Matthew Perry Remembered by the “Friends” Cast 2 Years After His Death with a Heartfelt Tribute

Matthew Perry Foundation/Instagram

NEED TO KNOW

• The Friends cast teamed up with the Matthew Perry Foundation for a charity fundraiser that honors their late co-star

• Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, David Schwimmer, Matt LeBlanc and Lisa Kudrow each autographed a collection of limited edition artwork

• Matthew Perry was found dead in October 2023 following an accidental overdose

Matthew Perry'sFriendscostarsare continuing to honor his life two years after hisdeath.

On Friday, Dec. 12, the Matthew Perry Foundation shared a series ofphotoson Instagram capturing the moment thatJennifer Aniston,Courteney Cox,David Schwimmer,Matt LeBlancandLisa Kudroweach signed a collection of abstract artwork that will be used to raise money for charities of their choosing.

"The cast has teamed up with@soundwaves_artand artist Tim Wakefield for a very special collection of artwork this holiday season," thenonprofit, which is dedicated to continuing Perry's legacy by fighting the stigma surrounding addiction, wrote on Instagram.

Matthew Perry Foundation/Instagram

"Tim has transformed the actual soundwaves of theFriendstheme song into these beautiful designs each inspired by a different character, and each cast member has autographed their own small run of artworks," the caption continued.

In collaboration with Perry's estate, a limited number of the prints will also feature the late actor's official signature.

The17 Againactor wasfound dead at his Los Angeles homein October 2023, following an accidental drowning, which was determined to be the result of the acute effects of ketamine, according to an autopsy.

The actor had openly struggled with alcoholism and opioidaddictionthroughout his life before his death.

Matthew Perry Foundation/Instagram

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In a recent interview withElle, Aniston, 56, admitted that hearing the news at the time was "alarming and shocking, yet not shocking."

"[We] always said, 'I hope I never get that phone call,' " she explained of herFriendsfamily. "We miss him. He's missed. He was a brilliant human being and an extraordinary talent, loved deeply, and wanted happiness more than anything. It makes me sad that he never really achieved that, because he deserved it."

Matthew Perry Foundation/Instagram

Shortly after Perry's tragic death, the cast expressed their grief in a statement toPEOPLE.

"We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew," Cox, 61, Schwimmer, 59, LeBlanc, 58, and Kudrow, 62, and Aniston wrote at the time. "We were more than just cast mates. We are a family. There is so much to say, but right now we're going to take a moment to grieve and process this unfathomable loss."

"In time, we will say more, as and when we are able," the statement continued. "For now, our thoughts and our love are with Matty's family, his friends, and everyone who loved him around the world."

Read the original article onPeople

byDonna Devi

in

December 13, 2025

Matthew Perry Remembered by the “Friends” Cast 2 Years After His Death with a Heartfelt Tribute

Matthew Perry Foundation/Instagram NEED TO KNOW The Friends cast teamed up with the Matthew Perry Foundation for a charity fundraiser th...

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Christmas movies from the ’60s that will put you in the holiday spirit

Before CGI: Why 5 Iconic '60s Christmas Movies Are the Perfect Antidote to Modern Holiday Stress

Set the scene: it's the 1960s. The holiday season is here, and families are gathering around a glowing, often black-and-white, television set. The air is filled with anticipation, not the frantic rush of today's holiday season. The decade produced a distinct slate of Christmas films that have achieved timeless status, combining genuine heart, gentle humor, and layers of rich nostalgia. Before CGI spectacles and franchise overload, these movies captured the joy, chaos, and magic of the holidays in their purest form, making them the perfect, stress-melting comfort food for today's fast-paced world.

Image Credit: IMDB.

"A Charlie Brown Christmas" (1965)

This animated classic perfectly encapsulates the central conflict of the modern holiday season: the search for the true meaning of Christmas amidst overwhelming commercialization. Charlie Brown's gentle journey, paired with the iconic, cool jazz soundtrack by Vince Guaraldi, delivers a powerful, heartfelt message about simplicity and faith. Its simple animation and soothing tone remind viewers of the importance of innocence, empathy, and finding value in small, imperfect gestures—a welcome break from modern holiday pressures.

