Colonel George Grattan Flood passed away peacefully Monday, July 5, after battling cancer for the past two years. Col. Flood attended Seattle Prep before coming to Seattle University. He played on the 1944-45 men's basketball squad before enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps. After completing a tour of active duty aboard the USS Shangri La, he returned to Seattle U and earned his bachelor's degree in 1949, completing USMC Platoon Leaders Class along the way.
Col. Flood participated in combat operations during the Korean War and was awarded the Silver Star and Bronze Star Medals for action at Hongchon and the 38th Parallel. He served on the Seattle University Alumni Association and was a fervent supporter of Seattle U basketball. After retiring from the U.S. Marine Corps, Col. Flood worked for PEMCO Insurance for 27 years. Col. Flood is survived by his wife Phyllismary, four children, 11 grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren, along with three sisters, a brother, and many nieces and nephews.
Gerald Wright lost his battle with lung cancer this spring. Nicknamed "Ice", Wright played on the Seattle University men's basketball team during the 1987-88 and 1988-89 seasons. Originally from The Bronx, N.Y., he stayed in the Pacific Northwest and founded NYICE Apparel, a company specializing in athletic and team apparel as well as promotional products based in Tukwila. Wright also served as a youth basketball official and was a consistent member of the noon ball crew at the Connolly Center over the past 15 years.