Health issues 9 time tx. state champ Bob Vanover

jackpot

jackpot

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Went to visit my old and dear friend Bob Vanover. He is in the advanced stages of
dementia. Very sad, spent about an hour with him. I know his family would appreciate
your thoughts and prayers. What a player he was. He quit playing pool at the age of
19 or 20 to go in the Army. Did not hit another ball until he was in his 40's, and won
countless tournaments including the Texas State Title nine times. Once running the
set, nine racks for the title. It was really 12 racks because he was on the losers
side and had to win 2 sets. He ran the last 3 of that set. I have countless stories
and fond memories of the time we spent together. If you have any to share I will take
them and read them to him next time I go to see him.

jack
 
pfduser

pfduser

GRABBER GT
Silver Member
I always enjoyed watching Vanover play. My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his loved ones.
 
Black-Balled

Black-Balled

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Unfortunate. Dementia is so hard for all involved.

We have his brother up here, cigar Tom, up in b'more. I last spoke to Tom about a year ago and he looks and sounds great.
 
Dead Money

Dead Money

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
jackpot said:
Went to visit my old and dear friend Bob Vanover. He is in the advanced stages of
dementia. Very sad, spent about an hour with him. I know his family would appreciate
your thoughts and prayers. What a player he was. He quit playing pool at the age of
19 or 20 to go in the Army. Did not hit another ball until he was in his 40's, and won
countless tournaments including the Texas State Title nine times. Once running the
set, nine racks for the title. It was really 12 racks because he was on the losers
side and had to win 2 sets. He ran the last 3 of that set. I have countless stories
and fond memories of the time we spent together. If you have any to share I will take
them and read them to him next time I go to see him.

jack
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear this about Bob. Dementia is a tough roll:frown:
 
H

HoustonInt

Big John's Cue Repair
Silver Member
Sorry to hear this. Bob is a class act and an amazing pool player.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
TheCutShot

TheCutShot

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So Sad to hear this news! I got to play Bob once in a tournament at CJ's in Dallas back in the mid 90's I think, Losers bracket final, he beat the pants off of me (LOL) with class though, Gentleman through and through, was even offering me pointers and instructions as we played, at that time I was just really starting to get my game together and Bob new that. Bob went on to win the event and I finished in 3rd place, will never forget that event as it was the 1st time I had ever placed that high in an event. Will also never forget Bob Vanover for the Class Gentleman that he is.
 
K

know it all

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Bob Vanover

Why ever happen to the good looking girl,blonde and blue eyes that he was with or married to,a Polish name very beautiful lady. Kathy pinkowski or something like that a real good looking Texan..Meet her in Cleveland Ohio at a world straight championship for Men and 9 ball for woman. At the Bond Court hotel.Rich aka the skunk.
 
jackpot

jackpot

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
know it all said:
Why ever happen to the good looking girl,blonde and blue eyes that he was with or married to,a Polish name very beautiful lady. Kathy pinkowski or something like that a real good looking Texan..Meet her in Cleveland Ohio at a world straight championship for Men and 9 ball for woman. At the Bond Court hotel.Rich aka the skunk.
Click to expand...

They were married until a few years ago. Had two boys together, Grayson and Alex.
Grayson was a child actor and a regular on the children's tv show Barney and is
now a teaching tennis pro. Alex is a senior in high school and his is pilots licence.
jack
 
jay helfert

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
Bob Vanover was one of the classiest men I ever met in all my years in pool, and a damn good player to boot! He was an example of a working man (furniture sales) who could go head to head with any top player, and they didn't have to like it either!
I remember when they barred him from playing in the BCA Seniors events because he was winning it every year. I had just become a senior and was pissed about that because I wanted to play him. Never got the chance though.
 
S

Scott Lee

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sorry to hear about Mr. Vanover. His ex-wife Cathy was a collegiate national champion. Many people don't know it, but Bob had four brothers, all of them poolplayers. Cigar Tom Vanover lives in Baltimore, and was an even better player than Bob! :eek: Best wishes to Bob and his family. Dementia is a very tough roll in life, that will eventually happen to many of us.