Image Credit: IMDB.

"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (1964)

As the longest-running Christmas special in television history, this stop-motion marvel is a must-watch for its enduring themes of individuality, acceptance, and courage. The whimsical visuals and comforting narration create a soothing viewing experience, while the underlying moral of embracing what makes you different is deeply uplifting. The film reinforces the power of kindness and community, and its iconic songs continue to be sung, proving its unmatched nostalgia appeal.

Image Credit: IMDB.

"Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" (1966)

The Grinch's attempt to ruin Whoville's Christmas only leads him to discover the profound power of joy and generosity. This animated special, known for its sharp humor, abundant heart, and wonderfully festive music, provides instant comfort and a welcome distraction from real-world stresses. Its message is a timeless lesson on the importance of empathy and the necessity of letting go of cynicism to embrace the true spirit of the season.

"The Man Who Came to Dinner" (1962 TV Adaptation)

While originally a play and often adapted, the 1962 TV broadcast was popular during the decade and represents the era's taste for sophisticated, farcical holiday comedy. The plot centers on a famous critic whose unexpected, lengthy stay disrupts a small-town household. Its humor, clever dialogue, and outrageous situations offer pure escapism, lightening the mood and offering a charming look back at mid-century humor and complex family dynamics during the holidays.

Jalor productions

"Santa Claus Conquers the Martians" (1964)

This entry is pure, campy sci-fi Christmas adventure. The plot—Martians kidnap Santa because their children are unhappy—is entirely bizarre, making it a masterclass in unintentional comedy and pure, unadulterated fun. Its quirky story, low-budget whimsy, and oddball charm serve as a delightful reminder of the creative spirit of the '60s, proving that sometimes, the silliest stories are the most memorable.

Image Credit: monkeybusinessimages/ istockphoto.

Why '60s Christmas Movies Still Work Today

These films are effective stress-melters because of their inherent simplicity. Their slower pacing and focus on genuine emotion counteract the overstimulation of the modern holiday season. They offer wholesome, universal messaging centered on family, kindness, and joy. Furthermore, their distinct visual style, gentle music, and period charm evoke a cozy, stress-free nostalgia, reminding viewers of a time when the holidays felt less commercial and more about simple human connection.

Image Credit: DGLimages / iStock.

Tips for a Holiday Movie Night

To maximize the holiday magic, consider pairing these films with vintage-style snacks, warm cider, and dim lighting to recreate the era's cozy atmosphere. Most importantly, limit digital distractions; the simple charm of these stories is best enjoyed when you fully immerse yourself. Emphasizing the shared experience with family or friends for a night of laughter and reflection is the best way to leverage the power of these classics for maximum holiday spirit.

Image Credit: DGLimages / iStock.

Wrapping it up

The enduring appeal of '60s Christmas movies reminds us that holiday magic doesn't come from a budget but from heart, humor, and genuine human connection. Revisiting these classics is a therapeutic act—a reliable way to melt stress, evoke deep nostalgia, and restore the joy of the season. Ultimately, these timeless holiday films teach us that the simplest stories often have the most profound and enduring impact.

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This article originally appeared onForHers.comand was syndicated byMediaFeed.org.

byDonna Devi

in

December 13, 2025

Christmas movies from the ’60s that will put you in the holiday spirit

Before CGI: Why 5 Iconic '60s Christmas Movies Are the Perfect Antidote to Modern Holiday Stress Set the scene: it's the 1960s. Th...

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Rian Johnson reveals how a dinner with 6 Catholic priests shaped his new “Knives Out” movie, “Wake Up Dead Man”

Key points

• Rian Johnson explains how he drew from his Presbyterian background as a "youth group kid" to create Wake Up Dead Man.

• For research, the filmmaker had dinner with six Catholic priests, which led to "one of the most critical scenes in the movie."

• Johnson also says that he initially tried to fit another church into his latest Knives Out movie, but found "there just was not room for that."

Rian Johnsonhas faith in the faithless.

After exploring issues of class, wealth, and immigration in 2019'sKnives Outand its 2022 sequelGlass Onion, the filmmaker's third cinematic murder mystery turns his thematic focus toward a more personal subject: the American church.

