Kevin Varney has Passed Away

I can't find words. Just am very sad to hear of this unexpected passing.

My sincere condolences.

Fk, really?
 
God Bless Kevin. He sent me a PM about 5 years ago to tell me about Myland's High Friction Polish which when thinned about 50% with denatured alcohol makes a great shaft sealer. When used straight, it is the finish I like the best for a real sneaky pete with no wrap. Martin


Pushout said:
For those who may have missed the original thread, cuemaker Kevin Varney died last Wednesday. Kevin had been ill for a long time after contracting a rare form of pneumonia due, I believe, to an allergy to the clear coat he was using at the time. This developed into a serious lung problem which he was never able to get over. He was in and out of the hospital for months at a time and had very expensive medication. Last I knew he was on oxygen 24/7. His ex-wife told me that he was very sick the last two months and just could not beat it again. He had been sick for 2-3 years. He was 48 and had a son who would be about six, if memory serves. He was cremated.
As many here know, Kevin made mostly rather plain looking but great playing cues.
Kevin was my friend and I will miss him very much.
Click to expand...
 
Very sad news. My thoughts, prayers. and condolences go out to his family.

I met Kevin for the first time in 2003 at Mother's Billiards in Charlotte, N.C.
Quite frankly, he scared the shit out of me. I had just left and it was dark
in the parking lot and some guy walks up to me with a pistol in his hand.
It was Kevin, he had just bought the gun and was very pleased with it and just
wanted to show it to me. We had a conversation in the parking lot about
him getting his shaft wood from Laurie Franklin. It was the shaft wood that
wasn't up to South West standards and he said she passed it along to him.
We also talked about the hard tips he made and it was his secret at the time
the material used to make his hard tips.They really made his j/b cues do the
job and he was proud of them.

He loved to take just the shaft and jump the cue ball over an object ball that
was only separated by his business card(1/32 of an inch or less). The cue ball
would jump 1 or 2 feet in the air and clear the object ball almost every time.
It was his way of demonstrating just how well his shafts and hard tip could
perform.

I enjoyed talking to him on a couple more occasions and he was always
a very passionate person. He enjoyed making those great players and
jump/breakers. I wish I would have bought the one he let me shoot with
at the Smokey Mountain Shoot Out about 6 years ago, that cue played
incredible/

KtownD mentioned that Kevin got some bad rolls the last few years of
his life. It's very sad and I wish things could have been better for him.
No one deserves to go through the things he had to endure those last
few years. I guess we all need to count our blessings, because we
really never know what the future holds, good or bad.

RIP Kevin, you'll be missed, Jerry Grooms
 
I would like to send condolences to Kevin's Family.
I will definitely miss the exchange of PM's with him the most.
Very sad news indeed.
Neil Lickfold
 
My Varney player.
 

Attachments

  • Varney-1.jpg
    Varney-1.jpg
    34.4 KB · Views: 456
not to be disrespectful to Varney or any of his family/friends, but where would someone inquire who had given money to Kevin Varney for a cue and never recieved anything, money was given to him about 2 years ago.

RIP sir.
 
randallt6 said:
not to be disrespectful to Varney or any of his family/friends, but where would someone inquire who had given money to Kevin Varney for a cue and never recieved anything, money was given to him about 2 years ago.

RIP sir.
Click to expand...

Well, he's gone and he was divorced before he passed away .
He died broke and left no estate.
I think you should write it off. As unfortunate as that might sound.
 
JoeyInCali said:
Well, he's gone and he was divorced before he passed away .

He died broke and left no estate.

I think you should write it off. As unfortunate as that might sound.
Click to expand...


Wow, what a way to end. It's actually my friend who gave him money for a cue and never got word from him in 2 years. I'm not gonna say anything bad but it's a shame he left in that manner.
 
Badbeat13 said:
Very sad news. My thoughts, prayers. and condolences go out to his family.

I met Kevin for the first time in 2003 at Mother's Billiards in Charlotte, N.C.

They really made his j/b cues do the
job and he was proud of them.

He loved to take just the shaft and jump the cue ball over an object ball that
was only separated by his business card(1/32 of an inch or less). The cue ball
would jump 1 or 2 feet in the air and clear the object ball almost every time.
It was his way of demonstrating just how well his shafts and hard tip could
perform.
Click to expand...

