R.I.P. George Fels

Not wanting to sound overly dramatic, but this is devastating news. George's "Mastering Pool" was one of the first books on pool that I ever owned. That book taught me so much. I still have my original copy. I have also read and enjoyed George's articles in BD for years. He will be sorely missed in this house.

Roger
 
RIP George Fels

I was lucky enough to get a copy of Mastering Pool about 15 years ago. and reading thru it for a second time, I had a question about one line in there. I had seen George posting on here before so I sent him a PM. Much to my surprise, he responded within an hour! We ended up swapping emails and PMs for several years and he was always the nicest person you'd ever want to meet. I'm sure if you pointed this out to him, he'd defer it to just being the way people should be!

I tried to meet up with him to play some straights when I was in Chicago a few years ago but we couldn't make it work. I'll regret that for the rest of my pool playing life. He was a good man, a good player, a wonderful advocate for our game, and a damn good writer.

George, you are already missed. Rest in peace.

Brian in VA
 
More sadness descends upon our world with the passing of another friend. He was old school before the term became fashionable. He was the so very eloquent voice & soul of the game we all love so deeply. Some people's contributions to the game are irreplaceable - so it is with the passing of George Fels.

I've read all the other comments here & on other sites - smiling, laughing out loud & crying. This is a really tough loss in a very tough year of losses of so many in our world. Seems like George's passing has affected so many of us - on so many levels - from those who knew him only through his columns & from those who knew him as a friend & fellow competitor. Like so many others, I always turned to his column in Billiards Digest first. I always thought it was fitting that his column was on the last page of every issue. George always got the last word.

I'm sure I'm not alone in sending my thoughts & condolences to Mike Panozzo & the entire staff of Billiards Digest in addition to his family & many friends & fans all over the world - all who loved him & will miss him terribly.

RIP, George...

Mary Kenniston

Photo courtesy of Mike Haines & Bill Porter - '08 Derby City Classic - Louisville, KY
 

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Mr Fels

Thank you for your insights,instruction and love of all Games Billiards Mr Fels.

Our condolences to your family. You will be missed.
 
I saw George often at Chris'. Really nice guy. I'm glad I had the chance to let him know that I appreciate all the great articles and instruction that have helped myself and many others play the game we love.
 
nightmare said:
More sadness descends upon our world with the passing of another friend. He was old school before the term became fashionable. He was the so very eloquent voice & soul of the game we all love so deeply. Some people's contributions to the game are irreplaceable - so it is with the passing of George Fels.

I've read all the other comments here & on other sites - smiling, laughing out loud & crying. This is a really tough loss in a very tough year of losses of so many in our world. Seems like George's passing has affected so many of us - on so many levels - from those who knew him only through his columns & from those who knew him as a friend & fellow competitor. Like so many others, I always turned to his column in Billiards Digest first. I always thought it was fitting that his column was on the last page of every issue. George always got the last word.

I'm sure I'm not alone in sending my thoughts & condolences to Mike Panozzo & the entire staff of Billiards Digest in addition to his family & many friends & fans all over the world - all who loved him & will miss him terribly.

RIP, George...

Mary Kenniston
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Well said, Mary!
 
Blackjack said:
We've lost a lot of people in our small circle of friends this year - however, this one has really knocked the wind out of me. George was one of the most supportive and encouraging people I have ever met. We had a lot in common. We both loved pool. We both enjoyed writing about it. We both had an offbeat appreciation for the seemingly complex art of simplicity. I will miss our communications - e-mail and phone calls - many of our conversations weren't even about pool. It was sort of a game to avoid the topic of pool - our own private game - the loser was always the guy that brought it up first. George was great person to talk to and I will miss him a lot. Rest in peace, George.
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Many things lknocked the wind out me in the pat year and I feel the pain of many here. At 62 years old death is noeasier for me to deal with than at 22 years old.
I still think of days in a pool hall where nothing was going on except Ronnie Allen entetqining a d latge group with his quick wit and humor.
I probably spent more tme wathcing Danny Medina practice that nay other human and wiah so much I could witnes that just one mor time.
When I first went to work at diamonds in Dallas, Wade Crane wwas there everydy and he was a qui=et man but when he did speak, the room fot very quiet and hug not every word. BIlly Incordona apke to hm and bout hime with a reverance and obbvious respect that beld down to all of us.
I did noy knoew Geoorge but was well awayre of much of his work. NY sncerset condolences to his friens and family.
 
George Fels from life.

