Sad news
August 6th, 2008 at 03:01pm Wally Haas
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.
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2 Comments Add your own
1. John Guth | August 6th, 2008 at 4:08 pm
Pappy was an institution to the softball community in both Slow Pitch and Fastpitch in the city of Rockford.
I had the honor of working with Bob on several different projects over the past 22 years. He always did it the right way.
Bob and the late Chuck Lockinger led Rockford Metro Sports to bring to the Rockford Community several National Tournaments over the past 21 years. His Sportscore was the finest facility in the midwest if not the United States.
He was a tremendous asset to the Ken-Rock Community Center in so many ways assisting our program in so many ways.
But I will miss my former neighbor, umpire, leader and friend. Rockford lost a pioneer in the softball community today. My deepest sympathy to his family.
2. Austin | August 6th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
This is so sad. Bob will truly be missed. He played a big part in my husband and my lives. My heart goes out to the Papich family.
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