- Date Of Birth: April 5, 1964
- Date Of Death: October 23, 2021
- State: California
Joseph “Joey” Lawrence Briese, age 57, of Ramona, California passed away Saturday, October 23rd, 2021 from complications of Type 2 diabetes. He will be remembered as a loving son, husband, father, brother and teacher/coach with a smile that lit up a room.
Joey was born in El Centro, California to Eileen Staiger (Swartz) Briese on April 5th, 1964. Joey attended school in Brawley, California, where he was also known by “Joey Swartz”. He was adopted as an adult by Eileen’s husband, Ernest Briese, on April 25th, 1997 changing his legal name to Joseph Lawrence Briese while mutually adopting his new father, Ernest Briese, also known as “Ernie” and “Dad”. Joey attended Primary School in Brawley, California and he graduated June, 1982 from Brawley Union High School. He played on the Brawley High School Football team and the Tennis Team, as well as being a member of the Madrigals performance group while he attended high school. He began coaching Little League baseball teams after he finished high school. He also coached other teams in basketball, tennis and football beginning a legacy as a coach. He attended classes at Coleman College and Imperial Valley College concurrently earning a Computer Science degree later using his degree to get a job with Chipsoft as a software quality assurance analyst. He used his previous educational progress to later get two bachelor’s degrees in Computer Science (Coleman College) and Business (University of Phoenix).
Joey was a very successful coach throughout his life. He first became active in the Ramona community sports leagues after the children arrived in our home and began coaching in Ramona acting as a soccer coach for the children’s teams, as well as becoming an active member and later the President of Ramona Soccer League. He started a travel soccer team called “Intra” with his RSL team as the basis for his travel team. He coached the team from 2007 through 2009, taking a bronze trophy in a 2008 tournament. Some would say “once a coach…always a coach” and as the sports “seasons” changed, he switched to the next sport from soccer in the fall, basketball in the winter, spring soccer and tennis, and golf in the late spring. Joey enjoyed his coaching activities while working as a software quality analyst and tech support guru, making his next career move to Julian’s High School Varsity Men’s Soccer Coach staying for ten years. Soon an opportunity opened at Ramona High School Junior Varsity Tennis coach where he coached for 3 years. Joey had another opportunity where he rose to the challenge with University City Girls Varsity Head Coach where he built the program from the ground up.
Joey was an avid volunteer in the tennis community, volunteering as a ticket taker, usher, “bouncer” and credential coordinator at two WTA tournaments, the Mercury Insurance tournament at Omni Resort, San Diego and another in Hawaii. He enjoyed the opportunity to see the professional tennis and the interaction with the community, one year earning the “volunteer of the year” trophy.
Joey Briese is survived by his wife Mindi Briese of Ramona, CA, his mother Eileen Briese of Spring Valley, CA, daughter Kim Briese aged 27 of Chandler, AZ, son Jonathan Briese aged 25 also of Arizona, brother Steven Briese, sisters Deborah Briese and Denise Briese, and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins, his beloved puppy dogs, Alfred aged 13, Robin aged 13 and Princess Jasmine also aged 13.
