Robby............. the personification of toughness to me as a young kid ......... as I got into rugby after Pleasantville, I often thought of how much he would have loved that game and excelled at it (maybe he did) ......... very sorry to hear that he has left us ............ but I suspect some day we'll all be together again in the great beyond ......
Bobby was one of those guys that I admired most during my time at PHS. One of the toughest, if not the toughest, strongest, football players I have ever been around, including my college days. I have a clipping with a Reporter Dispatch photo of me taken during a touchdown run in the Rye game. It is posted on my area of this website. Bobby is on the far left of the the photo, looking at me as I was running toward the end zone. I will never forget seeing him out of the corner of my eye as I was running, and thinking, I got Bobby as an escort, so no problem. There was no problem, and I can still feel the bear hug he gave me in the end zone to this day. I regret that I lost track of him, and many others, as the years have gone by. Rest in Peace, Bobby, and thanks again for the escort.
I too am very sad to learn that Bobby has died and a few years ago without anyone of us knowing.
He was my neighbor and we would do so much together as we walked to Bill Platte's house and maybe on down to Will Wilkoff's before we could drive cars.
On the football field he was probably the best defensive player on our team and good enough to get a scholarship to Arizona or Arizona State. Unfortunately I believe a knee injury ended his career. One tough guy for us and always glad he was on our team.
It is painful when a school friend does leave and we think of all the good times that were had together.
Robbie was among the most determined athletes I ever encountered. As I recall, maybe unfairly, he carried the burden of a father who was overly involved in his athletic career an experience most of us fortunately didn't share. Robbie managed this situation far better than I could have. I am sorry that we all have been robbed of the opportunity of getting to know Bob DiYeso, the man. He was a helluva boy, and I will miss him.
yes, he had a lot to deal with at home. If only he had come back to P'ville to all those wanting to see him, he would have been overwhelmed with the love we all share for him!
I will forever miss him we were very good friends in middle school and the beginnijg of high school he loved my grandmothers italian sause rest in peace tony ciulla
As I have spent the last few days ruminating about Bob DiYeso's death an anecdote came to me. Robbie was a head strong active young man, probably might have found himself wih a label had he grown up in the last few decades. My mother, although soft spoken and quiet was a woman with little tolerance for shenanigans. I recall one Cub Scout meeting at my house. My mother was the Den Mother and Robbie was being Robbie and when he was being a liittle too Robbie my mother grabbed him by one ear and with one firm twist she had him on the floor. From that day on Robbie never missed an opportunity to ask about my mother. Robbie was one tough dude but he met his match in my Mom.
Another PHS football anecdote about me and Bobby Diyeso. The second game of our senior year was against Eastchester, at Eastchester. They had a running back who was a sprinter on their track team named, I believe, Rick Spinell. Eastchester ran him on several end runs toward Bobby, who was our left defensive end and who was paired with linebacker Glenn Gornett. They had no success on that side of the field, to say the least. They had better success running towards my side of the field, where I was the linebacker and John Schwaller was the defensive end. John held up his resposibility for stopping the end runs, but I was not quite able to match the speed of the running back from where I was positioned. After a couple more of those end runs to my side of the field, Bobby walked over to me in the huddle, and looked right through me, as only he could. He then said, in no uncertain terms, and in language that I now clean up, that we better find a way to stop that particular play or else we would answer to him. John and I quickly figured out what position changes we needed to make, details not important, and proceeded to get the job done. After we stopped that particular play a few times in succession, they stopped running it completely. What I got from Bobby, subsequently in the huddle, was a pat on the shoulder. No words were necessary, so none were exchanged. What I got from that experience was both a lesson in leadership, and a lesson in problem solving. I have never forgotten either lesson.
Because I lived so close to Bedford Road school, it was easy to have friends over right from school. I had a great set of marbles and Robbie was also a collector. In fifth grade he walked home with me so we could play a game of marbles. He won a bunch of marbles out of my collection. I got in trouble for having a boy over after school without anyone at home! Bad day for me...good day for him...great memory of the "good old days of innocence" with a great friend. I wish I could've shared this story with him. I always think of you with a smile, Robbie. Jess
In addition to remembering Robbie as a football hero and a real hunk, my personal memories involve sitting next to him on a bar stool at Foley's listening to him wrestle with issues about his father. He was always so angry! One year when I drove my daughter to Camp Hochelaga in the '80s, I visited Rob in Vermont in the house he built in the woods and we talked all night long about PHS and our wild adolescent days. I admit I was pretty wayward myself! He made himself hard to find but was living a solitary life full of self-study and contemplation. I always wondered if he was still there. Under that tough exterior was a sensitive man. Rest in peace, Robbie. You deserve it.
Tom Pulliam
Robby............. the personification of toughness to me as a young kid ......... as I got into rugby after Pleasantville, I often thought of how much he would have loved that game and excelled at it (maybe he did) ......... very sorry to hear that he has left us ............ but I suspect some day we'll all be together again in the great beyond ......
