Larry Emrick, part of the Middie teams that won back-to-back state titles in 1956-57 that included a 76-game winning streak, died Saturday. He was 81.
Don Stokes, 83, who lives in Gahanna, Ohio, served as boys basketball team manager in high school. He remembered Emrick as “a really nice guy who made friends easy.”
Emrick, who graduated in 1958, played forward on the 1956 team, the “best high school basketball team in the state of Ohio to date,” said Lucas. That team was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.
Emrick attended McKinley and Lucas attended Roosevelt, the two junior highs in the city at the time. They played against each other in junior high, then were teammates for the Middies.
Lucas said Emrick was “integral to the success” of the team because he “did the right things all the time.”
After high school, Emrick attended Purdue University, then played eight games during the 1962-63 season at Miami University. He received an accounting degree at Miami and a master’s degree in mathematics from Xavier University.
He retired from AK Steel after 32 years of service.
Emrick is survived by his son, Greg (Amy) Emrick; daughter, Liz (Tom) Gribben; grandchildren, Haily (Ryan Kwiatek) Emrick, Sarah Emrick, Will Emrick, Brian Gribben and Nicole (Stephen) Ulmer. He was preceded in death by his brothers Gary and Randy Emrick.
Breitenbach Anderson Funeral Home is handling the arrangements. The funeral services will be private and a celebration of life will be held from 2-5 p.m. Jan. 22 at Wildwood Golf Club, 601 Aberdeen Drive. Memorial contributions may be made to the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation.
About the Author
