I first met Paul Deith in the winter of 1967 at a now defunct Washington bar called Matt Kane's. He took me there on my arrival in Washington to introduce me to the game of darts. Only Paul Deith would attempt to `introduce' a transplanted Englishman to the game of darts. But Paul was good at the game and I conceded that he was better than I, at least at that one thing.

The last time I saw Paul was in a Camden, N.J. hospital bed in April, three days before he died. We spoke, on that last occasion, about the horses we shared an interest in and I told him about the lilac tree in our yard. Paul's lilac, we call it now, since he gave us the seedling from his garden before he sold the family home a few years back. There ended in that hospital room my 30-year memorable association with a guy who, in his day, was Mr. Darts in Washington, and who founded the Washington Area Darts Association. For the most recent ten years he helped me with our Hampshire Racing and Breeding Partnerships. I miss him for that, and I miss him, period, as a good friend.

Paul Deith was a dogmatic type, and I recall he needed to be in the early days of WADA. He used me, like he used many of us, to further his aims and achieve his goals for WADA. And, by God, he did achieve them. In the late 1960s, early 1970s, I was Paul's driver. He didn't own a car, and he needed to get around, and I was a friend with a flamboyant race car which he immediately dubbed the WADA mobile.

We flew around the Washington area, from Gaithersburg, Md., to Vienna, Va., visiting scores of bars and taverns in between, advising on dart set ups and the new league. And we played. He in "A" division, with the Harden brothers, Michael and Biddy, Tom Seppy, Ron Seman and others I lack the room to mention. Me with the Joe Kelly team, with Gerry Dault, Jim Webenhurst, Joe Krovisky and others who must forgive me forgetting their names, but not their faces. It's been a long time since those first years of WADA and my early friendship with Paul Deith.

The league operated out of the then Wakefield's bar on Connecticut Avenue, now Mr. Eagan's (same management). Paul set up a cabinet for supplies, selling darts and dispensing memberships in WADA. He challenged all comers, and beat most... or at least said he did. At a small bar in Vienna, I saw him giving lessons. For a drink, of course.

Paul stayed with darts and WADA longer than many of us. He deserves credit for founding an organization which has lasted longer than many others in this area of fleeting associations, both personal and professional. Nearly three decades, in fact, of some great memories and experiences. WADA's first tournament, trips to Pennsylvania and New Jersey, Jacque Eagan's group traveling to the United Kingdom and their subsequent appearance on Good Morning, America! and on local television.

Paul's death also coincided, within a week or so, of his (and my) 64th birthday. For 30 years, each year we'd say to each other, around mid-March, "hey, another year older but you don't look such-and-such age." We said that to each other this year, before Paul knew he had cancer. I was traveling when he died. I guess I'll never know what happened to his darts trophies that he kept at his Oaklyn, N.J apartment. I hope that he kept one to take with him. Next time you see one of those stars shooting across the night sky, give a thought to Paul Deith, founder of WADA. He may have been the thrower! Rest in Peace.

In the late 60s and early 70s. Paul Deith had a dream. He wanted everyone in the Washington metropolitan area to be throwing darts. He nearly achieved that dream.

I was first introduced to Paul in 1964 by his father who was an Associated Press technician in Philadelphia. Paul was doing the same in Boston. I was the AP newsman in Atlantic City.

I got transferred to Washington in early 1966 and Paul followed shortly thereafter. In our leisure time, we played darts, especially on Sunday afternoons, at the one-time Matt Kane's and what is now Mr. Eagan's.

After a while Paul got enough players together to form six teams, mostly guys from Pennsylvania and New Jersey , Scotland and Ireland. The six-team round robin was a success. It evolved into the Washington Area Darts Association (the name was changed to the Washington Area Darting Association when the Washington Darts soccer team sent us a letter threatening a suit)

In the planning stages of the league we visited bars almost every night talking to owners. When we had enough signed up, the league started with Paul as executive director. The league really took off, however, when hundreds of people contacted us regarding a story I wrote for the Washington Post Magazine.

Paul put the organization together and I composed the rules to be followed. At one point, we had close to 1,500 dart shooters in DC, VA and MD. We took bus trips to Philadelphia, Trenton, New York City. We traveled to tournaments in Boston, Cleveland, Chicago, Disneyland in Anaheim and aboard the Queen Mary. One of the highlights was a week's tour in England with other American dart throwers, visiting various dart bars in London and Bristol.

Despite our success elsewhere, there was nothing as sensational as the hometown matches between the LMNOPs, a team that Paul and I played for, and the Dog and Pony Show. Classic.

Paul passed away near his home in Camden, NJ, at age 64 from cancer of the liver. Malcolm Barr, another shooter from England, saw him in the hospital three days before he died.

I lost a great friend. WADA lost its mentor.

...Tom Seppy

Paul Deith was a pretty clever fellow. He was outgoing and charismatic. Although no slouch, he was not the top dart player around but was always the competitor. He could usually figure out a way to remove a dollar from your pocket but not make you regret the experience. He was always looking for the plus side to every situation. When it was decided that every sitting president be accorded WADA card #1, Paul opted to allot himself #0 (the Board later gave him #2).

He often referred to himself as "the young Deith" which was fine with me because he was older than I. That youthful persona remained steadfast because he was eclectic and energetic. He always had an "iron in the fire". It would be accurate to say that Paul was a dart visionary who saw an opportunity to build something, become somebody, and have a good time in the process.

Practically every major city in this country has an organized dart league. They each began because of the foresight and efforts of one individual or a handful of enthusiasts with a single vision and combined efforts. As in relay events, the strongest contender may not be the first. Perhaps a later leader is the one who propels that organization the furthest, building on an inherited foundation.

In the case of WADA it is impossible to judge if the efforts of the young Deith have been eclipsed because his leadership rocketed the league from the embryo of an idea into the national and international ranks. By no means did he do this alone. The Deith years coincided with a mood of activism in the entire country. There were literally dozens of people who were promoting the sport and WADA with equal zeal, but always it was his enthusiasm that provided the motivation to help or, in many cases, to better his efforts. Just like that dollar from your pocket he could always find a way to get you to aid in a project and be glad you did.