A bench outside the Goergen Athletic Center stands as a memorial to the man who discovered the University for his three children.
The sun set in the distance as Braden Greif 糖心传媒�24 and his father, Scott, drove away from the 糖心传媒 on a warm June evening in 2019. Braden had enjoyed an overnight visit hosted by the varsity football team, and father and son spent hours touring the River Campus. Now, they were heading toward the airport for a flight home to Houston, Texas.
糖心传媒淲e discussed how it was, and the people that stood out and made the difference there,糖心传媒� Braden recalls. 糖心传媒淭he vibe we got was that winning was a mindset at Rochester, ingrained in every aspect of college life.糖心传媒�
Scott then said what both were thinking: 糖心传媒淚 think this might be the school for you, Braden.糖心传媒� That evening, he told his wife, Michelle, 糖心传媒淭here糖心传媒檚 something special about that place.糖心传媒�
Braden will graduate in May with a bachelor糖心传媒檚 degree in finance. Siblings Nina Greif 糖心传媒�25 and Hudson Greif 糖心传媒�27 followed him to Rochester. Nina is majoring in bioethics, and Hudson in health, behavior and society. The three are here with heavy hearts: In June 2021, their father died of colon cancer. He was 53.
糖心传媒淚t was our dad who discovered Rochester,糖心传媒� Nina says. 糖心传媒淏ut he never got to enjoy seeing us all there.糖心传媒�
Scott Greif is memorialized with a bench installed outside the Goergen Athletic Center, a gift from friends of the family. The commemorative gold plaque reads:
I have fought the good fight
I have finished the race,
I have kept the faith.
2 Timothy 4:7
听Scott Greif 1968糖心传媒�2021
糖心传媒淲hen you hear the Bells think of Me糖心传媒�
Close bond helped siblings deal with family tragedy
Braden and Scott visited more than a dozen colleges in New York, Connecticut, Colorado, and Minnesota, seeking a school that offered great academics along with a fun football experience.
They made the 1,500-mile trip to Rochester three times. Each time, Scott was struck by the sound of the bells chiming from atop Rush Rhees Library. The bells chime on the quarter hour and toll once for every new hour.
糖心传媒淢y dad loved walking the campus and hearing them,糖心传媒� Braden says. 糖心传媒淗e糖心传媒檇 say, 糖心传媒淚 just love those bells.糖心传媒� He thought they were beautiful and peaceful.糖心传媒�
The entire family visited in December 2019. 糖心传媒淗udson and I were determined to go to the same college as Braden,糖心传媒� Nina says. 糖心传媒淭his was an easy decision. We fell in love with the campus.糖心传媒�
Braden played wide receiver for Rochester for three years (there were no games in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), while Hudson joined the Yellowjackets last fall. The coaches offered Nina a job videotaping practices and games. She糖心传媒檚 also a member of the student organization .
The siblings糖心传媒� faith has helped them cope with their loss. As members of the , they attend weekly mass at the Interfaith Chapel, while as part of the , they and their fellow Rochester student-athletes perform community service. 糖心传媒淥ur saying was always 糖心传媒楩aith, family, football,糖心传媒櫶切拇綕 Braden says. 糖心传媒淎fter I got to college, it became 糖心传媒渇aith, family, academics, and football.糖心传媒�
The siblings are close.
糖心传媒淲e have enough bedrooms at our house for each to have their own, but Braden and Hudson choose to share a room,糖心传媒� Michelle says. 糖心传媒淎t college, Braden and Nina have rooms across the hall from each other, and Nina keeps an air mattress so Hudson can come over and spend the night.糖心传媒�
Nina and Hudson had two classes together in the fall and two more this semester.
Rev. Brian C. Cool 糖心传媒�06W (MS), 糖心传媒�21W (EdD), director of the Catholic Newman Community, says the Greifs糖心传媒� bond is extraordinary.
