Surfer Rod Curry Passes Away

[JAM]

According to an AzBilliards' member, Rod Curry passed away on Christmas eve.

As reported by Andrew Monstis on Facebook:

It is with great sadness that I'm am writing this post. I was asked to post this to inform Rod Curry's friends of his passing. Some may know him as Surfer Rod. Rod was found at home on December 24th...apparently he had passed 4 or 5 days prior. His nephew, Tyke Nielsen, asked me to post the obituary that Rod wrote himself (Mr. Organized) on Rod's timeline which I will do when I get home around 3 am this morning. Gravesides services will be Monday, December 30th, at 1 pm at Evergreen Memorial Park, 100 Monroe Blvd. in Ogden, Utah. RIP Rod.

I really just got to know him recently through his writings and very cool website. Keith knows Surfer Rod from California. He will be sad learning this news when he wakes up.

Here is the great pool photos he has on his website, with the permission of Mary Kenniston and others: Surfer Rod's Website

RIP, Surfer Rod.

 

[lll]

Rod 'surfer rod' curry has passed away

Rod 'surfer rod' curry has passed away

this is from a post from twoforpool on azb
...
As reported by Andrew Monstis on Facebook:

It is with great sadness that I'm am writing this post. I was asked to post this to inform Rod Curry's friends of his passing. Some may know him as Surfer Rod. Rod was found at home on December 24th...apparently he had passed 4 or 5 days prior. His nephew, Tyke Nielsen, asked me to post the obituary that Rod wrote himself (Mr. Organized) on Rod's timeline which I will do when I get home around 3 am this morning. Gravesides services will be Monday, December 30th, at 1 pm at Evergreen Memorial Park, 100 Monroe Blvd. in Ogden, Utah. RIP Rod. You will be missed. I know you're already playing pool with the other great pool players that passed before you!!! — with Lisa Tommy Baker and 12 others

 

[fred bentivegna]

Another legend gone. My generation is fading fast. Brutal. Rod was a great character, big-betting and big-hearted hustler, and a master of the "big" cue ball on the bar tables.

Later, Rod. (much later I hope)

Beard

 

[JAM]

this is from a post from twoforpool on azb
...
As reported by Andrew Monstis on Facebook:

It is with great sadness that I'm am writing this post. I was asked to post this to inform Rod Curry's friends of his passing. Some may know him as Surfer Rod. Rod was found at home on December 24th...apparently he had passed 4 or 5 days prior. His nephew, Tyke Nielsen, asked me to post the obituary that Rod wrote himself (Mr. Organized) on Rod's timeline which I will do when I get home around 3 am this morning. Gravesides services will be Monday, December 30th, at 1 pm at Evergreen Memorial Park, 100 Monroe Blvd. in Ogden, Utah. RIP Rod. You will be missed. I know you're already playing pool with the other great pool players that passed before you!!! — with Lisa Tommy Baker and 12 others

I made a post about it earlier this morning on this forum.

Steve Booth, please delete my earlier post on this topic, as it is duplication. I should have waited.

 

[lll]

I made a post about it earlier this morning on this forum.

Steve Booth, please delete my earlier post on this topic, as it is duplication. I should have waited.

Jam im sorry i didnt see your thread...............
jam has a great picture of rod and a link to rods website in her post
check it out
R.I.P. ROD
http://www.onepocket.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8560

 

[NH Steve]

I will combine the threads...

 

[JAM]

I will combine the threads...

Brilliant! Thanks, Mr. Webmaster.

 

[JAM]

Jam im sorry i didnt see your thread...............
jam has a great picture of rod and a link to rods website in her post
check it out
R.I.P. ROD
http://www.onepocket.org/forum/showthread.php?t=8560

No problem at all. I just thought it better that we have only one thread, but looks like Steve has come up with a great fix.

His nephew is supposed to post more information later today. Maybe we will learn the cause of death too. So sad.

 

[Mkbtank]

Sad. Looks like he was some player. The pictures on that site are fantastic.

 

[lll]

No problem at all. I just thought it better that we have only one thread, but looks like Steve has come up with a great fix.

His nephew is supposed to post more information later today. Maybe we will learn the cause of death too. So sad.

Steve Booth wears many hats among which is King Solomon thanks Steve

 

[SJDinPHX]

I've known Rod forever, and I am shocked !..I know he was at least 10 or 15 yrs. my junior, and as others have said, he always seemed to be in excellent physical condition.. He always ate good, and took very good care of himself !..Just curious, does anyone know what led to his demise ?

RIP Rod, you were definately one of the 'good guy's' !

(From AZ billiards)

 

[wincardona]

Rod was a hell of a character and would play anyone 8ball on a bar table using the big ball. He gambled high and always bet his own, I admired him for that and he was his own man as well. The pictures on his web site are fantastic and bring back memories, and yes they are priceless.

R.I.P. my friend

Bill Incardona

 

[blindlemon]

I wrote this a while back when I was thinking about the passing and loss of another older pool player. A breed of man from a time no longer to be visited
May he rest in peace.

A Pool Players lament


Who will come and say goodbye when all my days are done
when all the games have been played and all the balls have been run
who will come and say goodbye when all my days are done.

Who will remember the person I was and what I’ve done with my life
the wins , the losses, all the battles I’ve fought to overcome the strife
who will come and say goodbye when I’ve lived the last of my life.

The Game was my mistress, and yes she served me well
with travel, lodging and excitement, with some story’s to tell
but jealous was she and kept me to herself with her good spell


John Gardner

 

[fred bentivegna]

Here is an excerpt from my book, Encyclopedia of Pool Hustlers:

Surfer Rod Curry

Prolific road bar hustler – Expert with the big cue ball
He was an exceptional player with the big cue ball on the bar tables. He even beat Ronnie Allen playing One pocket under those conditions.
I knew Rod since 1965, and yes, champions were always trying to track him down because he was a high-roller and a through-ticket. But I always wondered, why, if he was such a sucker, did he always have such a big bankroll? Yeah, he took some big hits, but he never stayed broke for long.
I even trapped him myself once, on a big table at the Congress Bowl, as he was near helpless when he wasn’t playing on a bar table. But the next time I saw him, I was broke and he was fatter'n a hog.
I ran into Rod all over the country; he loved to play with the big cue ball on the bar tables, but he had big balls in his shorts too. Around 1971 or ’72, when we were both in Oklahoma City, he was hustling those brutally dangerous country bars with hair down to his ass, a full beard, flowing robes and sandals. They called him Pool playing Jesus.
He was certainly not afraid to play in those heat-spots. Long-hair and hippie types were at risk for their lives in that type of joint. He was hustling all by himself, and going into places where most of the people were wearing crew-cuts. They were scary, scary joints. Everybody carried a gun, as it was legal to do so then in Oklahoma City.
I only went into some of those spots myself because I was with Sugar Shack Johnny. That was the minimum protection I required to get me to play in those places. Conversely, Rod was all by his lonesome. The word around was that Rod had been given a hard time in a few of those joints, but he had refused to give back the money. He was a pretty tough guy himself, and wouldn’t back down to anybody.

Beard

 

[wincardona]

Here is an excerpt from my book, Encyclopedia of Pool Hustlers:

