By Jim Tamagni

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Gordon Sloan lived and died playing the sport he loved most - handball.  A United Airlines pilot by trade and living in the Watsonville, CA area Gordon spent a lot of his free time at the Watsonville YMCA.  He was an excellent doubles player and tactician and could hold his own as a right side player against anybody. His real strength though was recognizing the ability of the younger players and trying to help them realize their potential.  Dave Welch and Rick Delbovo were a couple of his portages.

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After almost every handball match it was one of his requirements to review the previous match over a "few" beers. The learning and analyzing came out during all of these sessions. Gordon had a lot to say and after a few beers his was off and running. All the younger players soaked up his knowledge along with the beer. The last you would see of Gordon would be he buying the last pitcher. All of  us were hungry for his knowledge and couldn''t wait for the next match.  Sadly on June 1, 1986 Gordon suffered a heart attack while playing handball and died shortly thereafter.  All who knew him still miss him and the legacy he left upon the Watsonville area players.

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Congratulations on your induction into the Northern California Handball Hall of Fame.