Longtime Louisville high school sports referee returns for 1 last game after beating cancer

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Officiating high school basketball and field hockey games was Dale Ramsey's passion for four decades.

Cancer took that away. But Ramsey decided he wanted to say goodbye on his own terms and he got that opportunity Tuesday night at Sacred Heart Academy.

Ramsey was back in his element and when you've done something for 40 years, you don't forget how to do it.

"It's just something that's been a big part of my life," Ramsey said. "Tonight, I'm getting a piece of it back."

Ramsey had emergency surgery in the fall of 2019 for a blocked colon, which turned out to be cancer. He's been in remission for over three years. Six months of chemotherapy cured the cancer, but took a toll. 

"I lost about 50 pounds," Ramsey said. "It took me about two and a half years to get my strength back and unfortunately one of the side effects of the chemotherapy was a condition called chemo induced peripheral neuropathy which basically means my feet and my ankles and my shins are like frozen. That affects my mobility, particularly my ability to run which kind of forced me to give up officiating."  

Four and a half years after officiating his last game, Ramsey decided that he wanted to put on the striped shirt and whistle one more time. 

"To show that I beat cancer," Ramsey said. "To show that it didn't take everything away from me. And to thank all the people that helped be through this. The other reason is whether you're a coach, an athlete or an official, you want to pick your last day. You want to be in control of that."

"I think he deserves it," longtime Sacred Heart Athletic Director and basketball coach Donna Moir said. "He's refereed field hockey and boys basketball and girls basketball and given so much to girls athletics that he deserves one more time. He takes so much pride in what he does and he's so meticulous. I won't give him a hard time. I'll give him a big hug though."

Ramsey said Sacred Heart was a natural place to do this because of his friendship with Moir and the fact that his daughter went to school there. And the experience was everything he had hoped for once he got out on the court.

"It feels incredible," he said. "I'm just so thankful and blessed that I was able to do this."

Those at the University of Louisville would recognize Ramsey as the director of Intramural Recreational Sports and faculty member at the school. He retired from that job two years ago after 41 years.

He plans on continuing to work on his health and is looking forward to welcoming the birth of his first grandchild in the spring.   

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