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
 
DavidMNienow

DavidMNienow

Glamour Dave
Silver Member
Sad to hear about Bob Vanover. When i was in college and learning to play i heaed stories about Bob and how well he played. Dementia is a tough thing to watch happen in a loved one. I have been watching it affect my father for the last six years as i take care of him full time. My prayers go out to Bob and his family.
 
ibuycues

ibuycues

I Love Box Cues
Silver Member
Bob was always known as a classy gentleman, but a genuine monster on the table. As has been said above several times, he was a winning machine in Texas, a state with tons of great players.

About 15 years ago or so, I bought his Palmer model M cue with the wavy veneers. One of Palmer's best cues ever, I really liked the fact that it has his name in the buttsleeve window. I still have the cue.

Bob was certainly one of the best players of his generation.

Jackpot, thanks for making us aware of Bob's health with this thread.

Will Prout
 
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Duane Remick

Duane Remick

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
ibuycues said:
Bob was always known as a classy gentleman, but a genuine monster on the table. As has been said above several times, he was a winning machine in Texas, a state with tons of great players.

About 15 years ago or so, I bought his Palmer model M cue with the wavy veneers. One of Palmer's best cues ever, I really liked the fact that it has his name in the buttsleeve window. I still have the cue.

Bob was certainly one of the best players of his generation.

Jackpot, thanks for making us aware of Bob's health with this thread.

Will Prout
Click to expand...

I grew up in Baltimore.
Used to Watch Bob's brother, "CIGAR TOM,
PLAY SOME GREAT 9 BALL
 
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alphadog

alphadog

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
About 10 years ago I played in a benefit trnmnt for a good local player who had cancer. Bob was there and had donated a set of clear pool balls that had his name on a card in the center. Very unique set. I bought the balls and was talking to Bob. Subject came up about trickshots and I asked if he had seen Semih play?
I showed Bob video of Semih. Bob said thats incredible and incredible to watch video on a phone.
I wish Bob and his.love ones much patience.
 
pt109

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
Bob Vanover, to me, had what martial artists may call "the spirit of a rock"....
...I really admire his game.
Without his cue in hand, he is a gracious man to talk to....
...I treasure every meeting with him.

Bob's on the far left in this pic...
...and in order...Mike Haines...our own Jack Potter.....Dick Lane

IMG_3420.jpg

Lifted from mike's site
 
jackpot

jackpot

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
not his best game

Just a little story about Bob. Bob loved to play golf, but it was definitely not his
best game. As executive vice president and buyer for all the Haverty's furniture
stores he was always getting invited by furniture reps and other elite in the furniture
business to go to lunch and play golf at exclusive country clubs in Dallas. I don't
know who he told them I was but I was also always invited. Terry Bradshaw's brother
was a furniture rep and Bob, Fred Bates president of Haverty's and (and somehow me)
were invited to play at TPC Four Seasons in Los Colinas where the Byron Nelson
was played. Terry Bradshaw was staying at the Hotel there and came out and rode
around a few holes with us. kind of cool. Bob is right handed but plays golf left handed.
I asked one day after we finished if he played baseball, " oh yeah a lot when we were
kids" . Oh so you bat left handed ? He said oh no the only thing I do left handed is
play golf I can't play a lick right handed. BOB you just shot a hundred and twenty
five from the front tees, how could it be worse. Didn't matter he would never change.
jack
 
dardusm

dardusm

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I really enjoy watching top players. I made it a point to watch Bob play in the Seniors division in the BCA years ago. He completely demolished the field to win the event. The next year they made him play in the masters. He didn't slow down and snapped it off. Bob had a great sense of style and played great. I'm sorry to hear the news about dementia. I have some of it in my family that I'm dealing with and it is a tough disease.
 
Dead Money

Dead Money

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
DavidMNienow said:
Sad to hear about Bob Vanover. When i was in college and learning to play i heaed stories about Bob and how well he played. Dementia is a tough thing to watch happen in a loved one. I have been watching it affect my father for the last six years as i take care of him full time. My prayers go out to Bob and his family.
Click to expand...

I am doing the same with my dad. Hang in there buddy.
 
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