Earl "Yogi" Strom

1927 - 1994  (66 years)

• Name	Earl "Yogi" Strom
  Birth	15 Dec 1927	Pottstown, Montgomery, PA
  Gender	Male
  Death	10 Jul 1994	North Coventry Twp, Chester County, PA
  	Earl "Yogi" Strom (December 15, 1927 - July 10, 1994) was a professional basketball referee for 29 years in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and for three years in the American Basketball Association (ABA). Strom is credited as the greatest referee in the history of the NBA[2][3] and was known for his flamboyant style and ability to control the game.[2] Nicknamed "The Pied Piper", the assertive Strom made foul calls with his whistle by using a "tweet-pause-tweet-tweet" tune and pointing at the offending player.[3] In addition to calling fouls with flair, he was known for ejecting players from games with style and he sometimes supported his rulings with physical force.[4] Over the course of his career, he officiated 2,400 professional basketball regular season games, 295 playoff games, 7 All-Star games, and 29 NBA and ABA Finals.[2] For his extensive contributions to the game, Strom was posthumously elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995. Early life Strom was born December 15, 1927 in Pottstown, Pennsylvania to Max and Bessie Strom.[2] Earl's father, Max, was a foreman at a bakery, and Earl grew up in the household as the youngest of seven children comprising five boys and two girls.[5] As a child, he became interested in athletics and competing in sports, and this interest lasted throughout his childhood and into high school.[3] At Pottstown High School, Strom played football, baseball, and basketball.[5] After finishing high school in 1945, he joined the United States Coast Guard towards the end of World War II.[6] Returning from service, Strom attended Pierce Junior College in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where he graduated in 1951.[2] Following school, the young Strom continued participating in sports and played for a local semi-professional basketball team in his early 20s.[3] During a basketball game, he had an argument with a referee and the referee said "Look, you're not much of a player, and you've got a pretty good mouth on you, so why don't you think about taking up refereeing?"[3] Following the advice of the referee, Strom decided to get into officiating. He officiated high school games for nine years as well as college games in the East Coast Athletic Conference for three years.[2][7] In 1952, he married Yvonne Trollinger, and the couple went on to have five children.[7] Outside of officiating, Strom worked at General Electric in customer relations starting in 1956 and continued in this role through his first stint in the NBA.[7][8] He felt this "day job" provided security to his family since officiating in the NBA did not at the time.[8] (From Wikipedia.com)
  Burial	Pottstown, Montgomery, PA
  Person ID	I20899	Drollinger Genealogy
  Last Modified	20 Nov 2023

  
  

  Family	Shirley Yvonne Trollinger,   b. 6 May 1929, Pottstown, Montgomery, PA d. 7 Apr 2011, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA (Age 81 years)
  Marriage	14 Oct 1952	Valley Forge, Chester, PA
  Children	1. Margie Jane Strom   2. Susan Beth Strom   3. Stephen Strom   4. Eric Strom   5. Jonathan Strom
  Documents		Wedding Announcement The Mercury Pottstown, Pennsylvania · Monday, October 06, 1952 Page 7
  Family ID	F697	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	20 Nov 2023

  
  

• Event Map

  Birth - 15 Dec 1927 - Pottstown, Montgomery, PA Marriage - 14 Oct 1952 - Valley Forge, Chester, PA Death - 10 Jul 1994 - North Coventry Twp, Chester County, PA Burial - - Pottstown, Montgomery, PA  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Photos

  Earl Strom

  
  

• Notes

  U.S., World War II Draft Card Name Earl Strom Race White Age 18 Relationship to Draftee Self (Head) Birth Date 15 Dec 1927 Birth Place Pottstown, Pennsylvania, USA Residence Place Pottstown, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, USA Registration Date 1945 Registration Place Pottstown, Montgomery, Pennsylvania, USA Height 5 11 Weight 150 Complexion Ruddy Hair Color Black Eye Color Hazel Household Members (Name) Age Relationship Earl Strom 18 Self (Head) U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index Name Earl Strom Gender Male Race White Birth Date 15 Dec 1927 Birth Place Pottstown, Pennsylvania Death Date 10 Jul 1994 Father Max Strom Mother Bessie Markawitz SSN 171226232 Notes Jun 1944: Name listed as EARL STROM Hall of Fame Professional Basketball Referee. He was a professional basketball referee for 29 years, with service in both the National Basketball Association and the American Basketball Association, retiring in 1990 with over 2,400 games officiated. In addition, he participated in 29 NBA and ABA finals, 295 playoff, and 7 all-star games. He had a reputation for fairness and held the respect of the player, whom he believed should be allowed to "play the game". He was selected and enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995. (Bio by Mike O.)