The Southern Illinois community mourned the loss of John Cherry earlier this week.  Cherry passed away on October 20, 2024 at the age of 93.

Cherry was a graduate of Vienna High School and returned to the area to play a year of college ball at SIU in 1953.

Cherry went on to coach at Galatia for one season before becoming the head coach of the Carbondale Terriers in 1959 where he would coach for 10 seasons.  That stint as Terriers coach would include a trip to the state finals in 1967 that ended in a 75-59 loss to Pekin in the title game.

Cherry was a Basketball Museum of Illinois member, he was inducted in 1987 as a Friend of Basketball.