Gone too soon

[SWC75]

I’m sorting through my vast collection of old newspaper clippings, (to make it less vast), and went through the basketball stuff this afternoon. I had a handful of articles on SU players who had passed away before their time. I decided to check the Orangehoops site to make a list of players during the era when Jim Boeheim was head coach who are deceased. I don’t know if Orangehoops is completely up-to-date or comprehensive on this but CBB Reference.com doesn’t give death information so I went with Orangehoops. If anyone knows of any names that need to be added to the list, please note it in a response. The average life expectancy for a male in the United States is 76 years, so anyone who played for Jim as head coach who has died is “gone too soon”.

Syracuse Orangemen Basketball 1976-1977

Summary of the 1988-1989 Syracuse Orangemen Basketball season, led by stars Marty Byrnes, Roosevelt Bouie, Louis Orr, Dale Shackleford, and coached by Jim Boeheim. The team would go 26-4 and play in the NCAA Tournament.

orangehoops.org

Bob Parker Bob Parker
Eddie Moss Eddie Moss
Peter Wynne Peter Wynne
Pearl Washington Pearl Washington
Keith Hughes Keith Hughes
Conrad McRae Conrad McRae
Fab Melo Fab Melo

It’s not a long list but it’s still too long by 7. Hughes is the one I didn’t realize before I made the list. McCrae and Melo died of heart attacks at ages 29 and 26. (Marfan’s Syndrome? – I always worry about the tall guys.) Fast Eddie and the pearl died of cancer at 45 and 52, respectively. Keith Hughes “died suddenly” at age 45. Peter Wynne dies “after a brief illness” at 48. I don’t know Bob Parker’s cause of death at age 51. RIP, guys!