John’s Legacy
John Bieniewicz was a Michigan soccer referee who was tragically killed on the field in 2014 when a player assaulted him. Not only was John a referee, but also a husband, father, and coach within his community. He performed all these roles with dedication and enthusiasm, and strived to inspire that same passion in others.
In 2015, Pete Morrisey and the Michigan Referee Committee established a scholarship in honor of John. Since then, the John Bieniewicz Memorial Scholarship has been awarded to young referees that exemplify the same passion and dedication to refereeing and community involvement that John promoted. Beginning with a single scholarship in 2015, and with the help and support of our donors, the John Bieniewicz Memorial Scholarship has now grown to award a total of 5 $2,000 scholarships to graduating seniors. The scholarships are awarded yearly in August at the John Bieniewicz Memorial Golf Outing.
The John Bieniewicz Memorial Scholarship and Memorial Golf Outing were started by Pete Morrisey and the Michigan Referee Committee. A colleague of John’s, Pete was responsible for the grassroots effort that started the scholarship and golf outing. He retired from his oversight role in 2024, but can still be seen at the outing playing.
Today, both the scholarship and golf outing are overseen by the Scholarship Committee. Currently, the committee consists of John’s wife Kris Bieniewicz, his two sons Kyle and Josh, and his long-time referee friend Mario Dagostino. Kris still coaches middle school basketball and Kyle continues to referee at a high level. Josh is currently pursuing a career in construction. Mario has since retired from refereeing and enjoys spending time with his grandkids.