Johnson's latest film,Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, sees Daniel Craig's Detective Benoit Blanc join forces with a Catholic priest named Jud (Josh O'Connor) to investigate a murder that shakes a small congregation in upstate New York to its core.

The filmmaker tellsEntertainment Weeklyhow his personal journey with Christianity shaped his latestKnives Outmystery.

"I grew up Presbyterian, Protestant, evangelical — a youth group kid, basically," he explains. "I was deeply personally Christian through my teenage years into my early twenties, and then later on in my twenties, I fell away from faith, and I'm no longer a Christian today."

Maya Dehlin Spach/WireImage

Johnson says that his cousin,Wake Up Dead Mancomposer Nathan Johsnon, had a similar faith trajectory. "As adults, we're both sort of unpacking the foundation that was laid — both the positive things and the negative things about it," he says.

Wake Up Dead Manreveals Blanc as a staunch, rational skeptic, but also largely frames Jud as a complex, empathetic community leader — a rare example of a heroic contemporary Christian in mainstream secular entertainment.

The filmmaker forced himself to adopt a faith-based headspace while writing O'Connor's character, who narrates a sizable chunk of the film. "I really had to put myself back to the place where I was seeing the world through the eyes that I had when I was a believer," he explains. "There's no way to honestly write Jud without genuinely putting myself back into a place of belief."

But Johnson's experience in a different branch of Christianity necessitated extra work. "Growing up Protestant, the Catholic church was a very exotic, kinda scary thing," he said. "And so once I made the decision to set this in the Catholic church, I had to do my research. And that was very interesting."

The filmmaker turned to Catholic family members to facilitate a discussion with a few clergymen. "I'm very close to my aunt and uncle that live in Denver," he says. "They invited their priest and five other local Denver priests over. So I got to sit down with them and have an ask-me-anything dinner. It was pretty amazing, and a lot came out of that."

Johnson recalls one particular takeaway from his sit-down with the priests. "It led to one of the most critical scenes in the movie, actually," he says. "I remember the priests telling me how when they go out during the day, they're always wearing the clerical color, even when just getting groceries. And that means that when they're just trying to get their grapefruit at the store, a woman will come up to them and start sobbing that her husband is dying, or somebody will come up to them and start getting in their face and screaming at them."

The filmmaker says that those revelations shaped a key scene in which Jud pauses his involvement in the investigation to attend to a parishioner in need. "The idea that they are on stage and of service to the world at all times as a priest, and there's no time off from that — that led directly to a pivotal scene halfway through the movie," Johnson says. "Jud is swept up in the gamified version of the murder mystery, and has kind of been led down Blanc's version of the us-against-them game. And he has a hard reset when something like that happens to him."

John Wilson/Netflix

Johnson didn't initially plan to set the film in a Catholic community and considered letting the action play out in a church more like the ones he had experienced in his youth. "I did briefly wonder about having it be set in the type of church I grew up going to, and maybe even having a youth group element to it," he says.

Once he decided against that, he still tried to find an avenue for a Protestant church to play a role in the story. "At some point in the different drafts of the first act, I had had kind of like a progressive Protestant church in town that the whole Catholic flock hated," Johnson recalls, laughing. "And they would bring flyers, really angry about the stuff that they were doing over there. But there just was not room for that."

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The filmmaker ultimately pivoted to a Catholic setting for aesthetic purposes. "Honestly, the big reason I chose the Catholic church — and this is kind of dumb, but also kind of pivotal — is that most of the churches I grew up going to kind of looked like Pottery Barns," he says. "They were just beige and looked like hotel lobbies."

He continues, "The movie, to a certain extent, is about storytelling. And nobody does beautiful visual storytelling like the Catholic church. And the symbolism of the Catholic church and the sacraments — there's nothing quite like that in the Presbyterianism that I grew up with."

Johnson says that he experienced "a million little shifts" of perspective on religion throughout production. "I didn't convert at the end of the process," he clarifies, laughing. "But right now, in 2025, I do find that the positive things about faith, and the things that were the guiding lights for me during that time, are things that I find myself pining for — not in terms of wanting to be a believer again, but concepts like loving your enemy, and the idea of the heart of a servant, and the idea of meeting people where they're at. Those just suddenly seem like very radical ideas right now."

