Tennis brought Bob to America, but squash is where he reached the very top. In 1980 he was ranked No. 1 in the United States and No. 2 in the world, the high point of a competitive career built on skill, fitness and a refusal to give up a single point.
The Rockaway Hunting Club
In 1963, after his Army service, Bob became the squash professional at the Rockaway Hunting Club in Cedarhurst, New York. Founded in 1878, it is one of the oldest country clubs in the United States, and it helped found the Metropolitan Squash Racquets Association, today’s New York Squash, in 1924. Bob taught the members there and sharpened the game that would take him to number one.
The hardball era
Bob played the American game of hardball squash, faster and more angular than the softball game played around the world today. It rewarded exactly what he had: quick hands, a sharp tactical mind and the conditioning to outlast anyone. Results from that era lived in club yearbooks and local newspapers, and Bob’s trophies tell the rest of the story.
A fierce competitor, a true sportsman
People who played Bob remember a fierce competitor who was gracious in victory and in defeat. He played hard, he played fair and he loved the game. That respect for the sport, and for the people he played it with, is part of what made him a respected figure in racquet sports for more than half a century.
Have a memory of playing squash with Bob? Please share it with the family.