Visitation is Thursday evening with a Friday morning funeral in Arcadia for legendary Northwestern State basketball star George McConathy, whose nephew Mike is the veteran NSU head coach.
McConathy, 82, a native of the McConathy family’s hometown of Bryceland in Bienville Parish, passed away Monday after a lengthy illness.
Visitation is Thursday from 5-7 at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 1680 First Street in Arcadia. A 10 a.m. funeral will be held there Friday, followed by internment with full military honors at the Williamson Cemetery in nearby Sailes.
McConathy was an educator, coach and businessman. He was a 1982 inductee in Northwestern’s N-Club Hall of Fame, and was also a Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame member.
He still ranks 10th all-time in scoring in Demon basketball history with 1,436 points in 116 games from 1951-56, an average of 12.4 per game. McConathy stands ninth all-time in rebounding with 715, a career 6.2 average.
During McConathy’s career, the Demons posted an 82-39 record, winning 20 games in two seasons while never losing more than 10 in any season. He had a career high 32 points as a junior against UL Lafayette.
He was the youngest of three McConathy brothers who starred in basketball at Northwestern in the decade following World War II. Oldest brother J.L. and middle brother John, Mike’s father, are also deceased.
He served as a U.S. Army second lieutenant in Korea.
Survivors include his wife of 34 years, Dr. Terry Martin McConathy, and three daughters, Cynthia “Genie” Loftin of Shreveport, Diane Hill-Rothery of Bossier City, and Marianne Nelson of Bossier City.