Thursday, February 20, 2014

R.I.P. Robert 'Bobwire' Baldwin

Vaughn Goode called to tell me of Bob Baldwin’s passing wondering if anyone was aware. After I posted it on Facebook, folks slowly started to respond.

I had forgot we called him Bobwire. I’m sure it was something those Fairground guys put on him because you’re not allowed to come up with your own nickname around here. 

I guess you’d call Bob and I basketball acquaintances. I didn’t know anything about him other than as a hard nosed player who was far too strong for me to handle. Over the years we’d run into each other in Philadelphia or Chester and take a few moments to catch up and exchange pleasantries. 

On one of those chance encounters he caught me doing wrong. Nine out of ten of my peers would have let it slide...half of them would have encouraged my behavior.  But Bobwire gave me a stern talking to and told me to do right like a big brother or protector would.

When Vaughn called me, the first thing that came to mind about Bob was how nearly 25 years ago he got in my face and told me to act right. 


A lot of you know Bob a lot better than I did, but he ranks up there with one of the best guys that ever came out of Chester because he showed me that he cares for his brothers.

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