Gil Loescher dies

[colhenrylives]

Gil Loescher, a former center at Serra High School and St. Mary's College in the 1960s, died in Oxford, England last week. Loescher was an expert in refugee affairs and devoted his career to that field. Working for the United Nations in the wake of the fall of Saddam Hussein and Baghdad in the summer of 2003, he suffered severe injuries in a terrorist bombing in that capital city. He lost both legs in the attack. But he survived, went through extensive surgeries and rehabilitation and managed to return to his chosen profession. Loescher grew up in Burlingame and played basketball at Serra during a productive three-season period when the Padres churned out a series of impressive big men who played collegiately. Examples: John Turner (Santa Clara); John Carmichael (San Jose State); Larry Moyer (San Diego); Clay Stephens (Notre Dame football); and Loescher (St. Mary's).

 

[observer22]

Cal great, and former Del Mar HS, Santa Clara & NBA player Mark McNamara passed away last week as well. 60 years young.

https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2020/04/29/bay-area-basketball-legend-mark-mcnamara-dies-at-60/

 

[colhenrylives]

It's been a very rough spring; too many deaths of people we know _ and right in the middle of an unrelated virus outbreak. Depressing. No wonder liquor sales are going through the roof.

 

[colhenrylives]

Gil Loescher's survival in the wake of the 2003 bombing was incredible. The building was blown apart and he and others wound up hanging upside down, his legs shredded, in the rubble. Being upside down was a major factor in preventing him from bleeding to death. By the time rescue crews got to him, he was still alive, though barely. Eventually, he was taken to a hospital in Germany where surgeries were performed; he recovered in time. But his heart finally gave out last week.