Janisa Johnson: 9/22/1991 – 5/25/2024 Wilson and Long Beach State volleyball player Janisa Johnson passed away in late May of cancer at the age of 32. The Long Beach volleyball community was joined in its mourning by the wider volleyball world this week as Johnson’s family announced her passing on her Instagram page. “In loving […]
Obituary
Obituary: Sean Burroughs’ Sudden Passing Shocks Long Beach Baseball World
The Long Beach baseball world and the Long Beach Little League community are in shock and mourning after the sudden passing of local legend Sean Burroughs last night at Stearns Champions Park. Burroughs was a Little League World Series champ, Olympic gold medalist, Wilson Bruin, and MLB player, who passed away at the age of […]
LBUSD Schools Mourning Unexpected Loss of Ryan Temple (1977-2023)
Long Beach Poly and Millikan’s school communities are both mourning the unexpected passing of longtime high school counselor Ryan Temple, who passed in November at the age of 46. An LBUSD counselor for more than 20 years, Temple was known as a bright presence at both schools–after a long stint at Poly, he had recently […]
OBITUARY: Long Beach Football Legends Dave Levy, B.I. Mais Pass Away After Long, Full Lives
The Long Beach football community lost a pair of legends last month with the passing of Long Beach Poly alum Dave Levy and St. Anthony alum BI Mais. Both lived long, full lives that were enriched by decades-long association with the sports they loved, and both will leave a hole in the local sports community […]
OBITUARY: Long Beach Volleyball World Mourns Keli Pula After Sudden Passing
The Long Beach volleyball world was shocked and is mourning the recent sudden passing of longtime coach Keli Pula. Pula passed away last Friday due to complications from a heart attack. A longtime assistant coach at Poly, Pula was the current girls’ volleyball head coach at St. Anthony, and was well-known and loved by those […]
COLUMN: Keith Hansen’s Services A Reminder to Serve
Everybody was there. I was there with my family–meaning my wife and kids but also JJ and Tyler–and it seemed like just about the rest of the Long Beach sports world was there too, packed into the Wilson High auditorium on a chilly Saturday morning. We weren’t there for a recital or an assembly or […]
Obituary: Lakewood Mourning Loss of Football Player Khalil Saleem
The Lakewood football team and the Lancers community are mourning the loss of 17 year-old Khalil Saleem, who was killed Saturday while playing basketball with friends at Silverado Park. Saleem and two men were shot Saturday afternoon during a gunfight between a gunman in a car and another at the courts, according to the Long […]
Obituary: Keith Hansen, Longtime Administrator and Encourager, Passes at 73
Keith Hansen: 12/26/1948 – 12/2/2022 Every community is like a tapestry, with many individual threads woven together into a whole. The Long Beach community lost a vital piece of its tapestry last weekend with the unexpected and sudden passing of Keith Hansen, a longtime school administrator, volunteer, and encourager. Hansen was 73 years old, and […]
Obituary: John Rambo Leaves Long Legacy
His accolades were longer than a Langston Hughes poem. If there was a competitive sporting event in Long Beach in the 1960’s, chances are John Rambo was the star. Rambo, who attended Long Beach Poly, Long Beach City College, and Long Beach State, had a passion for basketball and high jumping was a hobby. That […]
Obituary: Long Beach Basketball Community Mourns Brian Camper
The unexpected death of Long Beach basketball legend Brian Camper on Sunday has left the local hoops community in mourning this week, with tributes pouring out on social media for the Lakewood High and Long Beach State star. Camper was a standout with the Lancers and at Long Beach State, but made his mark off […]