Wake Up Dead Manis now playing in select theaters and streaming on Netflix.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

Read the original article onEntertainment Weekly

byDonna Devi

in

December 13, 2025

Rian Johnson reveals how a dinner with 6 Catholic priests shaped his new “Knives Out” movie, “Wake Up Dead Man”

Key points Rian Johnson explains how he drew from his Presbyterian background as a "youth group kid" to create Wake Up Dead Man ...

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Israel announces it killed one of the architects of the Oct 7 attacks

Israel announced Saturday it had killed Ra'ad Sa'ad, the head of the Weapons Production Headquarters inHamas' military wingand one of the architects of Oct. 7.

"Sa'ad was one of the last remaining veteran senior militants in the Gaza Strip and a close associate of Marwan Issa, the deputy head of Hamas' military wing. He held several senior positions and was a central figure within the organization's military leadership," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)wrote on X.

The IDF added his death "significantly degrades Hamas' ability to reestablish its capabilities."

Israel Unmasks Iran-directed Hamas Cash Network In Turkey As Ankara Pushes For Gaza Role

An IDF official told Fox News that, in recent months, Sa'ad had been working to reestablish the terror group's capabilities and weapons manufacturing in violation of the U.S.-brokered ceasefire. The official also stated that, under the ceasefire agreement, Israel is allowed to strike targets that are actively engaging in terrorism.

Sa'ad previously served as the Gaza Brigade commander and is regarded as one of the founders of Hamas' military wing, the IDF official told Fox News. He was considered one of the highest-ranking Hamas members remaining in Gaza. The IDF official said Sa'ad was privy to Hamas leadership matters and was a central figure in orchestrating the Oct. 7 massacre.

Read On The Fox News App

Powerful Israel-backed Clan Leader Who Fought Hamas Murdered In Gaza

The IDF and ISA said in a joint statement that Sa'ad was responsible for the deaths of many soldiers killed in Gaza by explosives that the Weapons Production Headquarters manufacturedduring the war.

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"Ra'ad Sa'ad was a leading figure in the leadership of Hamas' military wing in recent months and was directly responsible for violations of the ceasefire agreement by theHamas terroristorganization," the IDF and ISA said in a joint statement.

Original article source:Israel announces it killed one of the architects of the Oct 7 attacks

byDonna Devi

in

December 13, 2025

Israel announces it killed one of the architects of the Oct 7 attacks

Israel announced Saturday it had killed Ra'ad Sa'ad, the head of the Weapons Production Headquarters inHamas'...

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Mother of Karoline Leavitt’s Nephew Speaks Out After ICE Detention

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Washington. Credit - Evan Vucci—Associated Press

The mother ofKaroline Leavitt's nephew has hit out at the White House Press Secretary in her first public appearance since being released from the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Bruna Caroline Ferreira, who was formerly engaged to the Leavitt's brother, Michael, and shares custody of their son, was asked during an interview onCNNon Friday if she had a message for the Press Secretary, who has publicly kept her distance from the incident.

"I think what I would have to say to Karoline is: just because you went to a Catholic school, doesn't make you a good Catholic."

Read more:New Yorkers Thwart ICE Raids, Highlighting Challenges for Trump's Crackdown in Nation's Immigrant Capital

Addressing Leavitt, who attended Catholic high school and college and is also the godmother of Ferreira's son, she continued, "You're a mother. You are a mother now, and you should know. How would you feel if you were in my shoes, you know? How would you feel if somebody did this to you?"

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment from TIME following Ferreria's comments.

During the interview, Ferreira gave a full account of her arrest and detention, which shone a spotlight on Leavitt's family in the midst of the Trump Administration's efforts to conduct the largest mass deportation in American history.

She said she was rushing to pick up the 11-year-old from school when a swarm of unmarked vehicles surrounded her home in Massachusetts. Shoes still untied, in her hurry, the 33-year-old was arrested by ICE officers without a warrant and taken to Louisiana.

