Norman Wines aka "Stormin' Norman" and "Porky" Has Passed Away

JAM

I am the storm
Silver Member
I don't know the circumstances of his passing, but he was a gentle soul to all who knew him. Hell of a barbox player. He won the Super Billiards Expo a couple years in a row. Broke like a cannon.

Shown below on the right with Keith McCready in early 2000s.

A GoFundMe account has been set up to raise funds for his cremation. https://www.gofundme.com/norman-porky-eugene-wines

May he rest in eternal peace!
 

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I didn't know him personally but I did watch him win the open at the expo and the man was in flat out beast mode. I don't think I saw him miss a ball over the course of 2 days and when he played safe it was almost always spot on perfect. His demeanor at the table was unreal. He was just firing balls in like he had no care in the world. He would break look at the table for about 3-5 seconds when the balls stopped moving and run out so fast you would've thought someone was chasing him around the table. I never saw anyone win the open as dominantly as he did. It was really a sight to see. I had to chuckle because he had what looked to be a 10 dollar soft case and a Sneaky Pete. He would approach the table for a match with overalls and that soft case. You could see his opponents licking their chops thinking they were going to advance and must be lucky they drew this "farmer looking guy". Then Norm would proceed to thrash them. Pretty fun to watch, and something I will never forget. He was a bar box monster, no doubt about it.
 
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The Last time I saw Norm was the year after his final expo win. I asked him when he was playing and that's when he told me he could no longer play the expo. He was there to gamble but could find no takers, he said everyone was avoiding him for a money game. Norm was one hell of a player, R.I.P. Norm!
 
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I'm sorry to hear this. I've only recently heard how good he was and have been trying to find footage of him playing but sadly unable to find anything.
 
Norm was one of the first great players I ever got to watch in person. It was the late 90s and he was in Cincy for a bit. I was in awe watching him float around the table.

JAM, Any battle stories of him and Keith? I'm sure they had lock horns at some point on the bar box.

Ian
 
Norm was one of the first great players I ever got to watch in person. It was the late 90s and he was in Cincy for a bit. I was in awe watching him float around the table.

JAM, Any battle stories of him and Keith? I'm sure they had lock horns at some point on the bar box.

Ian

I first met Stormin' Norman in Baltimore. Keith and he were friends, but I'm not sure if they got in combat before I met Keith or not. I will ask Keith when he wakes up.

Keith didn't want to engage in action with him in Baltimore because he knew they were on the road trying to make a score. We both hung out with Norman and another road player he was with, to include their stakehorse.

Their stakehorse was from Virginia, who told me he had a plate in his head. He actually scared me a little bit. I had been away from pool for a long while.

We were hanging outside one evening, in front of Sonny's restaurant, and the stakehorse showed me a gun he had in his car. Something about him gave me pause. I was not comfortable in his presence.

Norm, on the other hand, was very sweet. His partner and stakehorse did leave Baltimore eventually, and Norm stayed on for a while.

The year was 2002. That, I know for sure. It was the beginning of my journey with Keith, who at that time was living at the Regal Inn, next door to Sonny's pool room. OMG!

Norm was a good bar table player. He did eventually run out of money in Baltimore after his stakehorse left and was needing money to get back home. Next time I saw him was in Toledo at the Glass City Open.
 
I started a few threads over the years asking about Norm, on a bar box he was virtually unbeatable. RIP
 
Norm had so many friends in the pool world, yet he will most likely be buried or cremated and in potter's field.

The State where he lives will take care of the expenses.

I was hoping those who knew Norm might be able to give a couple bucks each towards his cremation, so that he could get a proper send-off to heaven.

This has upset me greatly. If I could afford to pay for the entire amount, I would.

Several hundred hits on Facebook by those who give their condolences and share memories of him, but nobody can afford a couple bucks to give him a cremation. I don't know why, but this makes me so sad. :frown:
 
Found a couple recent photos of Stormin' Norman on FB.
 

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For those that are asking what happened to Porky.............

I was told it was ok to let those wondering know that Porky was a diabetic and was hospitaled for diabetic related issues. He ultimately ended up brain dead and that is how he passed.

The pool world as it used to be has gone a d the ones that remember it, and lived it are slowky leaving this world sadly.

If you can donate to help him get a proper burial it would be wonderful.


https://www.gofundme.com/norman-porky-eugene-wines

R.I.P Porky
 
I was told it was ok to let those wondering know that Porky was a diabetic and was hospitaled for diabetic related issues. He ultimately ended up brain dead and that is how he passed.

The pool world as it used to be has gone a d the ones that remember it, and lived it are slowky leaving this world sadly.

If you can donate to help him get a proper burial it would be wonderful.


https://www.gofundme.com/norman-porky-eugene-wines

R.I.P Porky

Thank you for sharing that news about Norman's health issues. He was such a joy to be around. He will always be remembered as one of the good guys in the pool world!

I am so happy to see a few more contributions coming in to help with a proper burial.

Bravo to those who contributed.
 
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