmas loved. He hated it and would wear it short. When he first started losing his hair he finally had his excuse to shave it all off.
He loved the RAAAAAAIDERS, Dodgers and Norte Dame football even though when growing up our parents had season tickets to USC. He loved dogs especially his current dog Gigi, an enormous Bernese Mountain dog, who became and will remain a staple in the community.
My brother was stubborn, kept most things inside, could be unpredictable, didn’t complain, got into a lot of fights, wasn’t always reliable and was always late. But damn if he didn’t have one of the biggest hearts and was one of the most selfless people I knew. In addition, he’d always have your back especially when the shit hit the fan.
Through rugby, coaching high school football, working at the Comber and volunteering he met and befriended hundreds of people and became a mainstay in Mission Beach. He gave individuals jobs at the Comber when they had hit rock bottom and had no other options. He’d train them, promote them and share everything he knew with them.
He coached and mentored hundreds in football and rugby. He often coached at inner-city schools where kids didn’t often have much for money and didn’t always have the best home life. Wasn’t uncommon for Dane to buy them meals or equipment or provide a safe place to spend the night.
The Comber became better under him. Renovations, trivia nights, special events, hosting local sports teams and never charged a high price for a drink. He was known for slinging some strong drinks and doling out even stronger advice.
I’ll never stop missing, loving him and going through the rest of my life without him in it will not be easy. However reading the hundreds of postings and messages sharing all the wonderful memories and pics of Dane brings me joy and puts a smile on my face. As he was a pillar in the community, there will be a big memorial, tributes and dedications which I look forward to attending to hear some stories, see some pics, have some laughs and meet those he touched, affected and influenced.
RIP isn’t applicable to Dane as he never sat still and worked nearly every day of the week. I know though he’s with my mom, dad, grandparents and all the others in his life that he’s lost.
**Update on services.
Dane is being cremated by his brother and family. A celebration of his life will be held at Off Shore Tavern in Bay Park. Sunday, August 18th from 1-3pm. It is located on Morena Blvd. Afterward several will head over to THE BEACHCOMBER, where we know his spirit will live on forever. Thank you all for the support.
Sincerely,
Mina & Friends
Organizer and beneficiary
Mina Desiderio
Organizer
San Diego, CA
Dominic Roman
Beneficiary