It’s going to be one heck of a wake.

There simply wasn’t enough room in this morning’s paper for all of the people I reached out to yesterday after learning that Gene Borek passed away. I figured this would be a good place to share the stories from some of the people who knew the longtime Metropolis head professional over the years.

“Gene really did have a great sense of humor, but you had to know him really well to bring it out. I was constantly needling him, and was probably the only person in the world that could get away with it. I was always trying to get his goat. … He worked hard on his game, and loved competing. … He was a giant among me. … He was a great Christian.”
—Carl Lohren, a lifelong friend and former pro at North Shore Country Club who roomed with Borek when they played on various winter tours around the world.

“I’ve known Gene since I was 11 years old. Even after he retired he was always there. You’d see him out on the course, or collecting balls from the pond like he always did when he was working.”
—Andrew Katcher, Metropolis member

“I met Gene when I played a tournament at Metropolis and was scared to death of him. Later they had a job opening, so I met with him and he was like a teddy bear. There was a coat of armor, but Gene had a soft side. He made me feel a part of his family. He was like an uncle. I always felt he was looking after me. … He had a lot of tricks to get people to change their swings without getting too technical. He really helped people build a golf game.”
—Cheryl Anderson, a former Metropolis assistant under Borek who is teaching at the Mike Bender Golf Academy in Flordia.

“I knew Gene for more than 30 years. I admire the example he set for all of us, the high standards. First, he was a main of great faith. I thought that was important. Second, he was a complete professional who really made sure he stayed on top of his teaching and playing, and not just the business.”
—John Kennedy, the director of golf at Westchester Country Club