WAVA co-founder Bob Fine dies at USATF meeting
USATF reports a tragedy beyond measure: the death of Florida’s Bob Fine, a racewalker in recent years who wrote the original constitution of the World Association of Veteran Athletes and was an early officer of USA Masters. He also started an early masters newsletter and competed in just about every world masters championship. Jill Geer of USATF writes from Reno: “Longtime USA Track & Field volunteer and contributor Bob Fine of Delray Beach, Fla., was struck and killed by a car while running at 5:45 a.m. in Reno, police confirmed Wednesday morning. Fine, 77, was in Reno to attend USATF’s 2008 Annual Meeting. Fine’s contributions to USATF and the sport are countless. A member of the Masters Track & Field Hall of Fame, he was an avid race walker who served USATF in numerous capacities.”
Jill’s report continues:
A retired attorney, Fine had served as chair of the Masters Track & Field, Masters Law & Legislation and Masters Race Walk Committees. He had at various times been Southeastern Masters chair, Masters Long Distance Running Vice Chair, the North American Race Walk Chair and a member of the Masters Hall of Fame Committee. A past president of USATF’s Florida Association, Fine attended 38 of the last 39 USATF Annual Meetings.
“Bob’s contribution to USA Track & Field has been enormous, and we are all stunned by this terrible tragedy,” said USATF President Bill Roe. “To get news like this is always devastating, and to have it happen here at our Annual Meeting adds to the shock of what has occurred. Our deepest sympathies to go his family, and to the many, many people who benefited from his tireless work.”
In addition to his USATF voluntarism, Fine was one of the founders of World Masters Athletics (WMA), and he served as the first national chair of the organization. He also had previously been WMA’s North American Chair, Stadia Chair and the organization’s executive vice president.
Fine is survived by his wife, Gloria, and four children.
Bob ran unsuccessfully for masters T&F national chairman earlier this decade. (Here is my interview with Bob.) He was a man I admired, respected and liked despite locking horns on political and track issues.
He competed in masters nationals every year as well. His latest rankings.
I’m stunned beyond belief and will miss the old codger.
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I first encountered Bob somewhere around 1978. He truly loved track and field, enjoyed verbal jousting (any kind of jousting, for that matter), and took an intense interest in many things. He was a “hard hitter” in life because he cared so much and worked so diligently.
Peace.
This is truly a sad day for the masters track community.
In the coming days, many people will remember him and describe him in a myriad of ways, the one that always impressed me was/will be “loyal husband”. He was the archetypical New Yorker and will be missed.
Heartbreaking…my deepest condolences to his family, friends, and Florida Athletic Club teammates. Mr. Fine, you’ll be missed.
Bob was instrumental in helping me as I slowly got involved in Masters T&f. He was unique to say the least but totally commited to helping the sport and especially in furthering the Florida Athletic Club and it’s members in their masters pursuits. I will always remember his enthusiasm at the WMA Indoor in France and his accomplishments there. I may not always have agreed with him but I will always remember him with great respect as he was a giant in the “masters movement”! God bless you Bob and Godspeed!
This is so shocking. Bob and I had made plans to start a “traveling trophy” competition between Golden West Athletics Club and the Florida Athletic Club based upon points scored during our association championship meets. Bob’s emails were full of fun and good humor. He teased me about hurdling and said that being racewalker made him a “feet on the ground” type of guy. I was looking forward to meeting him in Reno….
Heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and teammates.
It is very sad to hear of Mr.Fines death, but could you clarify the lead into the blog a bit. I thought he passed in the meeting, not attending the meeting in Reno. Sounds like your getting ready for a opening writers spot in the Enquirer magazine as a sensationalist writer.
Bob was attending the convention in Reno – he was running in the street in the early morning and was struck and killed by an automobile.
There is nothing mysterious about this – and for once Ken is reporting it like it is.
Bob was a fine gentleman who worked hard for the running and race walking community. While he was “crusty” the word Ken used to describe him is patronizing. He may have been 77 but he could run and walk the legs off most of us.
He will be missed by all of us who knew him.
This is a real shock! After taking a few years off of Florida Masters Track and Field due to a serious back injury, I was ready to jump back into Florida Masters T&F. I looked on-line today about possible meets this upcoming season. I started to wonder how Mr. Fines was doing, so as I googled Florida Masters T&F … I see this. Bob did a great job running local masters meets around Florida. We will truly miss him.
I still won’t let myself believe it. One of the first people to welcome me into Florida Masters Track and Field was Bob Fine. To me, Bob was like a force of nature in masters track. We worked hard to promote masters track/field and sometimes single-handed organized and ran a meet, while competing, in order to keep the tradition alive. Bob motivated and encouraged a Florida team for the Nationls T&F a few years back that completely energized masters T&F in Florida. He liked to put Florida first. We need to keep him and his family first in our thoughts and prayers now.
I’m new at running and just joined the Ontario Masters Track & Field Association. I’m so sad at the loss (in such a way) of a loving & caring athelte like Bob Fine but I also wish him a good trip where he is going now. May the Lord bless his soul.
This is sad news indeed.
I’d met Bob previously, but Marjorie and I got to know him and his wife
Gloria very well when he came to Victoria, Canada, as the WAVA delegate to check out our facilities when we were making the did on behalf of CMAA for the World Masters event in 1999. Although they were both pretty whacked
after a heavy travel schedule, Bob insisted that he’d really, really
love to take in the Jazz Festival that evening at the University of Victoria. So reinforced with some extra clothing (neither he nor Gloria were prepared for our colder weather up here that Spring, prior to the Buffalo Championships), we all trotted off to UVic and had a great time.
Bob was very thorough in carrying out his evaluation but was impressed enough to give us a very good report as the Assembly. However, our Bid Committee (me) was not able to counter-attract enough votes to offset the Newcastle Brown reception which Gateshead put on and, as they say, the rest is history.
But so are Bob’s efforts on behalf of the sport – especially the race
walking part – he loved. Bob was always good for an anecdote (often the same one!) about happenings and adventures in connection with WAVA/WMA, and full of ideas, when we saw him last in Clermont-Ferrand, about the future.
One thing we can be certain about – he would surely have given the rough edge of his tongue to the guy who ran him down!!
Danny Daniels,
Vice Chair, Athletics Canada/IAAF Masters Committee.
This is a sad day in track and field for such a great person as well as athlete. My condolences to the family.
On behalf of my entire family, I would like to thank the Track and Field Community for remembering my dad. It is the hope of our family that we may continue to gather your comments and anecdotes in order to compile enough information to put together a celebration of our dad’s life. To that end, please feel free to email me. It is the intent of our family to work closely with several of the organizations our father loved and worked so diligently on behalf of in order to coordinate one or more events in his honor.
Again, thank you for taking the time to remember our dad!
i well remember Bob talking me into running relays when i thought i was too exhausted after doing my best in precedeing events in spokane(2008)-i quess he was able to see strength in me i did not know about-did the driver have on headlights?
I hope this gets to you. Are you interested in the relays this year (2009)? We need you, in memory of Bob and one of his loves,FAC.
Alan Smith Indialantic, FL 32903
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