Ely Capacio
Eliezer "Ely" O. Capacio (March 14, 1955 – February 23, 2014) was a Filipino basketball player, coach and executive. Born in Palo, Leyte, Philippines, he played a total of eight seasons as a forward-center for the Tanduay Rhum Makers from 1979 to 1985, averaging 5.9 points and 5.5 rebounds in a total of 324 games. The team won its 1986 PBA All-Filipino Conference Finals series, three games to one.[1][2]
In 1991, he succeeded Baby Dalupan as Purefoods coach and led the franchise to its first ever PBA All-Filipino Conference championship.[1] He was replaced the following season, after the team lost twice in the first conference. The Philippine Basketball Association then hired him as league chairman in 2005.[2] He was vice president for human resources of Purefoods at the time of his death and would have served a second term as chair of the PBA board in the 2014–15 season.[1][2][3]
In February 2014, Capacio was playing a round of golf with Purefoods president Francisco Alejo. Capacio complained of back pain during the game. He completed the round but declined having lunch and later suffered a stroke from a ruptured aneurysm. Capacio died at age 58, at a hospital in Manila on February 23, 2014.[4]