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

He established South America’s 1st quickly foodstuff and ice product retailers in 1952 in the Copacabana community of Rio de Janeiro, calling them Bob’s. His mini-chain consisted of about a dozen shops when the Falkenburgs, getting moved again to Southern California in 1970, bought Bob’s to Nestlé’s Libby procedure in 1974. Bob’s has experienced quite a few ownerships because then and has expanded to a lot more than 1,000 stores in Brazil and past South America as well.

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, played in beginner tennis gatherings, and Bob commenced wielding a racket at personal golf equipment when he was 10 a long time aged.

He gained a junior tennis match to the Bel-Air Place Club in 1937 and, even though at Fairfax Higher College in Los Angeles, won the U.S. Interscholastic singles title in 1942 he also teamed with his brother to win the doubles title that yr. He was afterwards a high-quality amateur golfer and gained the Brazilian newbie championship 3 occasions.

Following serving in the Military Air Forces through Globe War II, Falkenburg won the 1946 intercollegiate singles and double championships though at the University of Southern California.

In addition to his wife and daughter, he is survived by his son, Robert, 4 grandchildren and 5 excellent-grandchildren, in accordance to The A.P. Equally Tex and Jinx (her delivery name was Eugenia her mother offered her nickname) died in 2003.

Describing Falkenburg’s stunning final-established comeback at Wimbledon in 1948, The New York Instances noted that “Wimbledon championship supporters have viewed much much better tennis than today’s match, but they’ve hardly ever witnessed a extra exciting a single.”

As for Falkenburg’s provide that ended the match, 7-5, The Situations connected how “there was 1 crystal clear loud pop.”

“Bromwich stood flatfooted as the service ace whizzed by him,” The Occasions wrote. “When a few minutes later, the Duchess of Kent up in the Royal Box presented the coveted trophy to Falkenburg, he seemed as shocked as he was pleased.”