One thing I have learned is that good friends have other good friends. This is a series of stories about “friends of my friends”. The post below is the story for August 24, 2015.
My goal in 2015 is to learn or get re-acquainted with 365 people and doing a daily post on the “the friend of a friend” is helping me get closer to my goal.
The city of Lumberton, NC has had it share of people come and go. In fact I am one of them. I moved to Lumberton. NC in 1985 and left in 1992 to become the basketball coach at Winthrop University. In 1998 I returned to Lumberton, NC & UNC Pembroke to become the Athletic Director. So I don’t judge when people leave our community I get it.
One of the special people who came to Lumberton was Dr. George Bekic. He came to town to work for another really good man -Dr. Steve Royal. Steve and George both are involved with cardiology. Dr. Royal has his heart office right up the street from my home on North Elm Street in Lumberton.
Photo below of Dr. Steve Royal.
When George first came to town he was trying to find a comfortable place to make friends. At the time he was living in Lumberton a restaurant located on West 3rd Street that is today called Candy Sue’s went by the name of Black Water Grille (BWG). BWG on Tuesday nights had a Texas Hold’em Tournament. That is where I first got to meet George and immediately realized he was an excellent poker player. In fact almost every night he was there playing he made the final table.
Over time that tournament lost interest to me and George. The primary reason was people took it way too seriously after they got drunk. I didn’t need the drama and either did George. We wound up playing at my house on a monthly basis and George was aways welcomed. With George, Pramit Patel, Joe Butler, Tony Jenkins, and myself we had some great evenings playing cards for low stakes but for great times.
George was also very generous with his time with my son Mack who would sometime sit down at the poker table with us at the age of 10. Today Mack is a pretty fair poker player thanks to lessons learned from George and others.
George was always a happy poker player. Never a sore loser which was a rare moment when he didn’t win. He also could teach everyone else a thing or two about poker. I loved the night he told us “men there are only two ways to play a pair of jacks and they both are wrong”.
After a few years in Lumberton George got married and moved back to his home state of Pennsylvania. Today he practices medicine in Pittsburg, PA. George won most nights playing poker because he was just good. I am not sure any man can be that good in meeting your future wife. George didn’t need luck playing cards but he was lucky in love.
His beautiful wife and friend is Amy Weaver.
The Friend-GEORGE BEKIC
The Friend of the Friend-AMY BEKIC
Married with Twins
Amy Bekic as a mom has to take care of a PAIR of precious young boys. It is role I believe she was born for.
Photo below of her twins.
While Amy was living in North Carolina she taught school in Cumberland County at Lake Rim Elementary School. While they were living in Lumberton Amy and George were a couple you liked having around. They both were caring and very intelligent.
My poker analogy about the Bekic’s is that don’t just have a PAIR of children they are considered a ROYAL FLUSH as friends. A royal flush is the best combination of cards and Amy and George are the best in what human beings should be about.
George and Amy are tough hand to beat whether you live in Lumberton or Pittsburg.
For all us that know them you just don’t bet against them-they are special.
coach4aday 
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