Keith McCready spoke to Bob almost every day before he passed. He was in a small-town hospital when they diagnosed him with leukemia. Keith said he was in pain, but thank goodness, a good friend of his, Jay Wideman, had him moved to a hospice where he received meds to make his last hours on earth comfortable.
I met Bob at a pool room down South. He and Grady Mathews were fast friends and good buddies, but they did lock horns a few times, on and off the table. That's what was so fun about the two of them. One minute, they're almost in fisticuffs about a one-pocket match, and the next, they're hosting one-pocket tournaments together. The one in Naples, Florida, subject to check, was heralded as one of the best.
Bob is one of pool's unsung heroes. He managed to travel under the radar, even after the advent of digital technology, and engage in games of stake. Like Grady, Bob had no fear and would step up to the plate with anyone on the planet.
It is sad to lose one of our own in the pool world, but Bob was special to all who knew him. He will be missed but never forgotten. Save me a seat on the rail in heaven, Bob. Rest in peace.
Photo of Keith McCready and Bob taken at Chesapeake Conference Center at the 2003 U.S. Open in Virginia.
Photo of Geese (Michael Gerace) and Bob Ogburn. I love this pic because they are both smiling. I'm sure Geese, Grady, and Bob are enjoying a game of Captains in heaven.
