The man behind ‘Phony Bennett’ dies of cancer

Mr. Dembitz, the daddy of two daughters, despatched his remaining tweet on April 7. It was as actual as ever, concurrently stuffed with coronary heart and heartbreaking.

“Heading residence from UVa after what was meant to be a 3-hour go to was a three-week lengthy keep, full with 4 blood transfusions, a slightly uncomfortable feeding tube, and care from a number of the finest nurses and medical doctors on this planet,” it learn.

Mr. Dembitz ended the tweet with a “nonetheless knocking” hashtag, a reference to one in every of Tony Bennett’s mantras – to “maintain knocking” till the door to success opens.

Lower than a month later, Mr. Dembitz’s spouse – whom he married in February – logged on to the account to share the information of his passing.

“As Chris’s spouse, it is a put up I by no means needed to make. I’m devastated as Chris left us early (Tuesday) morning. He fought most cancers bravely, with humor, and with the whole lot he had. He had an immense love for UVa and the Hoos. Your reminiscence and light-weight will shine eternally, my love.”

Mr. Dembitz, who was born in Los Angeles however raised in Virginia Seashore, launched his account, which had 24,500 followers as of Wednesday afternoon, anonymously in 2011, after his daughter was born and identified with most cancers. He referred to as the social media website a type of remedy, but in addition tirelessly promoted fundraisers for pediatric most cancers care and analysis by means of his account.

A former photographer for the Virginia pupil newspaper who labored briefly as a slapstick comedian after faculty, Mr. Dembitz artfully blended humor and a uniquely-Virginian sports activities cynicism in a method that caught the eye of everybody from fellow followers to coaches and sports activities media personalities.

Tony Bennett’s spouse and daughter have been each amongst his followers. When information of his loss of life broke, former Virginia Tech coach and present ESPN analyst Seth Greenberg tweeted, “My ideas and prayers exit to the household and associates of my man @IfTonyTweeted. He introduced a group collectively and did (it) in a method only a few may. RIP Chris.”

Whitelaw Reid lined Virginia athletics for the Charlottesville Each day Progress when Mr. Dembitz began his account.

“He was form of a cheerleader, however on the similar time not a cheerleader,” stated Reid, who now works for the college. “It was an fascinating dichotomy. He straddled the road between being an obsessive fan and being a realist.”

Mr. Dembitz revealed his identification in a 2018 interview with Reid for an article in UVA In the present day.

The precise Tony Bennett, Virginia’s basketball coach since 2009, was touring Wednesday however launched an announcement, fittingly, on the crew’s Twitter account.

“We’re deeply saddened by the lack of Chris Dembitz [also known as] Phony Bennett. He had an awesome ardour for our basketball program and the College of Virginia. He was a loving husband and father. He fought a brave battle with most cancers in the best way we knew he would – with energy, humility, and naturally, humor. Our ideas and prayers are along with his household,” Bennett stated.

On Dec. 6, 2021, Mr. Dembitz introduced on Twitter that he had been identified with most cancers a month earlier, and that he would require surgical procedure and different therapies. He shared the information in a 2 minute, 19 second video the place he referred to as his battle with the illness “the most important problem I’ve ever confronted.”

Mr. Dembitz shared all of the steps of his most cancers “journey,” as he referred to it, along with his followers. When he started a medical trial for a therapy at UVa in February, he tweeted, “Repping the reminiscence of Dalton Fox, a younger Wahoo basketball fan who was taken by most cancers far too quickly,” sharing a photograph of himself within the hospital alongside one in every of him with Fox.

Then, Wednesday, his sister, Tara Dembitz-Reed tweeted, “Chris misplaced his battle with most cancers early Tuesday morning. … Hold his mom, ladies, and spouse in your ideas.”