John Lapham

1952 - 2022

September 5, 1952 - October 30, 2022 John Lapham embraced life much like he embraced basketball-with enthusiasm, poise, integrity, loyalty, confidence, graciousness, devotion, and passion. He was, of course, his best self when he was surrounded by his wife and children, the greatest loves of his life. But John had room in his heart for a continent full of people. He would greet guests at holiday parties as if their entrance was the best thing that had happened to him all year, offering champagne and access to a playlist that unabashedly acknowledged his love for Jerry Jeff Walker, the Eagles and Waylon Jennings.
Sports offered an opportunity for him to achieve and to heal others. The basketball court was his cathedral, a place of faith that was open to anyone. His drive to succeed in the workplace allowed him to take advantage of his great intellect, appreciate his good fortune, and give back to his many communities.
After working to rehab from a serious bicycle accident in March, John passed away in his sleep unexpectedly from cancer on Oct. 30, and his friends and family members say it is almost impossible to contemplate a world without him in it.
John Gordon Lapham III, the son of Margery Benson and John Lapham Jr, was born in El Paso, Texas, in 1952. As a child, he discovered a love for books - thousands upon thousands of biographies, histories, and the occasional mystery - and basketball.
In 1978, John made his way to UCLA, where he completed a two-year program to earn a Master of Business Administration. It was there that he bonded with a group of classmates who remain friends to this day. Their "Talpa Night" dinners are legendary for their rigorous political discourse (to put it politely), good wine and continuity. Eventually, John settled in Manhattan Beach, married Evelyn in 1991, and spent the next three decades raising his family and nurturing his community. That community was large, spreading across geographies, athletics and academics. He served as a board member and tutor at the Al Wooten Jr. Youth Center – a Los Angeles nonprofit that provides free after-school and low-cost summer programs for students in grades 3-12 – for 25 years. John was also a long-term board member at the Ketchum-Downtown YMCA, coached the Manhattan Beach Bulldogs club basketball team for almost 10 years and served as the Mira Costa girls' basketball coach for more than a decade. He strived to teach his athletes the importance of teamwork, commitment, sportsmanship, and treating everyone with respect. His players always knew that the most important aspect of sports, and of life, was giving 100%, and often described the teams he coached as their second family.
While basketball was his first athletic passion, John later discovered endurance sports and, after reading about a new competition in a magazine, set out with a few friends to compete in some of the first-ever Ironman triathlons. Throughout the years, he was quick to embrace other challenges. John and a few friends organized several rides from San Francisco to Los Angeles – 525 miles in four days. He also completed the famed Paris-Brest-Paris, a 1200 km bike race across France, seven times; only four people have completed it more times. (Yes, that's the race that starts at 10 p.m. in Paris and continues to the coast of France and back – with no scheduled time to rest. If you need a break, that is on you.)
While he was coaching and competing, John forged a successful career in finance that spanned nearly five decades. After he graduated from UCLA, he took a job at Prudential Insurance Co. where he made several lifelong friends. In 1995, he joined Pinebridge Investments, where he ultimately spent the majority of his career co-managing the firm's Leveraged Finance group.
John is survived by his wife of 31 years, Evelyn; their son, Thomas; their daughter, Emily, and her husband, Donald Lapham Castellucci, and his sister Elizabeth Martindale. He is also survived by a coliseum full of broken-hearted people whose lives he touched.
A memorial service will be held at American Martyrs church in Manhattan Beach, CA on Monday, Nov. 14 at 10 a.m. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Al Wooten Jr. Youth Center or the Ketchum-Downtown YMCA. In addition, the family will be holding an open gym and 3 vs. 3 basketball tournament in his honor on Sunday, Nov. 13 at 4 p.m. at the American Martyrs basketball gym. All of John's players, teammates, and friends are invited to join.