Surfer Rod Curry

Prolific road bar hustler – Expert with the big cue ball
He was an exceptional player with the big cue ball on the bar tables. He even beat Ronnie Allen playing One pocket under those conditions.
I knew Rod since 1965, and yes, champions were always trying to track him down because he was a high-roller and a through-ticket. But I always wondered, why, if he was such a sucker, did he always have such a big bankroll? Yeah, he took some big hits, but he never stayed broke for long.
I even trapped him myself once, on a big table at the Congress Bowl, as he was near helpless when he wasn’t playing on a bar table. But the next time I saw him, I was broke and he was fatter'n a hog.
I ran into Rod all over the country; he loved to play with the big cue ball on the bar tables, but he had big balls in his shorts too. Around 1971 or ’72, when we were both in Oklahoma City, he was hustling those brutally dangerous country bars with hair down to his ass, a full beard, flowing robes and sandals. They called him Pool playing Jesus.
He was certainly not afraid to play in those heat-spots. Long-hair and hippie types were at risk for their lives in that type of joint. He was hustling all by himself, and going into places where most of the people were wearing crew-cuts. They were scary, scary joints. Everybody carried a gun, as it was legal to do so then in Oklahoma City.
I only went into some of those spots myself because I was with Sugar Shack Johnny. That was the minimum protection I required to get me to play in those places. Conversely, Rod was all by his lonesome. The word around was that Rod had been given a hard time in a few of those joints, but he had refused to give back the money. He was a pretty tough guy himself, and wouldn’t back down to anybody.

Beard

You've done it again Fred. Your depiction of characters from our past, especially the ones that were special like Rod serves up cause for melancholy and I don't know whether to thank you or hate you for reminding me of how it use to be. I guess I should love you for keeping us relevant, not to mention your vivid description of the many characters you have preserved in your writings. You brought yet again tears from my eyes and as sad as it may seem, thank you.

Bill Incardona

 

[bstroud]

Rod was one of the very few pool players I have met that had any real gamble playing pool.

We played a lot of 600 dollar pool when that was real money.

I lived with him a while in Lansing.

Will mis seeing him.

I seems that all the players I knew are rapidly disappearing.

Bill S.

 

[fred bentivegna]

You've done it again Fred. Your depiction of characters from our past, especially the ones that were special like Rod serves up cause for melancholy and I don't know whether to thank you or hate you for reminding me of how it use to be. I guess I should love you for keeping us relevant, not to mention your vivid description of the many characters you have preserved in your writings. You brought yet again tears from my eyes and as sad as it may seem, thank you.

Bill Incardona

Thank you Willie, I write that stuff especially to memorialize guys like you and Rod. He was our kind of guy and there aint so many of us left.

Beard

 

[Island Drive]

Gradys Pool room CO

Gradys Pool room CO

Rod would like this story. I remember it pretty vividly as it was just a few months since my shoulder/pin operation. Rod was passin' thru Colorado Springs and stopped in Gradys on Union & Platte spring 1976. I could NOT break the balls due to being semi Gimmped at the time and Rod and I played on a 9 footer, which he knew at the time was not a good move, but I had Zero break speed. Anywho, to make it a rod story, I went to the bathroom after a bit and came back and noticed he'd replaced the cue ball with a Heavier one but the same size and color. Humm thought he might do this, this was a Bad move on his part. Now I could Roll my ball that much better as I was gimped up and unable to draw at all. RIP to his friends and family he was fun to be around.

 

[bstroud]

Rod gave me the two best pieces of advice I ever got playing pool.

"Players don't bet and bettors can't play"

He convinced me to play in the bars because "That's where the money is."

Playing Rod was great times. Always a gentleman to play with and afraid of no one.

Bill S.

 

[SJDinPHX]

Rod gave me the two best pieces of advice I ever got playing pool.

"Players don't bet and bettors can't play"

He convinced me to play in the bars because "That's where the money is." <--Coulda got that advice 40 yrs. sooner Bill !..
..Willie Sutton gave that same answer, when someone asked him "why he robbed banks"..

Playing Rod was great times. Always a gentleman to play with and afraid of no one.

Bill S.

Yes, Rod was a great guy to gamble with !..Like many of us, he often had too much gamble, and no quit in him at all !..
But, he also had the strongest 'pump', of any pool player I've ever known !..He could get flat broke, and a day or two later, he'd be flashing a few thousand $$$$, ready to fire again. (often at the same game he'd just got broke at)...He was one of a kind, for sure !..RIP Rod.

PS..Puckett always called Rod, "a travelling pool sucker"..(and at times he could be)...But, I think there may have been some 'professional' jealousy involved there...'Cause I don't think UJ ever beat Rod, at anything !