Ferreira, who is in the process of seeking a green card, entered the United States from Brazil when she was 6 years old. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) claimed that she was in the country illegally, alleging that she entered the country on a B-2 tourist visa that required her to leave the country by June 6, 1999.

In their joint interview Friday evening, Ferreira's lawyer, Todd Pomerleau, contended that the Department of Homeland Security's assertion that she is a "criminal illegal alien," based on her alleged immigration status, is a "false character assassination."

In an earlierreporton Ferreira's detention, a person familiar with the situation, who was granted anonymity, told the New YorkTimesthat, despite their familial connection, Leavitt and Ferreira had not spoken in years.

During her Friday appearance, Ferreira recounted her tumultuous interactions with ICE. She claimed she was moved from Massachusetts to New Hampshire, then from New Hampshire to Vermont, from Vermont to Philadelphia, and from Philadelphia to Texas. Throughout the transfers, she said, ICE agents failed to tell her where she was going or why.

Upon arriving in Texas, she saw a sign that said Mexico, which led her to plead with an ICE agent. "I said, can you please, please, please have a little bit of empathy for me and tell me if you're taking me across the border?" Ferreira recounted. Her voice quivered as she continued: "He said no, we are taking you to your final destination, your final stop before your deportation, which is South Louisiana. Hardly anybody ever gets out of there."

There have beenreportsof sexual harassment and abuse, and "neglect of urgent medical care,' at the South Louisiana ICE Processing Center, where Ferreira spent three weeks before a judge on Monday allowed her to post bail.

According todatareleased by the Prison Policy Initiative on Dec. 1, ICE has made approximately 217,518 arrests between Jan. 20 and Oct. 15, 2025. The average number of daily arrests rose from around 300 in early 2024 to more than 800 in January 2025, and to over 1,000 by October of this year.

Pomerleau told CNN, "When she was taken to Vermont, one of the ICE officers didn't think she spoke English and said, 'Oh, we got more business coming in,' and then she winds up in Louisiana, another for-profit hell hole prison paid for by taxpayers," adding: "This is a woman who owns two businesses, is a single mother, paying her taxes, and winds up in a for-profit prison in Louisiana. It's unconscionable what they are doing on a daily basis."

When asked about the WashingtonPost'sreportthat the White House tried to imply that Ferreira was an absentee parent who never lived with her son, she expressed her frustration with the matter.

"Why? Why lie? Why lie? Because I have so many friends and family that called me and said why would anyone lie about this when it's 2025?" she said. "We have a digital footprint of everything. It doesn't make any sense. I'm just as confused as you are, and I'm hoping this interview gets me some answers."

Contact usatletters@time.com.

byDonna Devi

in

December 13, 2025

Mother of Karoline Leavitt’s Nephew Speaks Out After ICE Detention

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, in Washington. Cre...

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Russia and Ukraine trade attacks as US and European officials prepare for peace talks

Moscow pounded Ukrainian power infrastructure with drone and missile strikes on Saturday and Kyiv launched a deadly strike of its own on southwestern Russia, a day before talks involving senior European and U.S. officials aimed at ending the war were set to resume.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyysaid Ukrainian, U.S. and European officials will hold a series of meetings in Berlin in the coming days, adding that he will personally meet with U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys.

"Most importantly, I will be meeting with envoys of President Trump, and there will also be meetings with our European partners, with many leaders, concerning the foundation of peace — a political agreement to end the war," Zelenskyy said in an address to the nation late Saturday.

Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-lawJared Kushnerare traveling to Berlin for the talks, according to a White House official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

American officials have tried for months to navigate the demands of each side as Trump presses fora swift end to Russia's warand grows increasingly exasperated by delays. The search for possible compromises has run into major obstacles, including which combatant willget control of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, which is mostly occupied by Russian forces.

"The chance is considerable at this moment, and it matters for our every city, for our every Ukrainian community," Zelenskyy said. "We are working to ensure that peace for Ukraine is dignified, and to secure a guarantee — a guarantee, above all — that Russia will not return to Ukraine for a third invasion."

As diplomats push for peace, the war grinds on.

