Jerry Sloan was proper on the cash.
The late Chicago Bulls nice typically kiddingly referred to Grayal Gilkey as “the mayor of Aurora.”
Decades later, that evaluation continues to be apropos for Gilkey, the long-since retired East Aurora trainer and coach who’s 82.
“Gilk,” as he’s identified on each side of city, labored basketball camps at Aurora University, then often called Aurora College, from 1972 to 1986. There, he rubbed elbows with NBA-connected staffers like Sloan, Dick Motta, Ed Badger, Doug Collins and John Paxson.
Trips to a restaurant or pub downtown typically adopted their periods.
There, Sloan would look on in admiration as Gilkey was greeted by a gradual stream of former college students, gamers and acquaintances.
Everyone, it appeared to Sloan, knew Gilkey.
Gilkey’s attain, in fact, does cowl each side of the Fox River. He attended West Aurora and starred in three sports activities within the Fifties previous his 29-year educating and training profession at East Aurora.
It offers him a novel perspective on the East-West rivalry, particularly since his spouse, Mary, was a cheerleader at East Aurora, the place daughter Linda and son Garan attended highschool.
“I broke my collarbone playing DeKalb (in football) and met my wife in the hospital, where she was working as a candy striper,” Gilkey stated. “She brought my breakfast.”
Mary would attend Iowa and grow to be a nurse.
Grayal Gilkey was inducted into the West Aurora Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. He will likely be inducted Friday into East Aurora Sports Hall of Fame at about 6:15 p.m. between the sophomore and varsity boys basketball video games.
It makes him the primary individual to be enshrined in each.
Being inducted with Gilkey are the late Robert “Cowboy” Williams from the 1952 class, Algie Neal from the 1969 class and the late Randy McCue from the category.
They’re truly the 2021 Hall of Fame class however an uptick in COVID-19 final 12 months led to the ceremony being postponed. It will likely be preceded by a reception from 4 to six p.m. within the faculty cafeteria.
Gilkey’s household moved right here from his native Washington state in 1946 when Grayal was 6. His dad taught English at Aurora College, the place he was additionally the top coach for soccer, basketball and baseball.
Grayal was a senior on the 1957-58 basketball group that positioned fourth in state, beginning alongside future Illinois star Bill Small. Gilkey performed basketball for 3 years at Colorado earlier than returning house to complete at Aurora and beginning his profession educating English and bodily training.
He coached on the decrease ranges or assisted on varsity in soccer, basketball and baseball at East Aurora, masking 43 seasons in 27 years earlier than retiring in 1993.
It included being sophomore coach beneath legendary Ernie Kivisto.
“He was a great entertainer,” Gilkey stated. “East has by no means seen something prefer it and by no means will once more.
“I’ve always said my biggest failure was not keeping a diary and writing a book. It could be really interesting.”
Gilkey additionally assisted in males’s basketball from 1973 to 1986 at Waubonsee Community College.
“There, he worked with players from both East and West,” stated his son Garan, who performed on a Tomcats group led by Thomas Wyatt that certified for state beneath coach Scott Martens.
That WCC expertise, together with officiating in a number of sports activities for a few years after he retired, solely served to increase Grayal Gilkey’s legacy, which nonetheless amazes his son.
Garan remembers being in St. Louis, strolling by outlets — and eating places — stuffed Union Station along with his dad and mom, sister and the siblings’ spouses and listening to somebody from behind yell out to his father, “Hey ‘Gilk’!”
“I just thought, ‘How is that possible?’” Garan stated. “And it happens a lot. We’ll challenge him, and 90% of the time he can tell us who the person was and what class they were in or team they were on.”
Kevin Talkington, a longtime trainer within the East Aurora district who was a scholar trainer beneath Gilkey, nonetheless works the scorer’s desk in basketball there and officiated with Gilkey. He has seen the identical factor.
“He knows everybody,” Talkington stated of Gilkey.
It continues as we speak, although again and neuropathy points have restricted the Gilkey’s mobility considerably. He nonetheless hosts a month-to-month breakfast at a neighborhood diner, joined by former coaches, academics and directors from throughout the world.
“I look forward to them,” Gilkey stated. “It retains me out and about.
“I just wish we could set the table up on a carousel that spins. At the end of the breakfast, you’ve seen everyone and said ‘hi’ but there’s not enough time to talk to everyone.”
He’ll maintain attempting, although.
That’s simply how Grayal Gilkey rolls.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com