Years ago, I think in 1989, there was a pro tournament at the sands in Reno Nevada and a few tragic events for both my father and myself led for me join him in Reno. I sat on the plane next to Louis Lempke, first time I met him, fun trip for sure, great guy !!!, however once in Reno, my father who is like the size of hoss cartrite, starts introducing me to several of the pro players when we go to the sands. Now, my father and myself worked and worked. We never threw a baseball, football, cards, nothing, we worked. It was good, no complaints, it was our life, but, to see my father introduce these men to me was amazing as my father when walked into a room, held the presence of one of those guys not to mess with and thank goodness he is a nice guy. LOL, I've seen many times when he was not nice and you wanted to be in another country !!! But, my father pointed to a person and said to me, thank man there, he's a good person, the one you want to know in this whole place. The man was Jim Rempe who he was pointing to. I'm sure Jim Rempe has met so many thousands of people and that was so long ago, no way Jim Rempe would remember, but, it so stands out for me personally as my father had only stated that phrase to me about 20 times in his whole life that he actually would make the statement without really knowing Mr. Rempe. It was told to me that my father went down a day earlier before the tournament started and just started talking to different players, lol. I'm sure no one was going to ask him to leave, lol, as again, one look at my father, and you knew he was old school hard working man that when once a conversation started, my father was easily accepted. I did shake hands with Mr. Rempe as I won a raffle of a chain link jim rempe by meucci cue and got to approach a table and make a selection of the cues remaining. Mr. Rempe carried himself with self respect and honor and seems my father admired that presence in a hurry the day he went down to check out the players, lol. It's amazing, but, such a blast to have this little peek, so small of a window, that Mr. Rempe was a bridge to for a father and son without even knowing it. God bless you Mr. Rempe and the reason we were in Reno was my father was taking Leukemia treatments. Twenty Four Years later, he is still working at age of 80, tough dude I tell ya. lol. Whatever and however Mr. Rempe gave a little time to my father in some conversation really was impressive to my father. Best Wishes to Mr. Rempe and his family always.
Wedge, appreciate your follow through on an update as my father does in fact remember Mr. Rempe as " that man who shoots pool in reno" lol.
Sorry to ramble, just a precious moment in our lives on the rare occasion for my father to converse on something outside of working together.
