The lacrosse world lost two legends this week.

Robert S. “Bob” Miser Jr., a 1980 inductee into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, and Jake Curran, a 2015 inductee, both died earlier this week.

Miser was an outstanding player, but also gave back to the sport by coaching at the youth and club levels and by serving two stints on the Board of Directors for The Lacrosse Foundation, one of the organizations that merged to form US Lacrosse in 1998. He was president of The Lacrosse Foundation from 1988-89.

“Bob was authentically thoughtful, supportive and humble,” said Steve Stenersen, president and CEO of US Lacrosse.  “He was passionate about building an organization that could provide leadership and resources focused on the sport’s growth and development, but he cared more about the process and the people involved than the outcome.  His example of selfless leadership continues to be a source of inspiration for me."

“He had a twinkle in his eye, a calmness in his voice and could light up a room with his smile,” said Kira Muller, senior manager for special projects at US Lacrosse. “I will miss him terribly.”

Miser was a three-time All-American at Army, earning first team honors in 1959 and 1960 and second team recognition in 1958. He helped Army to a national championship in 1958 and a share of the national title in 1959.

In 1960, Miser received the Turnbull Award from the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association as the nation’s outstanding attackman and played in the USILA North-South All-Star game that season He graduated as Army’s all-time leading scorer with 135 career points and was inducted into the Army Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.

Playing for Mt. Washington, Miser was a three-time United States Club Lacrosse Association All-Star from 1966-1968 and he represented the United States in the first men’s world championship in 1967, helping the U.S. bring home gold.

For 40 years, Curran was recognized as one of the top officials in boys’ and men’s lacrosse. Based in Syracuse, he served as a high school and college official from 1964-2004, and worked five NCAA men’s championship games. Curran also officiated on the international level for 30 years, working in numerous World Championships, Canadian Championships and European Championships.

Curran was one of the founding members of the International Federation of Lacrosse’s (now FIL) Referees Association, and served as the group’s first president. Curran was also referee-in-chief for three FIL World Championships.

“Jake has done everything possible for a person in international lacrosse,” said fellow official Steve Miller before Curran’s Hall of Fame induction. “I always say, ‘He brought the bricks, then he brought the mortar’. He’s the one that laid the foundation so hundreds of officials would have the opportunity to officiate in world championships, European championships.”

“The international referees of today owe a debt of gratitude to Jake for the hard work and dedication to the game of international lacrosse over the many decades,” said Don Blacklock, Federation of International Lacrosse Technical Director. “Whilst Jake has been away from our game for a few years his enduring legacy is still felt around the world and will continue to live on.”