Coupeville Sports

Henry Pope: a class act. (John Fisken photo)

I’m not going to pretend to be a South Whidbey High School fan.

As a die-hard Coupeville booster, I have sniped at the Falcons numerous times in print, fanned flame wars and (possibly) been banned from the SWHS gym.

But I can recognize a really good guy when I see one, and South Whidbey boys’ basketball coach Henry Pope was a really good guy. Respected and liked by opposing coaches, players and fans, he seemed, in everything I saw, to be a wonderful man.

His unexpected death last week at 57 is still reverberating across the Island and far beyond.

Today at 1 PM, the SWHS gym (5520 Maxwelton Road in Langley) where he proudly led his Falcons onto the court each night will play host to a celebration of Pope’s life.

I won’t be there, as my real job will make that impossible, and, like I said, I may be banned from the premises anyway (it’s 70-30 in favor of it being a resounding yes).

But if you are one of the many who attend — and the turnout should be epic — I would love to hear and see any photos or thoughts from the event. My email address is davidsvien@hotmail.com.