Story
Former Wellington, Palm Beach Central coach Jeffrey Raab dies
Thursday, July 22, 2010
by
Joseph Kairalla
Photo by Gary Coronado/The Palm Beach Post
This 2007 photo shows Jeffrey Raab and his wife, Bobbi. Click here to leave condolences on Mr. Raab's guest book.
Read a 2007 look at Mr. Raab and Bobbi Raab as they try to deal with early-onset Alzheimer's.
Tom Cherry and Jeffrey Raab had been friends and colleagues for more than a decade when Cherry got Raab the head coaching position for the Palm Beach Central junior varsity football team in 2004. It was during the first few days of practice at the newly opened school when Cherry realized something was wrong.
"There were some days he would come to practice and he wouldn't have any idea who I was," Cherry said. "And this was a guy I worked with on a daily basis for many years."
The reason Mr. Raab couldn't remember Cherry was because he was just beginning a fight with a rare form of Alzheimer's disease. On Monday, Mr. Raab lost his six-year battle with the disease and died at 55.
A viewing will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Palms West Funeral Home in Royal Palm Beach, with a funeral service beginning at 1 p.m.
While it was at Palm Beach Central where Mr. Cherry noticed his friend fading away, it was at Wellington High where Mr. Raab left his legacy. Mr. Raab was a teacher and football coach there for 16 years until his retirement.
When Cherry took over as the head football coach at Wellington in 1994, he named Mr. Raab his defensive coordinator. Together they teamed to lead the Wolverines to two district titles and made it as far as the regional playoffs five times before Cherry resigned after the 2002 season.
Cherry, currently the golf and weight lifting coach at Palm Beach Central, is quick to credit Mr. Raab for much of the Wolverines' success in the mid-1990s. That success included beating a powerhouse Pahokee team led by Anquan Boldin three times in four years.
"Defense was our strength, and our calling card was discipline, which was Jeff's specialty," Cherry said. "At one point, he even went as far as to make up T-shirts with the word 'Discipline' on it. He did things the right way."
Another reason Mr. Raab succeeded was because the players he coached and the students he taught took his lessons to heart. Mike Pinkney, who starred for the Wolverines from 1993-1997 as a fullback and linebacker and later played for the University of Miami, was one of those players.
"I remember being a young player and making a mistake and coach Raab pulled me aside and said, 'Look I know and believe you're going to be a great player, but to make it happen, you have to believe in yourself,' " Pinkney said. "He didn't have to do that, but he always looked out for us, especially when we were young players.
"It's those moments that make him a coach I'll always remember."
Pinkney also remembers Mr. Raab as a motivator who had his players ready for every game and practice.
"I'll never forget going down to Key West for a big playoff game and on the whole way down there, coach Raab was saying, 'We're going to Key West to get the Conch Republic back. This is our territory now,' ' Pinkney said. "He got us so fired up, man. He was the ultimate character."
Mr. Raab had early onset Alzheimer's, which is those stricken before 65. Raab was diagnosed when he was 49.
"Coach Raab was a fighter and his death is extremely sad, but he definitely left his mark," Cherry said. "He was extremely loyal and well-respected, and if you think about all the work he did with kids and the amount of lives he touched, it's amazing,"
Mr. Raab is survived by his wife, Bobbi, and four children.
"He was the best of the best and he's going to be missed," Pinkney said.
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User Comments:
Gman commented on July 24, 2010 at 8:12 a.m.: report abuse
My condolences to the family. How sad it is to be taken away at such a young age.
Godspeed Mr. Raab.
Gerald McCully commented on July 24, 2010 at 6:42 p.m.: report abuse
My prayers are with all of the Raab family, I wish that I could have attended the service, you all are in our prayers....
Testimonial to Jeff Raab, my friend, who was a great coach, will always be a great father......and Bobbi knows that he was the best husband. He will be sorely missed, but never forgotten. Jeff was as sharp as a tack, and the hardest worker. He had a great sense of humor, with original jokes that I repeat to this day. He seemed like a tough guy to the newbies, but he welcomed all.
Jeff Raab made players and coaches feel welcome with his unique ability to tag the newbie with a nickname. A nickname is a badge in team sports that means you have made the team and it means that you have an important role. Science, Clams,Hambone, Apple, Benny (and others too numerous to mention) are all former Wellington coaches (like me) that will miss him. Thanks for the forum.... He gave me many nicknames Ger, Rickles, Hoss, Chin.....and my personal favorite "Animosity."
It was after a heated coaching argument with Jeff,in the office on a Saturday after a tough loss that I got the nickname. Jeff must have seen some merit in my argument, because he then tactfully de-escalated and softened the disagreement by nicknaming me "Animosity." I then asked what he meant by that.... He explained it with his deft humor with a Frank, Dean and Rickles story.... then we laughed and came to a compromise. It was the first time that I saw him back down on anything, and I then realized that he was a a very intelligent guy with a big heart. It was then our friendship, began.
He would use the different nicknames for me to tell me different things. Animosity meant that I needed to cool down.....Ger meant thank you...Gerbear means that he needed a favor....Hoss meant that I was shoveling those wings a little too fast.....Rickles was when I got a good barb.... and Chin.... was when I got a good barb on him......You can not judge a book by its cover, and my first and last impressions of Jeff.....do not compare to the friend that I knew.
I will carry Jeff Raab stories till my last days.
Sincerely,
Ger
Gerald McCully commented on July 24, 2010 at 7:07 p.m.: report abuse
I posted this on the memorial page, but it was punctuated with extra question marks....this is how it should look....
Jeff Raab knew that for everything there is a season,
And a time for a lot of fun after eleven:
A time to wither, and a time to heal;
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to teach drivers ed, and a time to learn how to be right;
A time to take roll, and a time to release your class a minute early,
A time to argue with everyone, and a time to agree with me;
A time to drink coffee, and a time for a beer;
A time to joke like Sinatra, and a time to apologize like Dean;
A time to adapt the 4-3, and a time to stay the defensive plan;
A time to coach intensely, And a time to refrain from coaching;
A time for a Wellington win, and a time for a Wolverine loss;
A time to father Thomas, and a time to be cared for by Bobbi;(and so many others)
A time to be intensely proud of Natalie, and a time to relax with Dikta;
A time to cheer the Raiders, Bears,and Cubs and a time to boo the 'Fins;
A time to keep silence about 'Apple' and 'Benny' and a time to speak about 'Science';
A time to love Bobbi and family, and a time to hate this damn disease,
A time for war with Alzheimer's, and a time for peace in Heaven.
...RIP Jeff...Thanks for the great times. Our condolences are with the Raabs.
Jeff, you are with Papa Bear Halas, Dean Martin and Sammie Davis looking down here, now.....
Thanks for the jokes, nicknames, and your friendship,
You will always be in our hearts,
Ger/ aka 'Animosity'
Robert Drose commented on July 25, 2010 at 12:43 a.m.: report abuse
I was apart of the first football team to play for Wellington. Coach Rabb was always there motivating us. i learn some hard lessons like to push yourself when you didn't think you could go anymore. In the early days we played offense and defense and all specials team, by half time we had played a full game. It was tuff in those early days. I remeber one game we ended with 11 players. Coach Rabb was right there taking jersey from players that got hurt and giving them to the players that could still play and moved to position that needed to be filled. Coach was giving encouragment the whole time.Coach Rabb was my coach and my friend. My blessings go to his family and friends
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