Robert A. "Bobby" Creekmore

NEWPORT NEWS - Robert 'Bobby' Aaron Creekmore, 50, died unexpectedly Saturday, April 12, 2003. Bobby was a lifelong resident of Newport News and graduated from Newport News High School and Old Dominion University. He was employed by Northrop Grumman (Newport News Shipbuilding) for 28 years. Bobby was preceded in death by his parents, Wayne and Helen Creekmore. He leaves to cherish his memories, his loving wife of 23 years, Beverly, and their devoted sons, Christopher and Garrett, of the home; his brother, Jerry and his wife, Linda, and their son, Evan, of North Carolina; his sister, Nadine Womick and her husband, David, and their sons, Carter and Matthew, both of Virginia Beach; his aunt and uncle, Nadine and Kayo Hunt of Chesapeake; and a host of other close family members. He also leaves his baseball family and many friends. Bobby was an avid baseball fan who played baseball through college, and later, softball with several world class teams. As his sons grew, he gave unselfishly of his time and talents and began a new career of teaching and coaching for 15 years with Warwick Little League and was currently a coach for Menchville Varsity baseball team. Bobby cherished his friendships with his baseball 'family.' The children whose lives were influenced by him will miss the love he shared. The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, April 15, at Peninsula Funeral Home. The Rev. Bob Mosely will hold funeral services at 11 a.m. on Wednesday at Denbigh Baptist Church. Burial will follow in Peninsula Memorial Park. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to Menchville High School Baseball Club or the American Legion Post 25 Baseball Team.
Published in the Daily Press from 4/14/2003 - 4/15/2003.

OTHER REMEMBRANCES

From Jean Poole Burton ('64) of RI - 04/16/03:

I appreciate the great service you are doing for all of us.  The Creekmore family lived right behind us (they were on Roanoke and we were on Faubus Drive).  They were a very nice family.  My mother and father were very fond of Helen and Wayne.  Although I was older than their children I remember what nice kids they all were.  I appreciate the opportunity to send my condolences.  Love, Jean Burton

Jeanbqueenbee@aol.com

From Billy Turner of TX - 04/16/03:

If I am not mistaken, Bobby Creekmore graduated from NNHS in 1969. He followed me at Old Dominion University and took over the starting shortstop position on the Monarch baseball team, which I held for three years. Coach Matheny used me to help recruit Bobby to ODU. I have not communicated with Bobby since his freshman year in college but I am saddened by his passing. My heart goes out to his many friends and loved ones.

billcfp@flash.net

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Creekmore, 50, died throwing batting practice

By Jennifer Garvin
Daily Press

April 15, 2003

NEWPORT NEWS -- Newport News lost a fixture in area baseball on Saturday when it lost Bobby Creekmore.

A longtime staple with Warwick Little League and American Legion Post 25, Creekmore was throwing batting practice at Menchville High School when he collapsed and died from a massive heart attack. He was 50 years old.

After a week of rain, the sun had finally emerged to greet the Monarchs as they took the field on Saturday afternoon. It was a beautiful day - a "baseball day" Creekmore called it as he set out for practice.

"He was so proud of these kids," Menchville coach Phil Forbes said. "He was tickled to death and honored to be out there with them."

This year - Creekmore's first as a Menchville assistant - was special for him. The Monarchs were in first place in the Peninsula District for the first time since 1997. His son, Garrett, was among the district's best hitters with a .471 average.

"Ask any kid from Warwick or Heritage or Denbigh about Bobby," said Creekmore's longtime friend Jerry Watkins, "and chances are he coached them."

Like Creekmore, Watkins is in his first year at Menchville. Friends for more than 40 years, the two were teammates at Newport News High School before attending separate colleges. Creekmore played shortstop for Old Dominion University; Watkins pitched for Virginia Tech. Creekmore was 5-for-10 against his old friend, leading Watkins to joke that "he never did get the best of me." Later on, the two would become neighbors and eventually began coaching together.

"I've lost a part of my life," Watkins said. "We had a camaraderie."

Growing up in the Newmarket neighborhood of Newport News, Creekmore loved sports, especially baseball. A three-sport standout at NNHS, he attended ODU on a scholarship before taking a job at the shipyard - where he worked for 28 years. After graduating he continued to play, competing on several national-caliber softball teams.

He is survived by his wife, Beverly, and sons Christopher, 20, and Garrett, 17.

"It's been a big part of our lives since we've been together," Beverly said of athletics, "and it continues to be. We just had a wonderful time doing it. He was an absolutely wonderful husband. It's hard for my boys and it's hard for me, because he just can't be replaced."

During the last six months, Garrett and Bobby had deepened their bond as father and son.

"A lot of people thought he was intense," Garrett said, "but he wasn't like that around the house. He'd work on the roses or watch 'Friends'. He liked Joey and Chandler (characters on the show). He thought they were so stupid."