Dr. William Bracciodieta
Bobby was one of those guys that I admired most during my time at PHS. One of the toughest, if not the toughest, strongest, football players I have ever been around, including my college days. I have a clipping with a Reporter Dispatch photo of me taken during a touchdown run in the Rye game. It is posted on my area of this website. Bobby is on the far left of the the photo, looking at me as I was running toward the end zone. I will never forget seeing him out of the corner of my eye as I was running, and thinking, I got Bobby as an escort, so no problem. There was no problem, and I can still feel the bear hug he gave me in the end zone to this day. I regret that I lost track of him, and many others, as the years have gone by. Rest in Peace, Bobby, and thanks again for the escort.
Billy B.
Dave Ogden
I too am very sad to learn that Bobby has died and a few years ago without anyone of us knowing.
He was my neighbor and we would do so much together as we walked to Bill Platte's house and maybe on down to Will Wilkoff's before we could drive cars.
On the football field he was probably the best defensive player on our team and good enough to get a scholarship to Arizona or Arizona State. Unfortunately I believe a knee injury ended his career. One tough guy for us and always glad he was on our team.
It is painful when a school friend does leave and we think of all the good times that were had together.
Rest in peace, Bobby, rest in peace.
William Wilkoff MD
Robbie was among the most determined athletes I ever encountered. As I recall, maybe unfairly, he carried the burden of a father who was overly involved in his athletic career an experience most of us fortunately didn't share. Robbie managed this situation far better than I could have. I am sorry that we all have been robbed of the opportunity of getting to know Bob DiYeso, the man. He was a helluva boy, and I will miss him.
Barbara Kaestner (Curry)
yes, he had a lot to deal with at home. If only he had come back to P'ville to all those wanting to see him, he would have been overwhelmed with the love we all share for him!
Tony Ciulla
I will forever miss him we were very good friends in middle school and the beginnijg of high school he loved my grandmothers italian sause rest in peace tony ciulla
William Wilkoff MD
As I have spent the last few days ruminating about Bob DiYeso's death an anecdote came to me. Robbie was a head strong active young man, probably might have found himself wih a label had he grown up in the last few decades. My mother, although soft spoken and quiet was a woman with little tolerance for shenanigans. I recall one Cub Scout meeting at my house. My mother was the Den Mother and Robbie was being Robbie and when he was being a liittle too Robbie my mother grabbed him by one ear and with one firm twist she had him on the floor. From that day on Robbie never missed an opportunity to ask about my mother. Robbie was one tough dude but he met his match in my Mom.
Dr. William Bracciodieta
Another PHS football anecdote about me and Bobby Diyeso. The second game of our senior year was against Eastchester, at Eastchester. They had a running back who was a sprinter on their track team named, I believe, Rick Spinell. Eastchester ran him on several end runs toward Bobby, who was our left defensive end and who was paired with linebacker Glenn Gornett. They had no success on that side of the field, to say the least. They had better success running towards my side of the field, where I was the linebacker and John Schwaller was the defensive end. John held up his resposibility for stopping the end runs, but I was not quite able to match the speed of the running back from where I was positioned. After a couple more of those end runs to my side of the field, Bobby walked over to me in the huddle, and looked right through me, as only he could. He then said, in no uncertain terms, and in language that I now clean up, that we better find a way to stop that particular play or else we would answer to him. John and I quickly figured out what position changes we needed to make, details not important, and proceeded to get the job done. After we stopped that particular play a few times in succession, they stopped running it completely. What I got from Bobby, subsequently in the huddle, was a pat on the shoulder. No words were necessary, so none were exchanged. What I got from that experience was both a lesson in leadership, and a lesson in problem solving. I have never forgotten either lesson.
Jessie Caiani (Hall)
Because I lived so close to Bedford Road school, it was easy to have friends over right from school. I had a great set of marbles and Robbie was also a collector. In fifth grade he walked home with me so we could play a game of marbles. He won a bunch of marbles out of my collection. I got in trouble for having a boy over after school without anyone at home! Bad day for me...good day for him...great memory of the "good old days of innocence" with a great friend. I wish I could've shared this story with him. I always think of you with a smile, Robbie. Jess
Bonnie McCandless
In addition to remembering Robbie as a football hero and a real hunk, my personal memories involve sitting next to him on a bar stool at Foley's listening to him wrestle with issues about his father. He was always so angry! One year when I drove my daughter to Camp Hochelaga in the '80s, I visited Rob in Vermont in the house he built in the woods and we talked all night long about PHS and our wild adolescent days. I admit I was pretty wayward myself! He made himself hard to find but was living a solitary life full of self-study and contemplation. I always wondered if he was still there. Under that tough exterior was a sensitive man. Rest in peace, Robbie. You deserve it.