RIP Mr. Fels. I never took those lessons from Fels (as I said I would) to Fels. I did take written score from Fels and he criticized my methods (humble). Did often find Fels at Chris' in Chicago. Did have the chance to play against him in a 14.1 league in Chicago. Am extraordinarily proud to be a part of that session with him. His voicemail message...I laugh when I remembered calling him. All my memories will be imprinted of him from now, as he is continuing to be guiding light,:frown: (as we should of all had to have the pleasure of knowing him). An amusement, a master, a profound person. It is my honor to know and keep knowing him as he was. Goodbye George Fels.
 
Was hoping that news of George Fels' passing was some sort of mistake. George was -- and will always be -- so important to so many of us and how we learned pool. George was often why we became interested in the game in the first place!

I was an unabashed fan, and said so in a Letter to the Editor that Billiards Digest printed. When I met George for the first time ... years later, he remembered the letter and quoted it back to me.

We all knew George loved the game by the way he wrote about it, and he was such a fantastic writer we're lucky he fell for pool so hard rather than some other sport. If he had become an avid hockey player or something like that, we would have missed out on some of the best writing ever devoted by any writer to any sport.

So many of George's articles come to mind, but one that really sticks with me was the piece where he remembers the joy of watching his wife and one of his sons play pool when his son was younger. It's so clear that George loved his family, and missed his wife after she had passed. That came through George's writing time and time again, even when he was ostensibly writing about something else.

Here's to a Hall-of-Fame family man and a fantastic writer and teacher -- someone who became captivated by pool, and could explain precisely why and how.

Larry Moy
 
I am going to miss seeing him, he was one of the last true gentlemen of pool. I saw him a couple weeks ago at Chris's, he was there regularly practicing straight pool and chatting with the regulars. My condolences to all his family, friends and all the folks he touched thru his writings. He attained a level of respect in the pool world that few could ever hope to accomplish.. R.I.P. Mr. Fels
 
This is tremendously sad news that came to me via randyg this morning. I knew George for over 30 years, and have always enjoyed his articles and wit! Many times I saw him playing straight pool by himself at Chris's. I always made it a point to say hello, and let him know how much I enjoyed Tips & Shafts.

Almost 15 years ago I wrote a letter to George, about Jack White, explaining that he deserved to be profiled in BD, with all of his pool accomplishments. It was a fairly lengthly letter, and George wrote me back, saying that the article should be written by me, as I "wrote as well as he did"...high praise indeed from Mr. Fels. The article did get done, but it was never published in BD. It did however, get written up in Pool & Billiard.

George was an inveterate author, an incredible source of pool history, and had a great grasp on how to play the game...especially his favorite, 14.1! We'll miss you George! RIP my friend!

Scott Lee
http://poolknowledge.com
 
Gonna miss you George. Loved your writing and it was an honor to know you and call you my friend. Hate to see you go. Mastering Pool is a great book, love the 14.1 wp's and rack layout photos. You were a real smart guy and friend/ambassador of our sport... RIP George Fels. :(
 
Well, I think the only next step is to now campaign to induct George into the BCA Hall of Fame. No one more deserving. I cant believe this topic never came up before. ??? We were all too busy selfishly enjoying George ourselves to consider that he had never been officially acknowledged. It is an honor long overdue.

I am sure Mike Panozzo knows where to take this. You handle it from here, Mike.


Beard
 
The articles George wrote in BD was a big part of what drew me into playing pool as more than an occasional thing. Really it was all between George's stories and Robert Byrne's books that were my guides to the first 10 years of my pool playing.

I still have a PM on this site from him that I saved, I only wish now that I actually wrote to him years ago to let him know how much I enjoyed his work.
 
George was a great man and will be missed. He had an incredible way to share our world of pocket billiards through his writings.

I always read my Billiard Digest from back to front because of George's articles. In his honor, I will continue to read ALL my books back to front!!

My prayers are with his family!

Mike
 
I met George at Red Shoes Billiards two years ago. At a tournament I mentioned I was looking for a good teacher. "Hell I'll teach you at my place." he said. We ended up meeting a Chris's Billiards a half dozen times. In our first meeting one Saturday morning after observing me shoot a few balls he said, "Your mechanics are good, your problem is between your ears." Classic George. I would often take him to lunch after our lesson and listen to his stories. I feel so lucky to have met him. I'll miss George.
 
freddy the beard said:
Well, I think the only next step is to now campaign to induct George into the BCA Hall of Fame. No one more deserving. I cant believe this topic never came up before. ??? We were all too busy selfishly enjoying George ourselves to consider that he had never been officially acknowledged. It is an honor long overdue.

I am sure Mike Panozzo knows where to take this. You handle it from here, Mike.


Beard
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After Buck O'neil died MLB established a lifetime achievement award in his name which is given to one person every three years. 2014 recipient will be Joe Garagiola. Maybe they could do something like that for George, the George Fels lifetime achievement award.

It would have been better to recognize them while they were alive but this is better than nothing.
 
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