Russia attacked five Ukrainian regions overnight, targeting the country's energy and port infrastructure. Zelenskyy said the attacks involved more than 450 drones and 30 missiles. And with temperatures hovering around freezing, Ukraine's interior minister, Ihor Klymenko, said more than a million people were without electricity.

An attack on Odesa caused grain silos to catch fire at the coastal city's port, Ukrainian deputy prime minister and reconstruction minister Oleksiy Kuleba said. Two people were wounded in attacks on the wider Odesa region, according to regional head Oleh Kiper.

Kyiv and its allies say Russia is trying tocripple the Ukrainian power gridand deny civilians access to heat, light and running water for a fourth consecutive winter, in what Ukrainian officials call "weaponizing" the cold.

The drone attack in Russia's Saratov region damaged a residential building and killed two people, said the regional governor, Roman Busargin, who didn't offer further details. Busragin said the attack also shattered windows at a kindergarten and clinic. Russia's Defense Ministry said it shot down 41 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory overnight.

On the front lines, Ukrainian forces said Saturday that the northern part of Pokrovsk was under Ukrainian control, despite Russia's claims this month that it had taken full control of the critical city. The Associated Press was not able to independently verify the claims.

The latest attacks came after Kremlin foreign affairs adviser Yuri Ushakov reaffirmed Friday that Moscow will give its blessing to a ceasefire only after Ukraine's forces have withdrawn from parts of the Donetsk region that they still control.

Ukraine has consistently refused to cede the remaining part of the region to Russia.

Ushakov told the business daily Kommersant that Russian police and national guard troops would stay in parts of eastern Ukraine's Donbas even if they become a demilitarized zone under a prospective peace plan — a demand likely to be rejected by Ukraine asU.S.-led negotiationsdrag on.

Ushakov warned that a search for compromise could take a long time, noting that the U.S. proposals that took into account Russian demands had been "worsened" by alterations proposed by Ukraine and its European allies.

"We don't know what changes they are making, but clearly they aren't for the better," Ushakov said, adding: "We will strongly insist on our considerations."

In other developments, about 480 people were evacuated Saturday from a train traveling between the Polish city of Przemysl and Kyiv after police received a call concerning a threat on the train, Karolina Kowalik, a spokesperson for the Przemysl police, told The Associated Press. Nobody was hurt and she didn't elaborate on the threat.

Polish authorities are on high alert since multiple attempts to disrupt trains on the line linking Warsaw to the Ukrainian border, including the use of explosives in November, with Polish authorities saying they have evidence Russia was behind it.

Associated Press reporter Seung Min Kim in Washington contributed to this report.

Follow AP's coverage of the war in Ukraine athttps://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

byDonna Devi

in

December 13, 2025

Russia and Ukraine trade attacks as US and European officials prepare for peace talks

Moscow pounded Ukrainian power infrastructure with drone and missile strikes on Saturday and Kyiv launched a deadly strik...

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High school referee collapses, dies during game in Indiana

Jeff Tamarri was at home officiating. Football, baseball, basketball … it did not really matter the sport. Or the ages of the participants.

"He was so good about reading people," said close friend and fellow official Terry Taylor. "He would get to know the kids on the field, or on the court, and talk to them about the games. The kids loved him. They always knew they could approach him."

Tragically, Tamarri died on Friday night doing what he loved. The 63-year-old veteran official was working the varsity girls' basketball game between Speedway and Monrovia when he collapsed near the baseline with 6 minutes, 39 seconds left in the second quarter. Despite the best efforts of the team trainers, followed by the emergency services workers, Tamarri died.

It was a heartbreaking scene for a man kids knew as "Jeff the Ref" in the youth football leagues, where he was quick with a high five or a fist bump and a smile.

"Jeff would apologize to the girls playing in the game tonight," Taylor said, pausing as he fought back tears, "and would not want them to have that burden of a memory so tragic in a game we all love to be a part of."

Monrovia athletic director Jon Regashus had worked with Tamarri at times during his own 15-year tenure as a basketball official.

