Bob Vanover

Robert (Bob) Gray Vanover was born February 4, 1933 in Tookland, Va. His father ran a pool room and all four of the Vanover boys took up the game.

Bob enlisted in the Army and continued to play the pool while stationed in Missouri. He became good friends with his Sargent who encouraged him to move to Texas in 1955. It was this move that brought one of the greatest players of the game of pocket billiards to Texas! However, his prowess on the felt would not be realized for many, many more years because Bob gave up the sport to work in the furniture business and take care of his family, including his first of three sons, Gary.

It was only when Gary took up the sport that Bob once again picked up a cue, and everything came back naturally to him. Bob began competing in tournaments using vacation time from work to travel to tournaments around the country. His ability to work a regular job and to win tournaments baffled the road players that played 24/7, but that was a testament to Bob’s innate abilities.

Bob won his first Texas Open in 1979, followed by seven more championships over the years! If you count the Texas Straight Pool Championship that was held prior to the Texas Open Nine Ball championships, that’s a whopping nine championship titles! Bob lived for the sport, and everyone who knew him referred to him as a fierce competitor that was a gentleman on and off the table. He was genuinely loved by all who knew him!

Bob would be humbled to be the first inductee into the Texas Billiard Hall of Fame. He would name other greats of Texas like Leroy Kinman, friend and mentor to Bob, and Texas legend, U.J. Puckett as deserving of this honor before him. That’s who Bob was. He played the game for the competition, not the notoriety it would bring.

On behalf of Bob, the family wishes to express their gratitude to the TBHOF committee for recognizing Bob’s lifelong accomplishments in the sport of billiards. We are truly humbled that Bob was chosen to be the first inductee, and that he will be memorialized as one of the “greats” to come from the equally great state of Texas!