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Mr. Dion Rainey (Deceased)

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Military Record:
Dion retired from the U.S. Navy as a Lt. Commander for 22 years.

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Former Basketball: Dion Rainey (1976-81) Passed Away – Obituary From Orlando Sentinel Included

Dion’s obituary is posted at the bottom of this story.

Last week Dion Rainey suffered a serious stroke. It was felt he was getting better, but on Monday morning Dion passed away.

Click here for pictures/information on the 1978 team http://athleticnetwork.net/site476.php

Click here for pictures of the 1980 team, including one when Dion hit the winning shot vs. Alabama-Birminham in the NIThttp://athleticnetwork.net/site188.php

Our condolences go out to Dion’s family and friends.

This information was published in the sports section entitled Varsity Roll Call of the Orlando Sentinel Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2010. Sid Lalande, Baseball 1982-84 and an Orlando resident, provided the information to the Athletic Network. Thank you, Sid.

Edgewater Star Dies

Dion Rainey, MVP for Edgewater’s 1975-76 state championship basketball team and a mentor for some of the best high school players Orlando has ever seen, died on Monday. Friends said he died at Shands Hospital in Gainesville after suffering a storke several weeks ago.

Rainey averaged nearly a double-double as an agile 6-foot-5 post player for Edgewater’s 32-4 title team. He played four years at Southwestern Louisiana (now Louisiana-Lafayette) alongside two-time NBA all-star Andrew Toney when the Ragin’ Cajuns went 77-36. He continued to make an impact after returning to this hometown by running skills drills and weight training workouts for a long list of standouts that included future NBA players Chucky Atkins and Amar’e Stoudemire.

Obituary Dion J. Rainey Sr.

RAINEY, SR., DION J. , was born August 4, 1958 in Winter Park, FL to Mr. Andrew Jackson Rainey and Mary Elizabeth Rainey. He was a devoted husband to Norman Rainey of Titusville, FL and a father to
Ebony Williams, Dion Jr.,
Manny, Vonetta, Bernadette, and Michael, all of Orlando, FL. He worked for the City of Winter Park for 8 years, Zephryllis Hills Water for 8 years and upon his death Safety Klean Company. Dion retired from the U.S. Navy as a Lt. Commander for 22 years. He departed his life on Jan. 25, 2010 at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, FL. Public viewing at New Hope MB Church, 927 S. Central Ave., Apopka, FL 32703, Fri. Jan. 29, 2010, from 5-8:30PM. Homegoing service will be at New Destiny Church, Pastor Zachary Timms officiating on Sat. 11AM, 505 McCormick Road, Apopka, FL 32703

Published in Orlando Sentinel on January 28, 2010
Athletic Network Footnote: Dion J. Rainey Sr. has been added to the Military Page of the Athletic Network. Please click here and scroll down to his name http://athleticnetwork.net/site.php?pageID=1745

Peace, Ed Dugas

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UL basketball legend Dion Rainey dies

Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • January 28, 2010

Dion Rainey, who made what is considered to be the biggest shot in UL men’s basketball history, died earlier this week.

According to a report in the Orlando Sentinel, friends said Rainey died at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla., on Monday after suffering a stroke several weeks ago.

Rainey, a 6-foot-5 forward from Eatonville, Fla., played for the Ragin’ Cajuns from 1976-80.

He is the program’s eighth-leading career rebounder (749 rebounds) and 16th in all-time scoring (1,421 points) as then-USL went 87-36 in his four years.

His brightest moment with the Cajuns came as a senior during the 1979-80 season as he hit a game-winning 23-footer to beat UAB, 74-72, in a first-round NIT game at Blackham Coliseum.

Rainey and scoring machine Andrew Toney helped the Cajuns recover after the NCAA banned the program from competition for the 1973-74 and 1974-75 seasons.

He averaged double-digit points in each of his four seasons and was second team All-Southland Conference as a sophomore in 1977-78 and a senior in 1979-80.

After the Cajuns returned to action in 1975-76 and went 7-19, Rainey averaged 10.3 points as a freshman the following year as the program won 21 games.

Rainey led the team in multiple categories — including per-game averages in rebounds (9.0) and minutes played (36.2) — during his sophomore season and bumped his scoring to 12.4 points.

As a junior, Rainey averaged a career-best 14.4 points and again led the team in minutes played (33.3 per game).

Rainey averaged 14.1 points and 5.9 rebounds during his senior year and helped the Cajuns win 21 games and advance to the third round of the NIT.

After Rainey’s buzzer-beater knocked off UAB in the first round of the NIT that season, the Cajuns beat Texas, 77-76, in Austin in the second round. They suffered a 94-73 third-round loss on the road to a Minnesota team led by future NBA players Kevin McHale, Trent Tucker and Randy Breuer.

After his playing career, Rainey returned to Florida and served as a mentor and organized workouts for some of Orlando’s top prep basketball players. Some of his former pupils include current NBA players Chucky Atkins and Amar’e Stoudemire.