Former Hoosier Wayne Radford Was Also Great Teammate at Cook Medical
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – There's been one common thread about Wayne Radford when you talk to former teammates and friends about the former Indiana basketball star who passed away suddenly on Jan. 10. Every team was always better, they all said, when Radford was on it.
Radford, who was 64 years old when he passed from a ruptured aneurysm, is best known for his basketball career with the Hoosiers from 1974 to 1978. He was an important part of the undefeated 1976 team that gets inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame on Wednesday night.
But what a lot of people don't know was that Radford had a great professional career after basketball, too. He worked at Cook Medical, the large Bloomington-based medical device company, for 38 years and excelled in working with doctors and patients in medical settings for years.
And, much like Indiana basketball fans, they miss Wayne Radford terribly, too.
"It's been a somber few weeks here,'' said Cook Medical Vice President Andy Cron, who has worked at Cook with Radford for 34 years. "Wayne's area of expertise has been in our critical care area, and ever since he came to work for Mr. (Bill) Cook, Wayne's personality made him a perfect fit to be out in the field with our customers.
"He loved being the operating room, loved working closely with doctors and, most importantly, loved being able to help our patients. Everyone just loved being around Wayne.''
Wayne Radford poses with two Cook Medical colleagues after a physician training session. (Photos courtesy Cook Medical)
Radford's big smile and energetic personality fit perfectly in the corporate world, too. Much like during his basketball career, Radford worked hard at being the best he could be in this career, too. He was a leader in teaching and hosting product demonstrations, and he could steal a room during talks in meetings.
"I read a review of his once, and it said the favorite part of his job was working as a team, and solving problems in a team setting,'' Cron said. "He was always focused, and what he really lived by was always doing what was most important for the patient. Cook's message has always been that serving patients is a privilege, and that defines Wayne and his entire career. He genuinely cared so much about helping people.''
Cook colleague Chris Nelson said Radford never stopped working at what was best for his patients. That was a constant throughout his career, he said.
“I’m going to miss my friend and colleague for nearly 21 years,'' Nelson said. "His impact on the basketball court has been widely documented, and is undeniable. What I want to make sure is that everyone who reads this understands his impact in operating rooms all over the country and the immeasurable impact he had on so many patients' lives.
"Wayne was as tireless as an employee for Cook Medical as he was at perfecting his basketball skills. He never quit pushing for what was best for patients. Always doing everything in his power to make lives better. I know he made my life better. I’m sure going to miss him.”
Wayne Radford gives a presentation on one of Cook Medical's device simulators.
Cron said everyone enjoyed having Radford around, including surgeons and others in the field. That was a two-way street, too, he said. Radford loved his job.
"We worked a lot of meetings together at the beginning, and when he was working with people, that's when he was the happiest,'' Cron said. "You should have seen him in an operating room. He knew our medical devices inside and out, did great training sessions, and when it came to teaching procedures, he never had any problem making suggestions to surgeons on what other surgeons did with our devices. He was totally in his element there.
"He had such a big personality that he could always bring people together. His smile was contagious.''
Cron said Radford was the ultimate team player too, and always did whatever needed to be done for a patient, with no questions asked.
"It never mattered what it was, Wayne always got the job done,'' Cron said. "I remember one time we needed something in Indianapolis right away for a patient, and the device we needed was in Lexington (Kentucky). Wayne just gets on the phone just like that, has our rep meet in him Louisville right away, and he drives down there and drives right back to get it done.
"That happened all the time. Whatever it took to win the day, that's the Wayne did. There's no question to me that's something from his basketball days that carried over into his professional life.''
Radford was also more than willing to share his expertise with others. He earned great respect from everyone at Cook, from one corner office to the next, and every desk in between.
"He gave a presentation for us once on the importance of team, and he blew everyone away with it,'' Cron said. "He had a great ability to put everything into context for everyone. He was a great leader for our team, and he had a huge impact on what we do every day.''
"When he died, I have to admit, just talking about Wayne so much with people was very therapeutic for me. It's hurts. Hurts terribly, but the more you talk about Wayne, you wind up talking about the great things about him, and you wind up with a smile on your face again. I'll always cherish all the wonderful memories I have of Wayne.''
The little things about Radford's personality are what Cron will never forget.
"What might surprise some people was that Wayne had beautiful handwriting. He wrote in cursive and he'd always write these beautiful notes. That's a lost art these days,'' Cron said.
"He was a great listener, too, and you always felt like you had his undivided attention. And he was just so good with people. He'd see someone and smile, and he'd ask about their families and genuinely care about your answer. He made people feel special, and that was true for every single day I knew him.''
Related stories on Wayne Radford
- RADFORD PASSES AWAY (Jan. 11): Former Indiana basketball star Wayne Radford passed away suddenly at his home late Sunday night. He was 64 years old and leaves behind a wife and two children. CLICK HERE
- WOODSON ACHES AFTER BEST FRIEND'S PASSING (Jan. 12): Indiana Hall of Famer Mike Woodson was best friends with Wayne Radford, and his sudden passing has torn away at his heart. CLICK HERE
- WAYNE RADFORD OBITUARY: Here is the official obituary for Wayne Radford. CLICK HERE
- HOW TO WATCH HALL OF FAME INDUCTION: The 1976 Indiana basketball team will be inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame on Wednesday night. Here's how you can watch the virtual event. CLICK HERE
