Bob Falkenburg, Tennis Corridor of Famer Turned Entrepreneur, Dies at 95

He established South America’s to start with fast food and ice cream stores in 1952 in the Copacabana neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, calling them Bob’s. His mini-chain consisted of about a dozen stores when the Falkenburgs, obtaining moved back to Southern California in 1970, marketed Bob’s to Nestlé’s Libby operation in 1974. Bob’s has experienced many ownerships due to the fact then and has expanded to additional than 1,000 outlets in Brazil and further than South The usa as nicely.

Robert Falkenburg was born on Jan. 29, 1926, in Manhattan and grew up in Los Angeles. His father, Eugene, an engineer, and his mother, Marguerite (Crooks) Falkenburg, performed in amateur tennis activities, and Bob started wielding a racket at personal golf equipment when he was 10 a long time outdated.

He won a junior tennis event to the Bel-Air State Club in 1937 and, even though at Fairfax Substantial University in Los Angeles, won the U.S. Interscholastic singles title in 1942 he also teamed with his brother to earn the doubles title that yr. He was later a fine amateur golfer and won the Brazilian beginner championship 3 times.

Immediately after serving in the Army Air Forces through Entire world War II, Falkenburg received the 1946 intercollegiate singles and double championships while at the College of Southern California.

In addition to his spouse and daughter, he is survived by his son, Robert, 4 grandchildren and 5 excellent-grandchildren, according to The A.P. Equally Tex and Jinx (her beginning title was Eugenia her mother furnished her nickname) died in 2003.

Describing Falkenburg’s gorgeous closing-set comeback at Wimbledon in 1948, The New York Occasions noted that “Wimbledon championship supporters have noticed considerably far better tennis than today’s match, but they’ve rarely witnessed a much more interesting just one.”

As for Falkenburg’s provide that ended the match, 7-5, The Times linked how “there was a person obvious loud pop.”

“Bromwich stood flatfooted as the service ace whizzed by him,” The Situations wrote. “When a couple minutes afterwards, the Duchess of Kent up in the Royal Box offered the coveted trophy to Falkenburg, he seemed as astonished as he was delighted.”