Funeral Services Set For Longtime Berkeley Coach, Volunteer Keith Bleich

Funeral services have been scheduled for Thursday and Friday for longtime Berkeley softball coach and volunteer Keith Bleich.

Bleich died Monday of pancreatic cancer. He was 54.

Bleich was known to many in Bayville from his volunteer work. He was a coach in the Berkeley Girls Softball program for several years and served on its board, but he also was involved with the Berkeley Pop Warner program and taught CCD at St. Barnabas Roman Catholic Church in Bayville for several years, as well as an emergency medical technician, according to his daughter, Alexandria.

In addition, he was a fixture on the softball fields in Berkeley for a number of years, coaching dozens of girls in the Berkeley Girls Softball program, and served on its board. As a softball coach, he was quick with a smile and quick to encourage girls, even from the youngest ages, to be fierce competitors on the field and good sports, too.

Bleich had battled diabetes for several years, and endured amputations, infections and blindness before he was diagnosed with cancer, Alexandria said.

“Through it all he managed to keep fighting with a postive attitude, a smile and even a lighthearted joke,” she said. ”If there was one thing you could count on my dad for, it was to cheer you up or make you laugh. He truly loved to make other people feel better, and help them in any way that he could, which is why coaching was so important to him.”

“He not only considered friends family, but all of the players that he coached over the years from various sports were part of of the family too. To this day, kids he coached and taught call him coach Keith and Mr. B, fondly thought of by all,” Alexandria said.

Bleich also was a huge fan of the Dallas Cowboys, she said in a post on a GoFundMe campaign she started to help pay for her father’s funeral expenses.

“If you knew my dad, then you knew that he was a diehard fan. From the countless memorabilia adorning his house, to the Emmitt Smith tattoo on his leg, to his prosthestic leg that was covered in the Dallas Cowboys emblem, my dad was a ride or die fan. Through it all, he stayed true to the team, and now even in death he wants to be remembered for the true fan that he is,” she wrote.

Bleich was born in New York City and moved to Cliffside Park, where he lived until he graduated from high school there in 1979. He then attended the Johnson & Wales Culinary Institute, graduating in 1983. He lived in New York City after graduation and after he got married, moved to Brooklyn and then Staten Island before moving to Bayville when Alexandria was young, she said. He moved to Belmar in the last few years.

Bleich was a chef at many well-known restaurants in the tri-state area and worked on Wall Street before moving to Bayville, where he opened Gavone’s Deli & Catering in South Toms River. He sold the business several years ago and became a sales manager and motivational speaker, Alexandria said.

“My dad was the strongest person I know, and he was an inspiration to me as well as many others,” she said. “Despite everything that he has been through throughout the years, he has always maintained a positive attitude. You could always count on him, whether it be in the form of advice, a shoulder to cry on, or any other help; he was always there for you.”

“Even in death, he is helping others. He was an organ donor, and was able to donate his corneas to an eye bank, helping save the eyes of two people. My dad is, was and forever will be my hero, and I will love him and miss him,” she said.

Bleich was predeceased by his father, Kenneth. In addition to his daughter Alexandria, Bleich is survived by his mother, Nilda Bleich; sisters Kim, Judi and Noelle, and his brother, Kirk; his stepmother, Barbara bleich, and was a loving uncle to Todd, Jesse, Dylan, Paige, Madison, Sloan, Matthew and Rebecca.

Visitation will be 7-9 p.m. on Thursday at O’Brien Funeral Home, 2028 Route 35, Wall. Funeral services are set for 10 a.m. Friday, July 24 at Holy Innocents Roman Catholic Church, 3455 West Bangs Ave., Neptune.

Alexandria said she set up the GoFundMe campaign because her father’s illnesses left her and her family with significant medical bills.

“Due to his untimely death, we had no time to plan anything or save any money for his arrangements. His insurance was supposed to kick in next month, which would have helped to take care of his final arrangements,” she wrote.

To contribute to the GoFundMe campaign, click here.

(Photo courtesy of Alexandria Bleich)