At The End, It Was Still About Surfing Athlete with asbestos-related cancer became spokesman in lawsuit against asbestos makers.

Thursday, June 8, 2006
By ROBIN HINCH
The Orange County Register

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/news/obituaries/article_1173552.php

Olympic gold medalist Terry McCann of Dana Point died Wednesday of mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer.

He was 72, and despite the long and painful treatments he endured, his main complaint toward the end of his life was that he couldn't surf.

Terry grew up in a rough area of Chicago where wrestling was more a means of survival than a sport. He was 12 when he entered the Board of Education Playground Championship where he won his first competition.

At a candy store one day, he saw a magazine cover about Olympic wrestler Ollie Morrison and decided he wanted to wrestle in the Olympics.

While earning a business degree from the University of Iowa and a master's degree from Loyola University in Chicago, Terry continued to pin opponents to the mat and work his way to Olympic competition.

He married his wife, Lucille, in 1953 and from 1957 to 1958 worked at an Oklahoma oil refinery while training for the Olympics, totally unaware that the asbestos dust drifting through the air each day was coating his lungs and would one day claim his life.

At the 1960 games in Rome he won the gold medal in wrestling - in the 125.5-pound weight class - by pinning his undefeated Russian opponent in 18 seconds.

After his victory, he was asked to give a lot of speeches, but felt he wasn't good at it. A friend suggested he join a local Toastmasters club, where he quickly improved.

In 1975, his growing family moved to Dana Point and he became executive director of the Rancho Santa Margarita-based Toastmasters International, which he led for 26 years.

He also took up surfing and did extensive volunteer work.

He worked for the U.S. Olympic Committee and the sport of wrestling, serving as volunteer coach to many top medalists. He was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1977.

He also helped found the United States Wrestling Federation, now called USA Wrestling, and served as its president.

Other volunteer efforts included serving as president of the Surfrider Foundation and executive director of the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association, the trade association of more than 300 surf-industry suppliers.

And of course, he coached his own children in wrestling and hosted many visiting competitors.

The McCann house was open to everyone and anyone, and was rarely without a visitor or two or three.

When asked if Terry was outgoing, his wife, Lucille, and son Terry Jr. shouted, "Outgoing?" and started to laugh.

"He loved to have people around," son Terry said. "He just wanted to take care of people."

After being diagnosed with the asbestos-related cancer in April 2005, Terry joined a class-action lawsuit against asbestos manufacturers, which is still in litigation.

He also became a spokesman against a proposal before Congress to impose limits on lawsuits against those companies.

He appeared recently in a national television commercial denouncing the proposal.

Terry is survived by his wife, Lucille; children, Rose, Deirdre, Colleen, Terry Jr., Sean, Bridgid, Denise; brother, Francis; sisters, Patricia, Sheila; 18 grandchildren; two great-grandchildren.

Rosary is at 7 o'clock tonight, with services at 10 a.m. Friday, St. Edwards Church, Dana Point. Arrangements by O'Connor Laguna Hills Mortuary.

The family requests donations to Kids Konnected, 27071 Cabot Road, Suite 102, Laguna Hills CA 92653.

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More about Terry McCann

Surfer, Wrestler, Entrepreneur, Father and Loving Husband Would Trade Olympic Gold Medal in a Heartbeat For Asbestos Tumor Free Lungs. The Terry McCann Story. Dana Point, CA (11/15/05)

As a Member of the Board of Directors for the Pacific Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (www.phlbi.org), Terry McCann asks for Donations to Help in Mesothelioma Research. (1/16/06)

Gold Medalist Republican CEO Condemns Fellow Asbestos CEOs who Poisoned Him, Los Angeles Times, February 20, 2006

*** POSTED JUNE 8, 2006 ***