Stanley Burrell's Obituary
Stanley "Chico" Burrell
Stanley Burrell was born on June 14, 1928 in Brooklyn, NYC. He was the youngest child of John and Lorraine Burrell. At the age of 10, Stanley became -Å"Chico- when his mother made him a gaucho costume for Halloween, and the neighborhood kids called out, -Å"hey Chico! - The nickname stuck for life. Chico played baseball until age 14, and then switched to his lifelong passion -" basketball. He played in neighborhood leagues in Brooklyn and Queens. At age 18, while playing in a semi-pro league in NYC, Abe Saperstein (founder of the Harlem Globetrotters) was in attendance to recruit players for his new league. Much to the chagrin of Chico's parents, Chico dropped out of his freshman year in college to play on one of Abe Saperstein's Globetrotter teams from 1946-1959. Chico's tenure with the -ËœTrotters included three world tours to Asia, Europe, Australia, South America and Canada. He played with the best players of his day -" Bobby Milton, Tommy Gipson, and the incomparable Wilt Chamberlain. After WWII, Olympic legend Jesse Owens joined the Globetrotter organization and coached Chico's team.
As a Globetrotter, Chico was known as a "jack of all tricks," including the "spinning ball," and "running a circuit - the signature trick roundabout performed to the iconic theme song, "Sweet Georgia Brown." Chico was a consummate showman -" his signature -Å"trick- shot was dubbed the Sky Hook. As the Harlem Globetrotters popularity soared post WWII, Hollywood came calling. In 1954, Chico appeared in the groundbreaking James Wong Howe film, -Å"Go Man Go,- which serialized the history of the Harlem Globetrotters, starring Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, and Dane Clark. Returning to tour with the Trotters (now based out of Chicago), Chico continued with more international tours -" other talent were included on the bill including Eartha Kitt, Marlene Dietrich (with Burt Bacharach as musical director). The Trotters played in pre-Castro Cuba (for President Bautista), and Argentina during Juan Peron's (with wife Evita) in attendance. As a founding -Å"Clown Prince of Basketball,- Chico entertained hundreds of thousands of fans all over the world. He met Joe DiMaggio, Marilyn Monroe, Errol Flynn, Robert Mitchum, Miles Davis, Dorothy Dandridge, and many other cultural icons from the 1950s. In 1960, Chico parted ways with the Globetrotter organization to manage the Harlem Clowns and moved his family to California. He continued to tour internationally during the tumultuous 60s. A lasting memory for Chico was a serendipitous meeting Martin Luther King Jr. at a diner in Miami, FL in the early 1960s.
Basketball ended for Chico in 1971; he retired with 25 years of service from METRO (formerly RTD) in 1987. In 2002, Chico moved from California to Seattle. He lived independently until his health began to decline in 2007. In 2007, the Harlem Globetrotters honored Chico at a performance in Tacoma, Washington, and inducted him into the Globetrotters Hall of Fame. Additionally, as an original member of the Harlem Globetrotter, Chico was inducted into the esteemed Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. After multiple hospitalizations and increased dementia, Chico passed away peacefully on April 29, 2012.
Chico leaves behind a loving extended family including his daughter Toni, grandchildren Evan and Jessica, step-children Arnold and Stephanie, and the Godwin family (Sandra, Edwina, Carnell, and Vicki) from Chicago, IL. His mother Lorraine, sister Lorraine, father John, and brother Sonny preceded him in death. Most importantly, Chico leaves thousands of fans all over the world with happy memories of seeing his showmanship and dedication to the sport of basketball. Basketball pioneers like Chico paved the way for NBA legends like Michael Jordan, Julius Irving, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
Arrangements by Mountain View Funeral Home. Please sign the online guestbook at www.mountainviewtacoma.com.
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