Eugene Wendell Roach was born on June 1, 1933 and passed away on Tuesday, October 16,
2001 at age 68. He was an Alabama State Checker Champion from Mobile and a
resident of Theodore, Alabama. His obituary was posted in The Mobile
Press-Register, The Huntsville Times, and The
Birmingham
News. Eugene Roach is buried in the
Odd
Fellows Cemetery, (251) 366-6759, which is located at Bayou La Batyer Road & Hwy 188 E in Bayou La Batyer, AL. He served in the US Army
during the Korea conflict.
He was the owner - operator of a country gas station, grocery, and convenient store all roll into one on
Country Road 5 toward Theodore,
Alabama in Southern Mobile County. A sign hung over an outside checkerboard
& table
with two chairs at
his store that challenged all comers to a game of checkers! If you could beat
Eugene at a game of checkers, you won a six pack of coke. The store, call
“Country Plaza,” on Bellingraph Road about 6 miles south of Tillman’s Corner,
or 16 miles southwest of Mobile, Alabama.
It was a typical country store with a big drive through flat shed
roof that covered the front store entrance, providing cover from the weather while
playing checkers, pumping gas, kerosene, or entering the store from your car.
Tim Laverty told me this story which he is full of checker tales about what
happen to him and others over the years that cause me to add Eugene to this
page since I already had an old newspaper article. As a college youth
Tim was bitten by the checker bug... so severe it actually interfered with
his studies. Tim studied and played checkers relentlessly and got good
at it. He annihilated his classmates and discovered he could play
blindfolded. He would hear about and hunt down any checkerist with a
gunfighter's zeal. His eagerness to play Eugene took him to Mobile,
Alabama who wasn't at the store when he call to let him know a new
challenger was in town. Tim finds the store and Eugene wasn't there?
He ask around for Eugene and they get Eugene on the phone who tells Tim he
will be there in an hour or two, so hang around or come by tomorrow.
Finally Eugene shows up and the first thing he ask Tim was how is your
friend Elbert Lowder doing and getting along. They conclude their
pleasantries, catch up on checker news, tourneys, etcetera, but didn't play
since both decided it would be a standoff and parted as checker friends,
I believe Eugene and Tim enjoyed a coke during their visit. Another time, Tim is close friends with the proprietor of Speakeazy
Billiards in Sanford. He realizes Tim is a master checker player from
his numerous 1st place tournament finishes, and suggest he set up a match
with a Roanoke fellow who will bet on anything. O.A. Morea was a pool
shark, he run Dolls & Guys Pool Hall, and a skilled gambler at cards,
dice, bet on sport events, had punchboards, and a bookmaker / bookie.
So a car load (Tim, his backer,
and several other enthusiast devotees) sail out for Roanoke, Virginia to an agreed
$2,000 stake match, winner takes all. Same thing happens, O.A.
straight away sees Tim and knowing his reputation, he declares the match is off,
he won't play.
Below are a few links to a newspaper article and TV news clip videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yK9M3y-XqA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cgq5fseSn-8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZJVaEthpV8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2D9T-Fs9v8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVQhUrceydg