Heart attack kills mother of Neumann-Goretti coach

CHARLES "CJ" Szydlik will experience an intense combination of excitement and sadness when Ss. Neumann-Goretti High opens its football season Friday at 2 p.m. at 11th and Bigler, with a nonleague game against Horace Furness.

His first game as the Saints' coach will not be attended by his mother, Eileen.

"I know how important this was to her. How excited she would have been," Szydlik said. "I'm going to try to hold things together."

Eileen (nee Jordan) Szydlik, 56, died Saturday of a heart attack in CJ's house. His mom and dad, Chalie, his offensive coordinator and the last head coach in North Catholic's history (2004-09), were there to drop off scouting tapes, and CJ got the word via cellphone while watching a scrimmage between Chestnut Hill Academy and Archbishop Ryan.

"I know my mom just wants us to keep going," CJ Szydlik said. "That's how she was. She almost never missed one of our games. Fully supportive of my dad and her three kids and eight grandkids."

CJ, a lineman, and his brother, Steve, a quarterback, played at Frankford High, their dad's alma mater. Their sister, Christina, attended Little Flower, their mom's alma mater, and was a cheerleader for weight-ball teams representing the Frankford Boys Club. Mom dabbled in guiding the cheerleaders, while Dad got his coaching start there.

Keeping things upbeat, CJ remembered yesterday how Mom gave Dad a hard time after FBC games.

"I played center," he said, "and my dad would call in the signals on how to block. You know how young kids are; don't always pay attention. So my dad would have to yell. After the game, my mom would say to him, 'Why are you always yelling at him? Why do you have to pick on your own son?' He'd say, 'I'm not yelling at him. I'm just telling him what to do.'

"Lately, there was a running joke in our family about how I'm the head coach now and my dad is assisting me. When we'd sit around at family gatherings and my dad would ask me to do something, my mom would say every time, 'Careful, he's your boss now.' "

Eileen grew up on Discher Street in Frankford. Last June, she and Chalie celebrated their 38th wedding anniversary. CJ said his mom was a medical assistant when younger, then stepped away to dote on the grandkids.

"She loved being a grandmom and was awesome at it," he said.

The viewing will be 6 to 9 p.m. tomorrow at John F. Givnish Funeral Home, 10975 Academy Road, Philadelphia. Funeral Mass will be 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Charles Borromeo Church, 2500 Branch Pike, Cinnaminson, N.J., preceded by a viewing at 10 a.m.