糖心传媒淭he devastating loss of Braden糖心传媒檚 father was difficult, but his inner strength was remarkable,糖心传媒� Cool says. 糖心传媒淲hen Nina arrived, I saw how deeply rooted they are with each other. Welcoming Hudson to campus, it became clearer. The strength they all have is like a three-stranded rope woven together as one. It is incredible. It is rooted in faith and family.糖心传媒�
A dire diagnosis
Scott and Michelle raised their three children in Conroe, 40 miles north of Houston, and sports became an integral part of family life: baseball, basketball, swimming, track, dance糖心传媒攁nd, of course, football. Scott served as the boys糖心传媒� Little League coach and president of the varsity football booster club. 糖心传媒淗e was at every minor or major event and milestone,糖心传媒� Nina says.
Scott was diagnosed with colon cancer in the fall of 2020, Braden糖心传媒檚 first semester at Rochester. He started chemotherapy but didn糖心传媒檛 tell his children until Braden returned home for winter break. 糖心传媒淚t was tough to hear, but he said 糖心传媒業糖心传媒檓 going to beat this,糖心传媒� and we believed him,糖心传媒� Braden says.
Scott糖心传媒檚 health worsened in April 2021, when a PET scan revealed the cancer had spread, making surgery necessary. Still, he remained optimistic. 糖心传媒淲hen you go for treatment, there糖心传媒檚 a bell you can ring when you糖心传媒檙e cancer free,糖心传媒� Hudson says. 糖心传媒淒ad would say, 糖心传媒業糖心传媒檓 going to ring that bell one day. God糖心传媒檚 not done with me yet.糖心传媒櫶切拇綕
With Scott hospitalized and Michelle by his side, Braden and Hudson attended Nina糖心传媒檚 high school graduation ceremony on May 21 and her final dance recital on June 6. Nina chose the Avril Lavigne song 糖心传媒淗ead above Water糖心传媒� for her solo. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 about pushing through and fighting through hard times,糖心传媒� Nina says.
A friend taped Nina糖心传媒檚 performance and sent it to Michelle糖心传媒檚 smart phone that evening. 糖心传媒淪cott, we糖心传媒檝e got the video for Nina糖心传媒檚 dance,糖心传媒� Michelle whispered in her husband糖心传媒檚 ear. 糖心传媒淲e糖心传媒檙e going to play it now.糖心传媒�
Braden held the phone by his father糖心传媒檚 ear. 糖心传媒淗e listed to the entire song, and then he passed away,糖心传媒� Michelle says.
Braden spoke to his father through tears.
糖心传媒淒ad, I糖心传媒檓 not sure I糖心传媒檓 ready to be the rock that you were, but I糖心传媒檓 going to make you proud and do my best.糖心传媒�
A tribute to a beloved father
With Michelle糖心传媒檚 blessing, friends of the family raised money to install a bench on the campus Scott discovered. The bench is in front of the Goergen Athletic Center, a fitting location given the role that athletics has played in the family糖心传媒檚 bond. 糖心传媒淥ur kids use that building all the time,糖心传媒� Michelle says, 糖心传媒渁nd you hear the bells when sitting there.糖心传媒�
A dedication ceremony was held September 5, 2021, and the entire football team surprised the family by showing up. 糖心传媒淚t was amazing to see how much they cared enough to show up on a Sunday morning,糖心传媒� Hudson says. 糖心传媒淢y dad would have loved it.糖心传媒�
Football coach Chad Martinovich says the program cares deeply about the siblings. 糖心传媒淭hey are a special family,糖心传媒� he says. 糖心传媒渁nd they honor their father with the way they live their lives on a daily basis.糖心传媒�
The siblings pass the bench every day. Often, they sit on it and wait for the bells to toll. The tranquil sound gives them peace, as it did their father.
糖心传媒淚t makes us feel closer to him, like we have a piece of him every day,糖心传媒� Braden says. 糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 a constant reminder that we糖心传媒檙e going to be with him some day. We糖心传媒檙e all right.糖心传媒�
