Bob Huntley RIP

[Neil Regan]

Bob's range was vast, and included knowledge of great old poetry that is rapidly fading from our culture.
I think of these lines from Keats, which I suspect Bob knew well:


TO A FRIEND
No! those days are gone away
And their hours are old and gray,
And their minutes buried all
Under the down-trodden pall
Of the leaves of many years:
...
         No, the bugle sounds no more,
And the twanging bow no more;
Silent is the ivory shrill
Past the heath and up the hill;
There is no mid-forest laugh,
....
         On the fairest time of June
You may go, with sun or moon,
Or the seven stars to light you,
Or the polar ray to right you;
But you never may behold
Little John, or Robin bold;
....
         Gone, the merry morris din;
Gone, the song of Gamelyn;
Gone, the tough-belted outlaw
Idling in the "grenè shawe";
All are gone away and past!
...
         So it is: yet let us sing,
Honour to the old bow-string!
Honour to the bugle-horn!
Honour to the woods unshorn!
Honour to the Lincoln green!
Honour to the archer keen!
Honour to tight little John,
And the horse he rode upon!
Honour to bold Robin Hood,
Sleeping in the underwood!
Honour to maid Marian,
And to all the Sherwood-clan!
Though their days have hurried by
Let us two a burden try.

[George Pazin]

Thank you for that, Neil.


Here is a link to Bob's experiences with my friend Eric Knapp:


http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,35371.msg713999.html#msg713999

[Marty Bonnar]

Threads like this serve to remind me that there are still many fine people in the world as well as here on GCA. Well done all, for so many fine words.


Can I make a small suggestion that at every remaining GCA gathering this year, we raise a glass in Bob's memory and bid him a fond farewell.


Cheers,
M.

[Rich Goodale]

Leslie asked that I include her email in the thread:  leslie@huntley.com   If anyone would like the mailing address, PM me and I will forward it.

Last time I golfed with Bob he gave me swing advice.  "Be more athletic."

Thanks for that, David.  I have the address but it is on a boat somewhere between Scotland and Miami.


Hope all is well with you and your family,


Rich

[Mike Sweeney]

Mike Policano sent me this photo from a dinner at the Racquet and Tennis Club in NYC with Bob Huntley and crew. I subsequently found the thread:


http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,50084.0.html

Mike Sweeney, Dave Falkner, Mike Policano, Mike Whitaker, Chris Shaida, Dr Gene, Tom Dunne, David Greene, Steve Lapper, Neil Regan, Bob Huntley, Pat Mucci

[paul cowley]

Goodbye my friend I never met...Godspeed, and my condolences to his family.

[David_Elvins]

Sad news.


I have never met anyone else who was so generous yet also so competitive. Never met anyone who was such a great storyteller but also so genuine.  These are not easy things to pull off.   Bob was one of a kind, at least in my world.


I was very lucky to be the recipient of Bob's generousity a couple of times and I will always be disappointed that I never got the chance to fully reciprocate.

[Matthew Mollica]

One of the recurring themes in the posts regarding Bob is a regret that GCA members did not meet him, and only knew him through his posts or correspondence. I consider myself lucky to have met him, considering we were on other sides of the world.


I hope his passing may serve to spur some regular posters to take the extra step, and meet up with others for the first time. Some whose names are familiar, but whose faces are not.


One of the other themes many have expressed is a gratitude to Bob, and a regret that they were unable to reciprocate. May I suggest, that in the spirit of Mr Huntley, we simply extend that courtesy and generosity to others, exactly as he did. Such actions would be a wonderful way to perpetuate his spirit.


Matthew

[Mark Arata]

Sir Bob was one of the finest people I have ever met, I feel so honored to have met his acquaintance, played a few rounds with him and to be able to be of assistance to him from time to time. I mentioned to him that I had inherited a 1967 Austin Healey from my father and his eyes lit up! He mentioned that he had owned one once and it was one of his favorites. When i got home from that trip, he had sent me a picture of him and his Healey, along with some maintenance articles, and i sent him a picture of me in mine. I had hoped someday to take the car out to Monterrey and take him on a ride around 17 mile drive, but alas, we ran out of time. I will make the trip someday in his honor. Godspeed Bob. See you on the other side.....

[John Kavanaugh]

One of the other themes many have expressed is a gratitude to Bob, and a regret that they were unable to reciprocate. May I suggest, that in the spirit of Mr Huntley, we simply extend that courtesy and generosity to others, exactly as he did. Such actions would be a wonderful way to perpetuate his spirit.


Matthew

Bobby Up!!!

[Tony Ristola]

Sad to hear. And with him goes a lifetime of knowledge. Nice he graced us with some of it here.

[Tim Pitner]

So sorry to read this.  I never had the pleasure to meet Mr. Huntley, but I very much enjoyed his posts--especially concerning Africa--and his supreme gentlemanliness was evident.

