Dennis Jocson was athletic growing up, but he didn't discover volleyball until college. He turned that passion into a full-fledged organization in Atlanta: AirVorne Volleyball LLC.
The association has hosted outdoor volleyball tournaments, leagues and camps across the city, and one of its more popular events is the King/Queen of the Grass tournaments, a co-ed competition.
Last fall, the final tournament of Red Bull's second Spiked Challenge was played on Piedmont Park's sand courts, which were constructed at Mr. Jocson's urging. Teams from six cities, including Atlanta, competed for the chance to play the No. 1 team in the world, Todd Rogers and Phil Dalhausser. Red Bull asked AirVorne to organize the event.
"To have Red Bull contact him to handle all the logistics -- that was a big deal," said Rodney Spiller, a friend.
Mr. Jocson, 39, died at his Atlanta home on Monday of accidental circumstances after spending Thanksgiving with family members in Pensacola, Fla. His parents declined to provide details. A funeral mass will be held at 10 a.m. on Tuesday at St. Ann Catholic Church in Pensacola. Faith Chapel Funeral Home in Pensacola is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Jocson was a 1989 graduate of Pensacola Christian Academy and earned an architectural design degree at the University of Florida. He moved to Atlanta shortly after the 1996 Summer Olympics.
He worked for Geheber Lewis Associates, Inc., as a project coordinator. He also was a construction manager for Phillips Partnership, and most recently had been a manager with PFVS Architects until he was laid off, said his father, Feliso Jocson.
Since May 2000, Mr. Jocson had served as director of AirVorne Volleyball. Two years ago, the organization incorporated as an LLC and launched a web site, AirVorne.com, to connect with the volleyball community.
In 2003, Rick O'Keefe of Duluth played with Mr. Jocson at Manhattan Beach, Calif. "He loved the sport, loved playing it and wanted to see it grow more than anyone I have known on either coast," he said.
He didn't play volleyball until college. While his parents knew about his interest in the sport, he seldom talked about AirVorne.
"He was kind of quiet," his father said. "He didn't think it was important for his parents to know about. But [the organization] had been his dream."
On Nov. 25, he posted a message on AirVorne's Facebook page: "To all the volleyball players, happy Thanksgiving! Time to eat and veg, and then afterward play some ball to work off what we just ate."
Additional survivors include his mother, Pelita Jocson, and a brother, Michael Jocson, both of Pensacola.
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