Hawaiian brian

Baby Huey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It is with great sadness to inform the pool community that my friend Hawaiian Brian passed away this morning. He had been suffering with various medical problems the last few years and recently had turned for the worse. He died this morning in Las Vegas. Brian and I were friends and road partners since 1968. He was a great player and nice guy. He will suffer no more. God bless you Brian RIP.
 

alphadog

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was in Hawaii a couple of years ago and no one wanted to play 1 pkt because Brian had "cured them" of that;)
 

Chip Roberson

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So Sorry To hear of this. I often thought that we would meet up again on down the road, but that's life, it makes ya feel there is plenty of time to do things, when its time, you really don't have a handle on. Great Player with tremendous concentration ,RIP Sir
 

pfd studios

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hawaiian Brian

Very sadness indeed. I had the good fortune of knowing Brian and actually spent a bit of time with him in his poolroom in Oahu - great player and gentleman to the end - RIP
 

Runner

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Oh man, that's sad news... met Brian a long time ago in Hawaii....
Rest in peace, bruddah.
 

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
A road legend gone....rest in peace, Brian

Got a Hawaiian Brian T-shirt off Bran about 20 years ago in Florida...
...burnt a hole in it while driving....still wear it once in a while
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
He was one of my dear friends in the pool world and one of our greatest hustler/players from the late 60's until the 80's, when he opened Hawaiian Brians poolroom in Honolulu.
The first time I ever went to Hawaii, Brian had someone pick me up at the airport and take me to one of the nice Waikiki Beach hotels. I stayed there a few days and when I went to check out I was informed the bill had been taken care of (Brian!).

Brian criss-crossed this country in the 70's taking on anyone and everyone, kicking ass everywhere he went. You would be hard pressed to find anyone who got the best of Brian. I can still see him, sunglasses atop his head, ball cap on backwards, his eyes narrow slits, his face tight with concentration and that effortless little stroke of his. Nothing fancy about his game, just make the ball and move on to the next one. He rarely had to make any spectacular shots, because he stayed in line forever! Pretty soon "Hawaiian Brian" was a well known name in the pool world. And a feared one at that!

Brian was all business on the pool table. No fun and games or trash talking of any kind. When the game was over he would once again be his friendly, jovial self, lamenting with you in your loss and recounting all the bad rolls you got. :wink:
Short in stature, big in heart is how I would describe him.

After he was well set financially, thanks to his smart investments, Brian introduced us to a young Hawaiian kid named Rodney, who he took across the country on a similar journey to the one he had made two decades before. Same trip, same results. All the money went back to Hawaii and the pool world learned a new name to be wary of.

I feel so fortunate to have known men and legendary players like Brian. They broke the mold when they made him.
 
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deanoc

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
A little bit of us all passes away as the ones we knew leave us forever

I remember Richard Akimoto who worked with Brian,what ever became of him?
 

Patrick Johnson

Fish of the Day
Silver Member
I played at his Oahu room several times in the early 90s, but never saw him (that I know of). Anybody got a pic of him?

pj
chgo
 

Pete

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
So sorry for his loss. My deepest condolences to his family and friends...
 

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
A little bit of us all passes away as the ones we knew leave us forever

I remember Richard Akimoto who worked with Brian,what ever became of him?

Richard has done well for himself. He was partner's with Brian in the poolroom. Still living in Hawaii.
 

Runner

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I had this old photo saved of Hawaiian Brian.. all business!
 

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bbb

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Sorry for the loss of your friend
Condolences to his loved ones
R.I.P. Brian
 

jrhendy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sad news indeed, I know you were good friends.

I first played Brian some 9 ball at Five Points Bowl in El Monte, CA when he just got here in the 60’s or early 70’s. The $100 I won cost me many times that over the years. It did not matter what kind of spot I got or what game, he almost always got the cash. When I complained that I never won, he replied ‘But John, I let you write checks when you are out of money’.

One of a kind and a great player. Rest In Peace Brian.
 

dabarbr

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sad news to hear. Brian was a good friend of mine. Didn't look too well the last time I saw him in Vegas. RIP my friend.
 

lfigueroa

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I met Hawaiian Brian in the early 70's.

He was on a road trip with Dalton Leong, a strong player who was to meet an untimely end in NYC many years later. It was at Town & Country Billiards in Daly City just outside of San Francisco. Dalton was doing the playing, in on a ring game with Filipino Gene, Steve Votter, Rico Sanchez, and a couple of other strong Bay Area players. Afterwards, around 4am, a bunch of players went down the street to a diner for breakfast. I was a teenager then and tagged along and ate my eggs in silence as I listened in and soaked up the road stories.

RIP Brian.

Lou Figueroa
 
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