"He was on the baseline," Regashus said. "There was an offensive rebound, and he stepped back into position and lost his legs (balance). I'm not a medical expert but it appeared to be a cardiac arrest. It was awful. Just tragic. You feel for everybody who was involved in the game, from the players to the cheerleaders and everyone here … it's just heartbreaking."

Regashus said the gym was cleared as paramedics attempted to revive Tamarri. The teams were sent to their locker rooms, and the game was later postponed. Monrovia also postponed its game scheduled for Saturday morning against Tri-West.

"I feel awful for his family, the officiating community and all of his friends," Regashus said. "I would commend everybody here from Monrovia and Speedway for the way they handled everything and followed protocols and directions. The trainers and emergency workers were amazing. They did everything they could."

Officials who knew Tamarri best were still processing the news as they found out Friday night. Many were working their own games at the time when their phones started buzzing. That included Taylor, a fellow "divorced dad," who was roommates with Tamarri for all but about five years since 2008.

Tamarri and Taylor worked together often and talked about officiating when they were not working games. The fun-loving Tamarri was quick with a high five and smile with young athletes but also took his job seriously.

"He had a great common sense approach," Taylor said. "I would be the one to call techs. He would try to get out of there without picking a fight with anyone. It was always, 'The kids are No. 1.' He was well known at Zionsville youth football and we worked a lot of games at Grand Park and about a million AAU games over the years. We butted heads at times talking about refereeing and how to handle things. But he really enjoyed the craft of officiating."

Michael Pawlik got into basketball and football officiating about 12 years ago because of Tamarri.

"He was a top-notch official in every sport," Pawlik said. "He took care of business. But the biggest thing was all the kids just loved him. He would be in the middle of the field talking to the kids and high fiving them."

Kevin Brown first came to know Tamarri, a 1980 Perry Meridian graduate, back in the mid-1990s through the Indianapolis Umpire Association run by Lenny Brickens. Brown said Tamarri was one of the umpires he learned the most from.

"He was a guy who work a bunch of games," Brown said. "He would work a lot of games, too, in basketball and football. But he was an exceptional baseball umpire. Way better than me. He worked a lot of college games and should have worked the state finals. It was really a travesty that he didn't."

Brown, like Taylor, said one of Tamarri's best attributes as an umpire or official was his ability to keep the calm. That came into play one day more than 20 years ago when Brown and Tamarri worked a North Central-Decatur Central baseball game. A couple of bang-bang calls, innings apart, went against Decatur Central and longtime coach Phil Webster.

"Well, he comes out going all Lou Pinella yelling at me about the play two innings before," Brown said. "Eventually Jeff kind of bear hugged him and got him off the field. He always had your back."

He was not always on time, Brown joked. He called him Jeff "if not today" Tamarri.

"I had a special bond with Jeff," Brown said. "He was a fun-loving guy, and you always knew if you were working a game with him, you were going to have a good time."

Lance Scheib called Tamarri "a close friend." Scheib, a longtime staple in the football community as a coach and broadcaster, knew Tamarri as a football official when he was a coach at Franklin Central and Noblesville. When he started his Gridiron Games for youth football players from third to sixth grade, he knew Tamarri would be a great fit.

"He did it for all the right reasons," Scheib said. "The passion he had for high school and elementary players was great for the game. He always made it about the kids. Jeff would put the same emphasis on doing a third grade game as you would see on a Friday night. It was always fun to see how kids would gravitate to him. You always felt like he would make it a teachable moment every time he could for those kids."

Scheib said his league will do something to honor Tamarri's contributions next season. The same can be said for the high school officiating community in Indiana.

Roger Fiesel, a longtime friend, was supposed to work eight games in the Danville youth basketball league on Saturday with Tamarri and six more on Sunday at Plainfield. Fiesel and Tamarri would work the Zionsville youth football league games, where kids knew him only as "Jeff the Ref."

"It will be hard (Saturday)," Fiesel said. "But I know he would want the kids to play basketball. He was like a brother to me. He will be missed."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star:High school referee collapses, dies during game in Indiana

byDonna Devi

in

December 13, 2025

High school referee collapses, dies during game in Indiana

Jeff Tamarri was at home officiating. Football, baseball, basketball … it did not really matter the sport. Or the ages of...

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