The Monarchs were scheduled to host second-place Bethel on Monday afternoon. That game, as well as today's make-up game from last week's rain, has been postponed. The Monarchs' varsity and junior varsity teams, along with the coaching staff, will attend today's visitation and Wednesday's funeral. The group plans to wear their jerseys to both occasions before returning to the field Wednesday to host Denbigh at 7 p.m.

"That's what he would have wanted," said Garrett, who was in practice on Monday.

For many of the Monarchs, Creekmore was their first coach.

"We've been with him since we were 6," third baseman Chris Baker said. "I remember one time, when we were 11 or 12, and he was doing infield practice and he couldn't hit it right. He got mad and hit it over the fences (with a fungo bat) and hit Beverly's new car."

Outfielder Clay Hawkins remembered being Creekmore's first Little League pick when Hawkins was 8. On Monday, Hawkins volunteered to throw batting practice - something Creekmore usually did - in his honor.

"I just felt like I had to," Hawkins said. "He's the reason I'm still playing baseball."

"He brought out the best in us," said shortstop Greg Maliniak, a former Little League player of Creekmore's. "He was like our dad out there."

Said pitcher Andy Preston: "He taught me just about everything I know."

Phil Allen met Creekmore in Little League and went on to play football, basketball and baseball with him at NNHS.

"He was such a competitor," Allen said. "He wasn't the biggest guy in the world, but he was tough. When I heard this, I was like: 'Not him. Not him.' He was my man. I had a lot of respect for him."

"It's the kind of thing you have to take day by day," said York coach Bob Pearce, who played at NNHS and roomed with Creekmore at ODU. "He was a good man and he's really going to be missed by everyone."

Jennifer Garvin can be reached at 247-4759 or by e-mail at jgarvin@dailypress.com

 

Copyright © 2003, Daily Press

This article courtesy of Wayne Stokes of VA - 04/17/03.  Thanks, Wayne!

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Team mourns, still it plays on

Menchville loses first game since assistant's death

By Jennifer Garvin
Daily Press

April 17, 2003

NEWPORT NEWS -- Four days after losing assistant coach Bobby Creekmore to a fatal heart attack, Menchville High players and coaches gathered around home plate in his memory Wednesday night, moments before taking the field against Denbigh.

For Creekmore's son Garrett, the day represented so many things. Earlier he'd help eulogize the father who taught everything he knows about baseball. Garrett, along with his older brother Chris, prepared a tribute for Bobby, which Garrett later read at the funeral. The hardest part was seeing all his teammates in their baseball uniforms at the church.

Eight hours later, he was at the plate, listening in awe as a crowd of Menchville supporters cheered him on. He ended up smacking a double on that first at-bat before Denbigh went on to win the game 1-0.

"I just kept thinking about the good times," Garrett said. "When I went up there and read, it was hard, but I'm glad that I got through it because I know that he would have wanted me to read it. I think he gave me the strength to do it and not break down."

The Monarchs could have waited until next week before playing. They decided to get back on the field.

"You can grieve forever, you can grieve for a week or a month," Menchville coach Phil Forbes said, "and these young men decided that we all needed to get out there together and get on with playing as soon as possible because we have to get over that hump, and life goes on with the lesson we learned."

To an outside observer, Wednesday's game at Menchville might have appeared to be just another game in the Peninsula District. It was business as usual, but then again, it wasn't. A gold ribbon in the batting cage served as a memorial to Creekmore. The Monarchs began the game in a prayer circle before asking fans to join them in a moment of silence.

"It's a new season because we don't have Coach Creekmore with us," Forbes said, "and that new season that we're carrying on without him, we're going to carry on with the same intensity that he would have wanted. I think we got every bit out of every one of these players no matter what the score was."

Several of the Denbigh players grew up in the Warwick Little League, where Creekmore coached, and were in attendance at his funeral. Despite Denbigh-Menchville being one of the oldest rivalries in the district, the two teams are friends everywhere but on the field against each other.

"These kids are close," Patriots coach Rusty Ingram said.

The teams played scoreless ball until Cary Mosby's sharp single to left-center brought home Anthony Watkins in the fifth. Watkins, who started the game in left field, relieved starting pitcher Ryan McDougal in the bottom half of the inning. The Monarchs put their first two runners on base in the sixth, and had the bases loaded with one out, before Watkins induced two groundouts to get out of the jam.

And though they didn't win, Garrett Creekmore was pretty sure what his father would have said about the game.

"He would have said we took too many first, fastball strikes and he would have been kind of upset with that. He wasn't one to take pitches. He wanted you to be aggressive at the plate."

Jennifer Garvin may be reached at 247-4759 or by e-mail at jgarvin@dailypress.com

DENBIGH 1, MENCHVILLE 0

Denbigh 000 010 0-1 7 1

Menchville 000 000 0-0 5 2

WP-McDougal (3-1), LP-Preston (4-1), Save-Watkins (1). Standouts-Denbigh, Mosby 1-4 (game-winning RBI single); Menchville, Baker 2-3 (1 stolen base). Records-Denbigh 8-2, Menchville 6-2.

Copyright © 2003, Daily Press