Richard Talley, 75, college basketball star

Feb. 21--In the early 1960s, basketball teams from two small colleges, one from the East Coast and one from the West, met in Evansville, Ind., to decide a national championship.

At Mount St. Mary's University in Emmitsburg, Md., the Sports Hall of Fame records that it was a legendary Mount team that "won the 1962 NCAA College Division National championship, defeating Sacramento State, 58-57, in overtime."

In 1978, that nine-man team was inducted into the university's hall of fame.

Among the nine was the team captain, Richard P. Talley.

On Saturday, Feb. 15, Mr. Talley, 75, a career insurance salesman in South Jersey, died of a heart attack at his home in Whiting.

"They were the glory days," his daughter Kathleen Adinolfi said of his college basketball seasons.

"Over the years, he had lots of fond memories of the Mount," she said.

At that time, there was one tournament for the big schools and one for the small schools, she said, and he was proud that his small school that year played the best hoops in the nation.

Mr. Talley had one more taste of tournaments.

In 1964, he was the assistant varsity coach of the Gloucester Catholic High School basketball team that won a state championship.

After coaching in 1963 and 1964, he began his insurance career, his daughter said.

Born in Gloucester City, Mr. Talley graduated from Gloucester Catholic in 1957, where he starred in baseball, basketball, and football.

He went to Mount St. Mary's on an athletic scholarship but, his daughter said, was injured in his freshman year and dropped out for a year.

He earned a bachelor's degree in 1962.

During his business career, she said, "he was an avid skier -- Vermont, Colorado, in Europe, Innsbruck."

He retired in the late 1990s.

Besides his daughter, Mr. Talley is survived by sons Richard P. Jr. and Michael; daughters Clare, Patricia Sheaffer, Mary Sue McLaughlin, and Ellen Barnes; and 23 grandchildren. His former wife, Marie, died in 1997.

A viewing was set from 10:30 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 22, at the McCann-Healey Funeral Home, 851 Monmouth St., Gloucester City, before a 12:30 p.m. Funeral Mass at St. Mary's Church, 426 Monmouth St., Gloucester City, N.J., 08030, with private interment.

Donations may be sent to the church.

Condolences may be offered to the family at www.mccannhealey.com.

[email protected]

610-313-8134 @WNaedele

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