Sad news
2 comments August 6th, 2008
A couple of years ago when local softball enthusiast Chuck Lockinger died, Bob Papich said “We felt we lost Chuck too early, and too fast.”
Today I’ll say the same about Bob. It seems appropriate that I heard about Bob’s death while I was playing a softball game today.
I knew Bob in three different capacities. As the longtime director of Sportscore, I dealt with him when my teams played in tournaments and leagues. He retired from that gig in 1999. I can’t believe it’s been that long. The place never seemed the same to me without him out there.
After he retired, I’d run into him at softball games he’d umpire. He did a few of my team’s games and often we’d talk more about the news of the day than what was going on in the game. He often gave me perspectives I hadn’t thought about.
Bob also was a sports specialist with the Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. He and I served on the the Rockford Sports Advisory Committee of the RACVB in 2004.
I haven’t seen Bob since I cut down on my softball playing. He’s one of those special people that you miss more than the game itself.
My condolences to his family. He will be missed.
