Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 25, 1995 TAG: 9502270063
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: BRUCE STANTON STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Stevens, 46, collapsed at 7:22 p.m. with 2 minutes, 12 seconds remaining in the second quarter of the Pioneer District Tournament semifinal game between Parry McCluer and Bath County at Dabney Lancaster Gymnasium, according to a friend of Stevens. There was a stoppage in play before Stevens fell, as a Bath County player was attempting a free throw before a crowd of about 1,100 at Dabney Lancaster Gymnasium.
``We had a kid going to the line, and all of a sudden, Glenn just keeled over,'' said Johnny Gazzola, a friend of Stevens who was at the game. ``He hit his head, and when he fell down it brought blood.''
Nelson Fox, the head coach at Parry McCluer, said ``[Stevens] was backpedaling and his face fell white and he fell backward.''
Gazzola said several volunteers tended to Stevens for several minutes before the Clifton Forge rescue squad arrived at the gym.
``They worked on him for a long time with no sign of life,'' Gazzola said. ``When he hit, it looked like that was it. He never made any movement.''
Stevens was taken to Alleghany Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 8:10 p.m., a hospital spokeswoman said. The cause of death was listed as cardiopulmonary arrest.
Stevens, who was employed by Academic Book Company, is survived by his wife, Catherine, and three children - Daniel, Elisabeth and Vaughan. He was a member of First Baptist Church in Roanoke and was a 1971 graduate of Virginia Tech.
Stevens had been a basketball official for 19 years, said Ernie Bradd, commissioner of the Southwest/Western Basketball Officials Association. Bradd, who had known Stevens for 25 years, was observing Stevens' officiating crew.
``He was a happy guy who you saw at a lot of ballgames and was well-liked by everybody,'' Bradd said. ``He had some heart problems before, but he had been cleared to officiate.''
When Pioneer District officials were trying to decide if they should resume the tournament Friday, Bradd said, ``It was not my decision to make, but I conveyed to them that Glenn would rather them go ahead and play the games.''
Richard McElwee, Bath County's coach, said he had known Stevens for about 12 years and admired his commitment to being a good referee.
``I'm sure he left the house and kissed his wife bye and said, `See you after the game,' and was doing something [refereeing] he liked to do,'' McElwee said. ``After the game, our boys were upset because they lost, but I told them, `You get to go home. Think about his family expecting him to come home right now.'
``It puts it into perspective - how small a thing like losing a ballgame is.''
Fox, a coach at Parry McCluer for 16 seasons, said Stevens was a friend and a respected official.
``He was the type of official who you could talk to and who understood the game,'' Fox said. ``Glenn was a great guy and a good official. It really hit me hard, as I'm sure it did everyone here at Dabney Lancaster. It puts everything in perspective.
``We're here one day, and then we're not. The Good Lord gives us a certain amount of days, and that's it.''
Keywords:
FATALITY
by CNB