Yep this is definitely the same man I met back in early 2000 at Mother's. He was super nice and was just getting those jump breaks started.

I remember extensive conversation with him about some of the action going on at Mother's. I had completely forgot until his passing. It is amazing how certain things come back to the memory in times like this.

RIP Kevin
 
JoeyInCali said:
Well, he's gone and he was divorced before he passed away .
He died broke and left no estate.
I think you should write it off. As unfortunate as that might sound.
Click to expand...

Thank you. I was trying to think of a way to be civil about it and was having some real trouble with that. I had just decided not to be:mad:
 
Pushout said:
Thank you. I was trying to think of a way to be civil about it and was having some real trouble with that. I had just decided not to be:mad:
Click to expand...

Years ago my best friend from childhood died of a drug overdose. Myself and another Irish buddy went to the funeral, it was an open casket. We were both stunned; his Dad & Mom wanted us to see the face of death up close. Afterwards we both went to the local bar were we had all drank for years and I knew my buddy had a tab. Johnny the bartender saw us come in and I went straight to the bar and got us each a shot of Jameson's and we toasted our friend for the last time. I then asked Johnny for my buddies tab so I could pay it for him because I did not want him to be leaving a tab behind. Johnny stuck his hand over the bar and said, "you were the only real friend he ever had." Johnny turned around went into the register and pulled out the tab and then tore it up and said. When you die you have paid your bills! I will never forget it or my friend!

RIP Kevin Varney!
 
Last edited:
1on1pooltournys said:
Yep this is definitely the same man I met back in early 2000 at Mother's. He was super nice and was just getting those jump breaks started.

I remember extensive conversation with him about some of the action going on at Mother's. I had completely forgot until his passing. It is amazing how certain things come back to the memory in times like this.

RIP Kevin
Click to expand...

Yes he was super nice, full of life and excitement, and loved to talk to you. He was enjoyable to be around and loved to have fun it seamed. I'm sure that the last thing he wanted was to ruin his name and not make good on his promises. I know a lot of us had read how sick he was and until hearing of his passing, we probably didn't realize just how serious his condition was. The more I think about it, the sadder it seams.
 
Badbeat13 said:
Very sad news. My thoughts, prayers. and condolences go out to his family.

I met Kevin for the first time in 2003 at Mother's Billiards in Charlotte, N.C.
Quite frankly, he scared the shit out of me. I had just left and it was dark
in the parking lot and some guy walks up to me with a pistol in his hand.
It was Kevin, he had just bought the gun and was very pleased with it and just
wanted to show it to me. We had a conversation in the parking lot about
him getting his shaft wood from Laurie Franklin. It was the shaft wood that
wasn't up to South West standards and he said she passed it along to him.
We also talked about the hard tips he made and it was his secret at the time
the material used to make his hard tips.They really made his j/b cues do the
job and he was proud of them.

He loved to take just the shaft and jump the cue ball over an object ball that
was only separated by his business card(1/32 of an inch or less). The cue ball
would jump 1 or 2 feet in the air and clear the object ball almost every time.
It was his way of demonstrating just how well his shafts and hard tip could
perform.

I enjoyed talking to him on a couple more occasions and he was always
a very passionate person. He enjoyed making those great players and
jump/breakers. I wish I would have bought the one he let me shoot with
at the Smokey Mountain Shoot Out about 6 years ago, that cue played
incredible/

KtownD mentioned that Kevin got some bad rolls the last few years of
his life. It's very sad and I wish things could have been better for him.
No one deserves to go through the things he had to endure those last
few years. I guess we all need to count our blessings, because we
really never know what the future holds, good or bad.

RIP Kevin, you'll be missed, Jerry Grooms
Click to expand...

yep that is Kevin to a tee...he used to manage Mother's Billiards at one time...I miss that place....it is a light rail pathway now from Pineville to downtown

Kevin would bet $20 per attempt on that jump shot of just a business card width...I have seen him take plenty of peoples money...LOL

Kevin's cue were not always the most gorgeous, but he most definitely knew how to make a cue play it's best...he knew exactly what combinations of what went together the best to get peak performance out of a cue and make it play and feel as good as any cue made....he would even tinker with predator and OB shafts and make them play better than they would coming from the factory
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top