Paul Terek's dad passes away

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http://www.hometownlife.com/article/200 ... S/81125006

Paul 'Joe' Terek, 50, carved his own niche

BY BRAD EMONS
OBSERVER STAFF WRITER
• NOVEMBER 25, 2008
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He was the father of the Livonia decathlete Paul Terek, who represented the U.S. at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, but he carved his own identity as well.



At age 50, Paul “Joe’’ Terek died peacefully Saturday at his home from complications from cancer. Services were held Tuesday at The R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Home in Livonia. Also among the survivors are his wife Cindy, a daughter Christy and his father Bob.

Paul “Joe’’ Terek was also a loving uncle, brother and coach who endeared himself to the Franklin High School family.

Terek, despite battling various illnesses for the past 13 years, helped mentor track and field athletes and was active in the Patriots Club.

“Little Paul,’’ a 1997 Franklin grad who set the state pole vault record and excelled in football before becoming Big Ten Track and Field Athlete of the Year at Michigan State, admired how his dad reached out to others.

“While he was helping me focus on my goals, he wanted to see not only me, but other kids get opportunities, too,’’ Paul Jr. said. “Anything he could help kids and better the situation – he never saw other options.’’

Paul “Joe’’ was an Eagle Scout and computer technician. He was born in Ohio before migrating to California and West Virginia. He eventually landed in Livonia.

While living in the Bay Area in Vallejo, Calif., Terek got involved with the Boy Scouts as a guidance leader.

“He was a big proponent of keeping kids busy,’’ Paul Jr. said. “He saw kids making bad decisions and running into problems – kids 12-to-14 – and he was bothered because those decisions affected them the rest of their lives. He believed if they were doing the right things, 99 percent will turn out right.’’

As a teen, “Big Paul’’ competed in track, football and basketball.

“I played the same sports in high school, that’s where I get my athletic side,’’ said Paul Jr., who has competed in three IAAF World Championships in the decathlon. “Big Paul’’ became a guru in the pole vault once his son took up the event in high school.

“He tried the pole vault one time in high school, but did not like it,’’ Paul Jr. recalled. “But later he learned from seeing coaches and reading books. He’d go online and talk about theories and training methods. He always wanted to see what was going on.’’

The 6-foot-4 Paul “Joe’’ persevered through diabetes and a double-bypass heart operation in 1996. He decided to quit smoking and drink only Diet Pepsi, while doing countless walks throughout the neighborhood and getting his weight down to 220, according to his son.

“Once he bounced back from one thing, then something else would come up,’’ Paul Jr. said. “He struggled to get back, but he never wanted a handout. He had the mentality that you earn what you get. He wanted to give back to everyone else.’’

Through slowed down by his illnesses and going on disability, Paul “Joe’’ and his family realized a dream when they were sent to the 2004 Athens Games through a community fund-raising effort.

“That was the highlight of dad’s life to go to Athens,’’ Little Paul said.

Paul Jr. currently lives with his wife Shilo and has trained predominantly year-round since 2003 in San Luis, Obispo, Calif.

Despite the distance, he remained close with his father.

“We talked every day or at least every other day the last two years,’’ Paul Jr. said. “He always cared about how I was, but he always wanted to know how my coach (Harry) Marra and his family were doing. That was a part of his life that touched so many others.’’

Over the past months when Paul “Joe’s’’ conditioned worsened and although he was confined to his home, he cherished visits not only from his family, but from loyal neighborhood friends like Joyce and Bob Biga.

“People who stopped by to visit meant the world to him,’’ Paul Jr. said. “Those last three months I’ve never seen anybody fight like that guy.’’

The Terek family asks to make donations in honor of Paul “Joe’’ Terek to: The Patriots Club, Franklin High School, 31000 Joy Road, Livonia, MI 48150.

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http://www.hometownlife.com/article/200 ... /811300542

Terek was father of Olympian; coach, friend of Patriot sports
BY BRAD EMONS • OBSERVER STAFF WRITER • NOVEMBER 30, 2008

He was the father of the Livonia decathlete Paul Terek, who represented the U.S. at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, but he carved his own identity as well.

At age 50, Paul "Joe'' Terek died Saturday of complications from cancer. Services were held Tuesday at The R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Home in Livonia. Also among the survivors are his wife Cindy, a daughter Christy and his father Bob.

Paul "Joe'' Terek was also a loving uncle, brother and coach who endeared himself to the Franklin High School family.

Terek, despite battling various illnesses for the past 13 years, helped mentor track and field athletes and was active in the Patriots Club.

"Little Paul,'' a 1997 Franklin grad who set the state pole vault record and excelled in football before becoming Big Ten Track and Field Athlete of the Year at Michigan State, admired how his dad reached out to others.

"While he was helping me focus on my goals, he wanted to see not only me, but other kids get opportunities, too,'' Paul Jr. said. "Anything he could help kids and better the situation Ð he never saw other options.''

Paul "Joe'' was an Eagle Scout, Air Force Senior First Class Airman (where he met his wife Cindy) and computer technician. He was born in Ohio before migrating as a youth to California and West Virginia. He eventually landed in Livonia.

While living in the Bay Area in Vallejo, Calif., Terek got involved with the Boy Scouts as a guidance leader.

"He was a big proponent of keeping kids busy,'' Paul Jr. said. "He saw kids making bad decisions and running into problems Ð kids 12-to-14 Ð and he was bothered because those decisions affected them the rest of their lives. He believed if they were doing the right things, 99 percent will turn out right.''

As a teen, "Big Paul'' competed in track, football and basketball.

"I played the same sports in high school, that's where I get my athletic side,'' said Paul Jr., who has competed in three IAAF World Championships in the decathlon. "Big Paul'' became a guru in the pole vault once his son took up the event in high school.

"He tried the pole vault one time in high school, but did not like it,'' Paul Jr. recalled. "But later he learned from seeing coaches and reading books. He'd go online and talk about theories and training methods. He always wanted to see what was going on.''

The 6-foot-4 Paul "Joe'' persevered through diabetes and a double-bypass heart operation in 1996. He decided to quit smoking and drink only Diet Pepsi, while doing countless walks throughout the neighborhood and getting his weight down to 220, according to his son.

"Once he bounced back from one thing, then something else would come up,'' Paul Jr. said. "He struggled to get back, but he never wanted a handout.

He had the mentality that you earn what you get. He wanted to give back to everyone else.''

Through slowed down by his illnesses and going on disability, Paul "Joe'' and his family realized a dream when they were sent to the 2004 Athens Games through a community fund-raising effort.

"That was the highlight of dad's life to go to Athens,'' Little Paul said.

Paul Jr. currently lives with his wife Shilo and has trained predominantly year-round since 2003 in San Luis, Obispo, Calif.

Despite the distance, he remained close with his father.

"We talked every day or at least every other day the last two years,'' Paul Jr. said. "He always cared about how I was, but he always wanted to know how my coach (Harry) Marra and his family were doing. That was a part of his life that touched so many others.''

Over the past months when Paul "Joe's'' conditioned worsened and although he was confined to his home, he cherished visits not only from his family, but from loyal neighborhood friends like Joyce and Bob Biga.

"People who stopped by to visit meant the world to him,'' Paul Jr. said. "Those last three months I've never seen anybody fight like that guy.''

The Terek family asks to make donations in honor of Paul "Joe'' Terek to: The Patriots Club, Franklin High School, 31000 Joy Road, Livonia, MI 48150.