On the weekend of November 5th and 6th, 2011, the OB Cues Ladies 9-Ball Tour held its year-end Championship Stop at Casper's Billiards in San Leon, Texas. Twenty-eight women competed for over $3,000 in total prize money. In the championship match, Lisa Marr from Little Rock, Arkansas defeated Tara Williams from Ft. Worth, Texas. In addition to winning first place in this tournament, Marr also edged ahead in total points for the year, and thereby earned the title of Tour Champion for 2011. This marked the fourth consecutive year she's won this award.
Prior to the championship match, Lucille Donahue conducted a special tribute in honor of the late Barney Garza, a longtime resident of San Leon. Barney passed away in 2009 at age 89. In the 1960s, and for decades following, he was a top regional pool player, traveling throughout Texas and Louisiana in search of competition.
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| Lucille Donahue |
Lucille and her husband Bill first met Barney in the 1980s, and it was at this time that Lucille developed her interest in pool. After receiving early instruction from Barney, Lucille began playing in leagues and tournaments. Over the following years, Lucille and Barney played together on several teams that competed at the annual Billiard Congress of America (BCA) National Tournament in Las Vegas. Lucille currently is a player and board member on the OB Cues Ladies 9-Ball Tour.
In 2007, Barney was enthused when he learned that Roy and Kathy Robinson planned to open a first-class poolroom in San Leon. Over the next year, he impatiently followed the construction progress, and when Casper's Billiards finally opened in 2008, he took personal pride when
Billiards Digest Magazine named it one of the "Top 10 Newest Billiard Clubs in America." Barney became the unofficial house pro.
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| Barney Garza |
Shortly after the poolroom's opening, however, Hurricane Ike roared ashore. The massive tidal surge that swept through San Leon spared Casper's, but inundated Barney's modest home, destroying the contents, including a prized cue stick. The stick had been described in the novel Stroke, in which Lucille is portrayed as one of the fictional support characters. Custom cue maker Jerry Olivier had designed the stick from the book's description, and Barney had won it at BCA Nationals.
Barney's health was never quite the same after the storm. However, he returned to Casper's, and he enjoyed the fact that a more recently released novel,
French Quarter Danny, had a support character based on him, and that three chapters in the book were set in Casper's.
In preparation for the tribute to Barney, Lucille's husband, Bill, produced a two-foot by three-foot shadowbox. Mounted inside the box are a plaque that dedicates the display to Barney and the storm-damaged cue stick that's been completely refurbished by Jerry Olivier. Also inside are front covers from the pool novels,
Stroke and
French Quarter Danny, in which Lucille's and Barney's fictional counterparts, "Hannah" and "Bernie," play significant roles.
In addition to being recognized for his pool-playing skills, Barney also was regarded as an accomplished musician, playing in numerous San Leon venues, such as the Buccaneer and Sunset lounges. Both of Barney's interests are captured in photo collages, which Lucille and Bill also donated to Casper's.
A number of Barney's longtime friends joined members of the OB Cues Ladies 9-Ball Tour in the tribute. Barney is buried in the San Leon Cemetery, immediately adjacent to Casper's Billiards. The Robinsons have installed the commemorative shadowbox and photo collages on the wall near the snooker table, where late in life, Barney enjoyed so many afternoons and evenings.
