Women's Basketball World Offers Fond Remembrances of Referee Bonita Spence

Updating with change of Church to Montclair, 68 Church Street, same time. Directions in the updated section.

By Mel Greenberg

Reaction has begun to flow into the Guru's email account (besides the twitter notes) since Monday's news of the sudden passing of well-known and popular women's basketball referee Bonita Spence.

To avoid a really long blog where some remarks might go unnotice the Guru will compile them in a reasonable amount of groups.

The Guru did receive some quick messages in his twitter account but they were of the inside communication variety and the Guru will check to see if those individuals would like to add to the public file.

He will also try to get some react from colleagues at Monday's funeral from those who wish to do so.

Because the Guru had to fight technology -- really -- to copy comments from email as well as some reaction sent to the blog to get them into where this file originates to get the file into this blog through the Guru's iPad (the original one), in the interest of time there is no meaning to the order the remarks are listed --it's just the way they were collected and dropped into the main file.

At this hour a cause of death is still not publicly known and it is not known whether an autopsy will occur given the sudden nature of Bonita's passing but if so it could be several weeks to learn anything and that is if one is performed.

Funeral Arrangements

But first, here are the details of the funeral on Monday that the Guru received from several sources and a change has occured but stay tune on twitter if more come and your Guru will either post them on twitter @womhoopsguru if short enough or alert on twitter to a blog posting here.

The viewing ( 9 a.m. till noon) and funeral (12 p.m., noon) will occur Monday at Christ Church, 68 Church Street, Montclair, N.J., 07043.

It is at the corner of Chruch Street and Trinity Place and if you google address you will see an outside photo under Christ Church -- East Campus.

Trinty Road becomes Valley Road on the other side of Church Street.

Directions

In looking at a map to give you an idea of the North Jersey locale before settting your navigational devices, now class follow the update. It now appears you can come either from North or South on Garden State Parkway and exit to Bloomfield Ave. and then head Northwest or North or West, depending on designation.

The road also become County Route 506 as you get close in Montclair. and you hit a three-way intersection. Coming from extreme left is Fullerton Ave but if you make a modified left you get on Church Street, which begins under that name at that point after being North Fullerton Ave. on the right side.

If this looks confusing on arrival you can stay on Bloomfield/506 a few more blocks, make a left on South Park Ave., and go a few blocks to Church and make a right and you will be a few blocks from the destination on the right, if the map is right.

If you are coming from the GW Bridge or that area, it looks like you you can get on I-80 or even use the route coming the other way from Pennsylvania and in Paterson get off at the Parkway and head south.

And coming from the Newark Airport, you can use 280, others may want to do this also if they are familiar with general roads and head Northwest to the Parkway and go north a short bit to the bloomfield ave exit.

The Guru would say to his friends who live in North Jersey, if there is something simpler, send him an email and he will refine but if he got it right let him know that also.

Montclair, by the way, is the hometown of basketball legend Carol Blazejowski.

Contributions

Meanwhile, a support fund has been set up for Bonita's 14-year-old daughter Leslie. The notice received here and elsewhere as word gets around is that in lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Leslie Celeste Sekou Fund,
with checks being sent to c/o Citizens Bank, Bank by Mail, PO Box 42006, in Providence, R.I.

To ensure a proper deposit into Leslie's account, in the memo area of the check should include the following: Reference # 23074086.

Additional Background

Before continuing, if you didn't see the short story from Associated Press national women's basketball writer Doug Feinberg, here are some details that he collected that the Guru didn't have handy in writing Tusday's previous blog.

Bonita passed away at age 51, worked two Women's Final Fours, referred for 10 days in the WNBA.

She has worked every NCAA women's tournament at some stage since 2000, including the Final Fours of 2001 (in St. Louis) and 2005 (in Indianapolis).

Bonita officiated for 27 years, primarily working in the (former old) Big East, Atlantic Coast Conference, Big Ten and Southeastern Conference, which constitute four of the six BCS group, though certainly teams from the Big 12 and Pac12 probably encountered her work at games when they traveled into the territories of the other four groups for nonconference matchups.

She worked many Mid-Major conferences also in the East.

Bonita played at Monmouth, located in central New Jersey, which just left the Northeast Conference for the MAAC, and was the point guard on the school's first Division I team in 1982, which was also the first season of NCAA women's competition.

She set Monmouth's assist record that season, it was matched the following season, but the record has stood since then.

Bonita then became a graduate assistant at her alma mater a year later.

She also worked as a principal investigator in the New Jersey office of the public defender in Newark for more than 20 years.