[astavrides]

Deservedly at the top of the list of this site's most beloved. My life was forever enriched by the round I played with him at MPCC.

[Mike Sweeney]

Bobby Up!!!

Nicely done. It took me two reads to figure it out, but that is a nice "Jaka Tribute".

[Jerry Kluger]

I was fortunate to have dinner with Bob a while back and he personified a golfing gentlemen.  Dear Bob - rest in peace.

[jim_lewis]

I never met Bob and never communicated with him. However, I came to have a great respect for him just from reading his posts. Which goes to show, folks can learn a lot about us based on our comments here. That may be something we should all think about when we begin to type.

[Colin Macqueen]

I never met Bob Huntley but exchanged quite a few IMs with him regarding You Tube clips of classical music. I know nothing really but Bob seemed to be fascinated by how much music he could access in this manner. My mission then became one of persuading him to acquire a set of headphones so that the reproduction was much better. I suspect I failed in this endeavour but Bob never failed to be utterly kind and patient in response to my quixotic efforts.


Vale Sir Boab!


Colin

[Jon Wiggett]

I too never met Bob but I did enjoy reading his posts on here.


RIP Bob Huntley

[Ronald Montesano]

I don't begrudge the mildly-maudlin, nor the wistfully-weepy, as I check in to their lodge far too often.0

Be the man that you have been, that you are, and that you were meant to be (and feel invited to add a wo to the man.)


With no more time to tell the things we've shared   
No moments left to laugh about the times we'd cared 
And deafness roars around me like a storm

Your absence traces lines of simple amity
and rescues me from this loss that I mourn
reminds me of the worth of mere humanity

A Dios, caballero de la triste figura

[Jim Hoak]

Bob was someone whose delivery equaled his wisdom.  I will miss him--and his gracious style.

[Dan Kelly]

Mr. Huntley was on the shortest list of GCAers I hoped to meet someday.


Very sorry to hear this news.


I think of him every time an opponent misses a short one. "What a pity," I think.


What a pity, indeed.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Count me as another who received Bob’s kindness and indeed friendship, even though we never met.
 
In August 2009 I posted on here that we had just arrived for our family holiday in St Andrews, and that on my first morning I’d taken our dog for a walk past the starters office. I had enquired how busy they were and what time I’d need to queue from next morning to get on? He replied that due to an unprecedented no of no shows,  if you can get back here in 20mins with your clubs you can play without waiting.
 
Maybe it was the dog story but that evening I got an IM asking if would like to get a day pass into the R&A building?  Bob arranged it for me just adding, I trust you won’t let me down.   I thanked him and correspondence continued on a sporadic basis with him occasionally asking me questions about England. He expressed his regret that he’d never played Rye despite being stationed very close.  I sent him a Rye hat and he invited me to play golf with him. Sadly, when our family holiday headed west a few years later I heard he was very unwell and mutual friends advised against contacting him at that time. No matter, he’d already given me more than enough.
 
There it is by my bed.  A 3x4” blue card saying Tony Muldoon R&A Member 29/8/09. A permanent and daily reminder of one man’s generosity.
 
My thoughts go out to his family, what a loss they must be feeling.
 
Thank you Bob. RIP

[John Mayhugh]

Tony,
Thanks so much for sharing that story.  That's exactly the kind of thoughtfulness that Bob had.  I'm sure he would have offered anyway, but no doubt that your dog sealed the deal.  Was this Jet the lurcher?

[Bob Jenkins]

Another beautiful aspect of Bob's character was that he knew that those of us who spend time on this site would be able to appreciate the gift he was giving us, ie. the experiences, and that is what motivated him. He did not expect or want anything in return. He truly gave to the people on this board and took joy in seeing our appreciation. 

[Evan Fleisher]

What devastating news...

Like so many others here, I too have been blessed to know the man (personally) and spent time with him over the years.  My earliest encounter with Mr. Huntley occurred in 1998 when he helped me arrange one of the greatest golf days in my life...a round at the Old Course (with my best friend) and access to the R&A clubhouse including lunch in the trophy room.  Bob didn't really know me all that well back then, but clearly he wanted to share his "gifts" with those he recognized had an appreciation for the game.


We then saw each other over several years at the various Kings Putter events on the West coast , and he hosted me and an old boss at MPCC during one of my business trips.


I too got the "nod" for a round at CPC...sadly it never happened as the day was washed out due to bad weather and I was never able to make the trip back.


Every call, round of golf or meal together was a cherished event...an opportunity to learn from a great man and share in his wealth of knowledge.  Of course who here can forget the (now) infamous "He's Fucked!" comments during the 2005 version of the KP at Stevinson Ranch.  I think that one will go down in GCA history as one of his greatest moments ever! ;-)


Bob...you were the consummate gentleman, and we are all better off for having know you.  God speed, my friend.