When Great Men Pass

I read the news last night that the father of a good childhood friend passed away early in the morning of December 6th. Ray Edelman, a WWII war veteran, lived a life filled with joy, love, and amazing experiences which were all shared with an incredible family that I am honored to know.

Ray Edelman was sports. Ray Edelman defined basketball and was one of the best, most sought after, and most decorated coaches in the country. He was a fountain of basketball fundamentals and he shared that wisdom with an immeasurable number of student athletes through the years.

Nobody understood Ray’s passion for basketball as well as his wife Millie and six children, Ray, Cindy, Jimmy, Linda, Mike, and Patty. The Edelman household was a who’s who of basketball for a couple of decades and at the heart of it all was Big Ray.

I grew up on Malvern Road in Ardmore Pennsylvania and the Edelman’s lived behind me on Georges Lane. From first through seventh grade I was close with Mike Edelman (the second youngest of the six kids if you are keeping score at home). A small group of us would roam from house to house and playground to playground looking for the next place to play a quick game of something. Sometimes it was touch football, sometimes it was “Kick the Can”, but we always had basketballs with us, so we often ended up at Elwell playground or my house and the game de jour usually ended up being hoops.

All the while, we had our eyes on what was happening in the rest of the Edelman household. My earliest memories are of Big Ray thriving as a coach at the University of Pennsylvania and attending those late 1960s and early 1970s Big 5 basketball games at the legendary Palestra. I learned what it meant to be a basketball fan in that old gym. Mike’s brothers and sisters were also making names for themselves both at Haverford High School and later at Kentucky. We had role models a block away and we looked up to all of them.

Ray’s coaching career took him to the University of Oregon when I was in eighth grade. It was rough having a good friend move across the country but two very meaningful things came out of that move. First, it was Mike who introduced me to the name of the legendary running phenomenon Steve Prefontaine who was on the cusp of becoming a household name. I had no idea who PRE was but Oregon sure did. PRE and his story would later become very influential to me. And second, the Edelman’s came back year or two later. So balance was restored in the universe.

Through the decades Big Ray Edelman coached at a number of schools and colleges and was a go to mentor for many coaches and basketball programs. While it’s true that he was a basketball genius, he also turned boys into men and coached the skills that don’t show up on the scoreboard, like integrity, sportsmanship, class, dignity, and grace. All of which are evident in the Edelman children and their families.

I’m saddened by the loss of Ray Edelman, but I am so blessed to have known him and fortunate to remain in touch with many of the kids. My thoughts and prayers go out to the extended Edelman clan in the loss of this great man, father, and legendary coach.

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11 Comments

  1. Barbara Karlovich
    Posted December 7, 2014 at | Permalink

    I am Barbara Karlovich, a granddaughter of Ray Edelman and daughter of Patty! Thank you for these amazingly kind words! It really means a lot to me!

  2. William Graham Harpe
    Posted December 7, 2014 at | Permalink

    Mr. Edelman was a very nice teacher, coach, and all around good guy, and I would like to extend my sympathies to his family in this time of loss and sadness. I was playing baseball one Sunday, a sandlot pick-up game on the softball diamond at Elwell field, the year was 1962, and I was an inexperienced 11 year old catcher. I managed to dislocate my index finger on my right hand, by reaching out for an outside fastball with my ungloved hand. Coach Edelman tried to pop the finger back in place, but couldn’t, so he took me over to Bryn Mawr Hospital E.R. and waited for me to get treated, and then paid the Doctor’s bill for setting my finger, and casting it. Coach didn’t know me from Adam, I was just a local kid, but that didn’t matter to him, his act of kindness was never forgotten by me . I was also fortunate enough to have had him as my gym teacher, and health teacher in ‘64 and ‘65 at the Junior High school, he was a wonderful man. I learned an awful lot about kindness and giving from him. God Bless you Mr. Edelman, you were a good guy !!!
    William Graham Harper

  3. Debbie Bell Misher
    Posted December 10, 2014 at | Permalink

    Ray was one of my Dad’s oldest friends. My Dad Ace Bell, Sam Venuto and Ray wanted to one day all coach at the same college, ray for basketball, Sam for football and my Dad for baseball. It never happened but it was fun for them to think about. Sam passed earlier this year, now Ray. Dad is very sad to have lost his last remaining friend from childhood. If he does not make it to the funeral I hope Millie will know he is thinking of her!

  4. Steve
    Posted December 10, 2014 at | Permalink

    Debbie,

    I played baseball for Haverford High and Ardmore Manor, I was very aware of your dad and the impact he had. He was a coaching legend in his own right. Please let him know that he is remembered and admired.

    Thank you for your comment.

  5. Posted December 10, 2014 at | Permalink

    Hello Steve & thx for sharing the news & the remembrances. I spoke to Coach Edelman about 2 yrs ago. I believe he talked about a granddaughter that was a good high school player.

    We called Coach Edelman “The Baron” & he was truly a Coach’s Coach. My prayers will be going out to the family who I’m sure have tremendous memories of a life well-lived.

  6. Linda Edelman Murphy
    Posted December 12, 2014 at | Permalink

    Steve thank you from Millie and myself as I sit next to her reading your article! She is thrilled with how you remembered so much from our childhood days. Millie and Ray shared many loving years together !!! Steve you are Blessed with wonderful words. Thank you for the tribute to our Edelman Clan!

  7. Patty Karlovich
    Posted December 12, 2014 at | Permalink

    Thank you for those kind words about Dad and our family.
    RIP Daddy

  8. MarySue Christopher
    Posted December 12, 2014 at | Permalink

    This is awesome! What a great tribute.

  9. Posted December 12, 2014 at | Permalink

    Very nicely said.

  10. Larry Theuer
    Posted December 12, 2014 at | Permalink

    Great article. Great sentiments.

  11. Barbara Linehan
    Posted December 12, 2014 at | Permalink

    Thank you for this outstanding tribute to a great man who shaped numerous lives on and off the court.

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