Willie Jopling's death
- Thread starter wagnew
- Start date
Very sad. I liked him a lot. My prayers go out to his family, very sad.
A sad day, we have lost a great man who devoted his life to our sport. Rest in peace Bill.
Never knew the man other than by reputation, and I've seen him around here and there for many, many years. He seemed very friendly.
My condolences to his family (pool and non-pool).
My condolences to his family (pool and non-pool).
Willie Jopling
Our magazine will miss him very, very deeply. His entertaining pieces on Virginia pool lore and trick shots were one of Billiards Digest readers' favorite features, and he was a terrific guy too. GF
Our magazine will miss him very, very deeply. His entertaining pieces on Virginia pool lore and trick shots were one of Billiards Digest readers' favorite features, and he was a terrific guy too. GF
This is sad news. Willie was a real old school guy with alot of knowledge and he knew a lot of shots and all about 1 pocket and banks. He wrote an article you would see in different magazines. I learned a thing or two reading them over the years. I was hoping to see him again this year at the DCC. I am glad to say I had the chance to interact with him there over the last 3 years. I bought a small book and DVD's from him where he set up and he was great to talk to about pool. He would come in the AZ room sometimes with Scott Lee, they seemed to be big buddies. DCC will be a little less this year without him.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
only time i met him was at the derby in the bank competion. he was with scott lee (who i played in tourny) didnt know who he was until now. semed like a good guy. my condolances to family and friends
Last saw Willie at the DCC. He was always willing to show trick shots and was very pleasant to be around. The pool world would be much nicer with more people like him around.
My respects to his family.
My respects to his family.
This is terrible news, he was such a nice guy. Pretty darn knowledgeable too. I've met him maybe once or twice in passing, and he was always friendly and happy to say hello. From what I hear he was a pretty sporty player at some point, I think 1 pocket was his game. Not sure though. RIP Willie
Dana...If you only knew! I just got this terrible news myself, from a mutual friend in Lynchburg. Bill Marshall was one of my dearest friends, and a great inspiration to me. He is, without a doubt, part of who I am. He was an amazing supporter of all pool games, but one-pocket was always his favorite. I can't even count the number of times I would stop in to Lynchburg, and we would have marathon one-pocket sessions downstairs at the Squash Club. One time that I remember vividly, he and I played for 12 straight hours, took a 8hr break to sleep, and played another 10 straight hours...this was when he was in his mid to late 70's. He really did LOVE to play pool!
Bill was the very first person, to put into print, the use of the word "tangent line", as it pertains to pool, and that by itself, is a remarkable contribution to our game. He came up dozens and dozens of unique trick shots, many of which are not seen in other trick shot books and videos. He told me many times, he would often wake in the middle of the night, and scribble down a diagram on a napkin or piece of notebook paper, so that he wouldn't forget it before he got a chance to go to the pool table and try it out. Willie shared with me many concepts and ideas about trick shots...especially how to adjust to various table sizes and cloth conditions. Having been around pool and billiards for the better part of eight decades, he was a veritable titan in our industry. He knew ALL the players, from the hustlers of the 40's to today's champions...and was beloved by all. He will be missed terribly by me personally...but it is a loss shared by all that love the game. He was a true Southern gentleman, and I think I might have heard him utter a curse word only a few times in the 25 years I was lucky enough to call him my friend. I had already made plans to room with Bill again, at the Derby City (we roomed together in 2007), and he was always a fixture at the One Pocket HOF dinner. For myself, I was hoping Willie Jopling would live forever, even though I know that we all have our date with destiny.
I hope the BCA finds a way to enshrine this man in the HOF...he surely deserves it! Bill always had a smile for everyone...and no doubt he is smiling down from heaven on all of us right now, looking forward to some one pocket games with the other great players who have passed on.
:grin:
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Bill was the very first person, to put into print, the use of the word "tangent line", as it pertains to pool, and that by itself, is a remarkable contribution to our game. He came up dozens and dozens of unique trick shots, many of which are not seen in other trick shot books and videos. He told me many times, he would often wake in the middle of the night, and scribble down a diagram on a napkin or piece of notebook paper, so that he wouldn't forget it before he got a chance to go to the pool table and try it out. Willie shared with me many concepts and ideas about trick shots...especially how to adjust to various table sizes and cloth conditions. Having been around pool and billiards for the better part of eight decades, he was a veritable titan in our industry. He knew ALL the players, from the hustlers of the 40's to today's champions...and was beloved by all. He will be missed terribly by me personally...but it is a loss shared by all that love the game. He was a true Southern gentleman, and I think I might have heard him utter a curse word only a few times in the 25 years I was lucky enough to call him my friend. I had already made plans to room with Bill again, at the Derby City (we roomed together in 2007), and he was always a fixture at the One Pocket HOF dinner. For myself, I was hoping Willie Jopling would live forever, even though I know that we all have our date with destiny.
I hope the BCA finds a way to enshrine this man in the HOF...he surely deserves it! Bill always had a smile for everyone...and no doubt he is smiling down from heaven on all of us right now, looking forward to some one pocket games with the other great players who have passed on.
:grin:Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
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Eric...Bill just passed away a little more than 14 hrs ago. No obit has been published yet, but I would look for it soon, in the local Lynchburg newspaper. There will be a memorial service at the Tharp Funeral Home, in Lynchburg, but the details are yet to come. Bill was my guest at the CCB dinner, last year at the Open.
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
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