Coaches, Colleagues, Others React, Part I -- More to Come

All that said, here are the first of the tributes the Guru has received. If any of you reading this didn't get requests through the Guru's networks in conferences, the NCAA office, and the WNBA, feel free to contribute and send to his email at poll416@gmail.com.

With all that given, here's the first sample of what people are saying:

Vivian Stringer, Rutgers women's basketball coach.

Bonita was such a wonderful person that this loss has affected myself and my entire staff deeply. She loved basketball. For her, basketball was a journey of love and passion that was obvious to everyone from the high school level, to the college ranks, to the professional level. We all had so much respect and admiration for Bonita. She was a leader out there on the court and what impressed me was her fairness. I can’t imagine this season not seeing her there with her smile and dimples. It won’t be the same – the Final Four, the regionals and conference play – without her. It’s a loss for everyone. A wonderful person was taken from us too soon who we all loved.

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Richard Ensor, MAAC Conference Commissioner

I would run in to Bonita on road, whether MAAC games or when I was on the NCAA WMBB committee. We shared Jersey roots and attitude. She always had a smile & a warm hello.

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Kendra Faustin:, Niagara women's basketball coach

“Bonita would give me a sideways look and smile when I would “disagree” with her on the sideline. She helped me act like less of a crazy person. She knew how to manage people and diffuse a tense situation both for players and coaches.

This is so very sad. Thoughts and prayers to her family.”

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Mary Day, women's basketball official:

Lots of images, moments, game situations, conversations etc. have been replaying over and over during the last 24 or more hours. There are 2 that stand out the most as I will forever treasure the moments.

Bonita, myself and another official had the Tennessee/Auburn match-up in January 2009. I recall discussing travel plans with her and let her know that they were anticipating a sellout and she would need to come early. Of course she laughed at me but she did come early thank God. 2 hours out from game time the campus around the Beard Eaves Coliseum looked like a football game. Not only a sellout but over capacity crowd of 12,067 fans were there.

We had a great game and in true blue Bonita fashion she even had to calm our partner down during a timeout and at halftime. I've never laughed so hard during any halftime since.

My most treasured Bonita moment came at the 2007 Cleveland Final Four. I had worked one of the semi-final games and upon arriving back at the hotel Bonita and her big smile greeted me in the lobby. I got a big hug from her and words of encouragement and then the bonus------I told her my mom was there and she took the time to hang out with and visit with my mom while I went to change. Upon my return her and mom were still talking 90 to nothing about anything and everything. Mostly non-basketball stuff. It was priceless and a moment my mom talked about regularly. When I lost mom that December Bonita was one of the first to call checking on me.

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Michael Price, women's basketball official:

My name is Michael Price I've worked with Bonita on both the WNBA and College level. When I first met Bonita it was my first year officiating in woman's basketball and the WNBA's second year. Having worked all men's basketball up to that point it was a eye opening change. Bonita was one of the first to accept me with open arms to the woman's game. I worked numerous games with Bonita and we always took care of the games first but we always seem to have fun. She did not like to miss anything and sometimes I had to loosen her up during the games because she was so intense. The last time I worked with Bonita was last year in a SEC game and most recently saw her a few weeks ago at WNBA game in NY. I'll miss her.

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Dawn Staley, South Carolina coach and former star point guard:

Bonita Spence was one of the most professional official of our game. She was very approachable and I welcomed her candid perspective on the game she was officiating. Our game has lost a very special being.

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Anucha Browne
NCAA Vice President, Women’s Basketball Championships

We were deeply saddened when we heard the news of Bonita Spence’s passing yesterday. I had personally known Bonita since high school and had always admired her integrity and spirit. Her long-time officiating career, numerous NCAA championships and her mentoring of many young officials will help carry her legacy forward in the game. We offer our sincere condolences to Bonita’s family and friends.”

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Lin Dunn, WNBA Indiana Fever head coach:

What I loved about Bonita Spence, the referee, was that she officiated with great expertise, poise and composure! She knew the " game" came first ...not her! I 've been coaching in the women's game for 43 years and I can't think of an official I respected more than her! It's a HUGE loss for our women's game to lose the best of the best! My condolences to her family and friends.

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Agnus Berenato, former Pittsburgh women's coach:

Bonita was what we all want in a referee, role model, educator and was a great lady. Her smile and court side chatter will be missed by coaches, student athletes, and fans alike. I see you smiling Bonita!

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An Anonymous remark was made from a colleague in New Jersey to Tuesday's blog:

Rest in Peace, Bonita. You were loved, respected, and admired by many female referees. You were a true role model. Thank you from a member of the last all female referee board in NJ, the now defunct Shore Board #4. You helped make us strong for many years.

That is it for now. The Guru will be back with more reaction as it arrives.

-- Mel

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad