The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy. — Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
LEXINGTON, Ohio — John Gurney stood at midcourt, a basketball cradled in his right hand and a look of contentment etched across his weathered face.
There was no place he would have rather stood, no matter the challenge.
The crowd rose to its feet as John, dressed in a black T-shirt and tan cargo pants (instead of his customary game-night stripes), tossed the ball into the air. Lexington’s Jonah Yaussy and Mansfield Christian’s Kendall Cross, who at 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-3, respectively, stood a head taller than the hall of fame official, immediately sprang after it.
When Lexington had secured the tip, play was halted and John slowly walked off the court to one final standing ovation. He took a seat near the scorer’s table, where he would spend the rest of the evening chatting with friends and colleagues and exchanging handshakes and hugs with hundreds of well-wishers.
Thanksgiving was just a few days away and, to hear John tell it, he had a lot to be thankful for as he continued his courageous battle against cancer.
“I am truly undeserving of this,” he insisted on that November night at Lexington High School, where Lex and Mansfield Christian staged a benefit game in his honor.
John’s battle ended Wednesday night. He fought valiantly.
High school basketball lost an ambassador.
Richland County lost a friend.
“If you would go around the state and talk to any coach, they would tell you John is not just an official. He’s a friend,” Ontario coach Joe Balogh said during a ceremony before the start of that preseason benefit game. “I can’t tell you the number of times that he has called just to talk and many times it’s not even about basketball. Whenever I see him, one of the first things he asks is how my sons are doing?
“That is special, the relationship he’s developed not just with me, but hundreds of coaches across the state.”
And with anyone else who was fortunate enough to cross paths with John on a regular basis, myself included.
Before November, I hadn’t spoken to John since late last February. I was standing along the baseline at Pete Henry Gym as Mansfield Senior hosted Lima Senior. John was still officiating, just as he had done for the previous 40-plus years. You can’t fully appreciate the tempo of a game like that unless you are standing at floor level.
“That is a lot of running,” I said to John during a timeout, stating the obvious.
He just nodded and grinned. John must have been exhausted, but you would have never known it. He still looked like he could run all day.
By the time November rolled around, the cancer had clearly taken its toll. His face was gaunt, his body frail.
Still, John maintained a remarkable sense of humor. His daughter — who lives in Thailand — posted regular blog updates as John continued his fight.
“Sometimes I have to read that to find out what I’m going through,” John joked.
Throughout his ordeal, John’s faith only deepened. He shared his powerful testimony at Heartland Alliance Church before last November’s benefit game.
“It has been a tough ride, but the Lord is with me,” he said. “If the Lord wants to take me tomorrow, He will take me. It’s His decision, not my decision.”
After his testimony, John was joined on stage by family and friends who offered their prayers. It was a testament to a life well lived.
“You just never know who is watching, so make sure you are walking as Christ would walk,” said Mansfield Christian secondary school principal Mark DeLaney, who was instrumental in organizing the benefit. “Because you don’t know the amount of impact you can have without saying a word and that’s what he has done in my life.”
