Terry Bogle, an iconic figure in the history of Glen Burnie High athletics, died on May 6 as a result of complications from myelodysplastic syndrome. He was 85 years old.
Bogle spent 31 years at Glen Burnie, serving as boys basketball coach for 28 years and athletic director for 20. In 2017, the school honored his legacy with the naming of James T. Bogle Gymnasium.
Current Glen Burnie boys basketball coach Mike Rudd played for Bogle before serving as his assistant for a decade. Rudd, who will enter his 29th season next winter, surpassed Bogle as the school's all-time winningest boys basketball coach.
"Coach Bogle was my mentor and very much like a second father," Rudd said. "Coach Bogle was a man of great integrity and tremendous principle. He was a real pillar of the community and made a major impression on thousands of kids at Glen Burnie. I'm going to really miss him."
Rudd described Bogle as a coach that was tough but fair. He and teammates used to laugh about being afraid of a man who was only 5-foot-6. Underneath the gruff exterior was a coach who cared deeply for his players and would do anything for them.
"We played hard for the man because we didn't want to let him down," Rudd said.
Bogle coached some of the finest players in Gophers history such as Tony Dailey, Bruce Engel, Arnie David, Mike Thibeault, Jeff Locklear, Vernon Osborne and Desmond Dailey.
Bogle led the 1993-94 team to the Class 4A East Region championship and a berth in the state semifinals.
Rudd, who has 412 career wins and has led Glen Burnie three state semifinal appearances, credits Bogle for his success.
"I would not be the coach I am if not for Terry Bogle. When I was an assistant, he gave me a lot of responsibility and a lot of say. He let me grow," Rudd said. "
James Terry Bogle was born and raised in Salisbury, North Carolina, and was a three-sport athlete at Granite Quarry High. He played baseball at Appalachian State and was a standout left-handed pitcher.
After graduating with degrees in physical education and history, Bogle wound up in Anne Arundel County through a family connection. He began teaching at Corkran Junior High in 1964. Three years later, Bogle transferred to Glen Burnie High as a physical education instructor and multi-sport coach. He was initially the assistant in football under Joe Papetti and and boys basketball under Bruce McLin.
One year later, Bogle was elevated to head boys basketball coach. He met his wife, the former Kathryn Beegle, another first-year teacher at Glen Burnie, in 1967.
Bogle was also named head baseball coach in 1968 and enjoyed a strong four-year run before stepping down. Glen Burnie's principal specifically requested that Bogle return as varsity baseball coach in 1977 and he promptly led the program to the state semifinals.
"Baseball was Terry's first love, but he said it was too darn cold in Maryland during the early part of the season," Kay Bogle said of her husband.
In 1978, Bogle was appointed to replace Tom Newbrough as Glen Burnie athletic director and held that post for two decades. Bogle ran a tight ship and made sure all the school's athletic programs abided by all rules and regulations. Coaches were pointedly instructed to maintain the highest morals standards and exhibited impeccable character.
"Terry taught all the coaches to be fair and display proper sportsmanship. He demanded that we set the right example for the players," longtime baseball coach Bruce Sider said when Bogle retired in 1998. "Everything was by the book and rules were never skirted on Terry's watch. He made sure no one involved with athletics did anything to get the program in trouble or embarrass the school."
Kay Bogle, who taught computer science at Glen Burnie, was always by her husband's side whenever the school hosted various sporting events. She said he was a man of integrity and that shone through in the handling of athletic matters.
"Terry was tough, no nonsense and honest. He would not even consider cutting corners," Kay said. "He was very caring and extremely loyal and would take up or go to bat for any coach or athlete at Glen Burnie High."
Bogle hired Joe Rotellini as a physical education teacher in 1979 and assigned him to serve as an assistant coach for football and boys lacrosse. At the time, Rotellini was working toward a Master's degree at Loyola Maryland and needed to complete an internship.
"Terry was kind enough to allow me to help out with athletic director duties to fulfill my internship requirement," said Rotellini, who left Glen Burnie to become head lacrosse coach at Alfred University and later served as head football coach at Salisbury University. "Terry just cared about people -- not just professionally, but personally as well. He was just a wonderful human being who did a lot of wonderful things for a lot of people."
Bogle was a longtime member of the Lutheran Church of Our Redeemer and spearheaded numerous charitable efforts. He founded the Greater Glen Burnie Athletic Association to raise money for worthy causes and held an annual fundraiser for the Arundel House of Hope. He started a Glen Burnie alumni basketball event dubbed "Hoops for the Homeless."
Bogle's children, Terri Lynn and Brian, played sports at Old Mill. Terri Lynn, an All-County soccer player, recalls her father showing up to Old Mill games unabashedly wearing his Glen Burnie sweatsuit. Brian Bogle played basketball and baseball for the Patriots.
"My dad was truly a salt of the earth type of person who always put his players first," said Terri Lynn, who kept the scorebook for Glen Burnie boys basketball from sixth through 10th grade. "Dad was determined to lead a creditable and accountable program. Winning was always the goal, but he made sure the players understood that wasn't the most important thing. Representing your school in a first-class way was paramount."
Bogle, who loved playing golf, gardening and making salsa, spent 20 years battling myelodysplastic syndrome, commonly known as "Lazy Bone Marrow disease." In recent years, dozens and dozens of former Glen Burnie athletes stopped by the family home in the Olde Mill Village community to visit with the old coach.
Bogle is survived by his wife of 56 years, Kathryn along with children Terri Lynn (Joe) Wootten of Vienna, Virginia and Brian Bogle of Millersville, Maryland. He is also survived by brother-in-law Doug Lingle and five grandchildren.
Family and friends are invited to gather at Severna Park United Methodist Church on Friday, May 16 (10:30 a.m.) for a celebration of life memorial service for Bogle. A private internment will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made in Bogle's name to the V Foundation's Victory Over Cancer research fund at www.v.org.