I was six years old when my Grandpa Rollie unexpectedly passed away while doing what he loved most - playing tennis.
He had worked as a security guard at Ford Motor Company in Lorain for 20 years prior to his retirement. He was a tennis instructor at the Oak Hills Country Club, and was a member of the Lorain Tennis Club. He served in the Navy during World War II.
The following is a letter written to the editor of the Lorain Journal shortly after Grandpa Rollie's death, in the "Letters" section, entitled "Chopper Is Missed":
To the Editor: I feel that Roland "Chopper" Harnett who died of a heart attack recently deserves more than a one line comment in his obituary that he was an instructor of tennis at Oak Hills Tennis Club. Chopper died while playing tennis and I can't think of any other way for him to pass away. It was his love of and devotion to tennis that cost him his life (in my estimation). With a heart ailment and other health problems he had to choose between living and playing tennis. Tennis was his life so he chose to take his chances and pay the consequences if he had to. I knew "Chopper" for three years. During that time I saw him work with children and adults in an effort to pass on to them his knowledge of and love for the game of tennis. He would talk for hours to anyone willing to listen and learn. There are names of city tennis champions found in the sports pages of The Journal each summer, but in my humble opinion "Chopper" was a true champion for tennis in Lorain. Any serious tennis player who has played at the city courts has probably been touched in one way or another by Chopper's love of tennis. He was an ornery, irascible, old gentleman, who often said what was on his mind and stepped on people's toes. But for my money, he was "Mr. Tennis" in Lorain and I for one will miss him a lot - Arthur E. Gibbs Jr., Tennis Professional
He had worked as a security guard at Ford Motor Company in Lorain for 20 years prior to his retirement. He was a tennis instructor at the Oak Hills Country Club, and was a member of the Lorain Tennis Club. He served in the Navy during World War II.
The following is a letter written to the editor of the Lorain Journal shortly after Grandpa Rollie's death, in the "Letters" section, entitled "Chopper Is Missed":
To the Editor: I feel that Roland "Chopper" Harnett who died of a heart attack recently deserves more than a one line comment in his obituary that he was an instructor of tennis at Oak Hills Tennis Club. Chopper died while playing tennis and I can't think of any other way for him to pass away. It was his love of and devotion to tennis that cost him his life (in my estimation). With a heart ailment and other health problems he had to choose between living and playing tennis. Tennis was his life so he chose to take his chances and pay the consequences if he had to. I knew "Chopper" for three years. During that time I saw him work with children and adults in an effort to pass on to them his knowledge of and love for the game of tennis. He would talk for hours to anyone willing to listen and learn. There are names of city tennis champions found in the sports pages of The Journal each summer, but in my humble opinion "Chopper" was a true champion for tennis in Lorain. Any serious tennis player who has played at the city courts has probably been touched in one way or another by Chopper's love of tennis. He was an ornery, irascible, old gentleman, who often said what was on his mind and stepped on people's toes. But for my money, he was "Mr. Tennis" in Lorain and I for one will miss him a lot - Arthur E. Gibbs Jr., Tennis Professional
I was six years old when my Grandpa Rollie unexpectedly passed away while doing what he loved most - playing tennis.
He had worked as a security guard at Ford Motor Company in Lorain for 20 years prior to his retirement. He was a tennis instructor at the Oak Hills Country Club, and was a member of the Lorain Tennis Club. He served in the Navy during World War II.
The following is a letter written to the editor of the Lorain Journal shortly after Grandpa Rollie's death, in the "Letters" section, entitled "Chopper Is Missed":
To the Editor: I feel that Roland "Chopper" Harnett who died of a heart attack recently deserves more than a one line comment in his obituary that he was an instructor of tennis at Oak Hills Tennis Club. Chopper died while playing tennis and I can't think of any other way for him to pass away. It was his love of and devotion to tennis that cost him his life (in my estimation). With a heart ailment and other health problems he had to choose between living and playing tennis. Tennis was his life so he chose to take his chances and pay the consequences if he had to. I knew "Chopper" for three years. During that time I saw him work with children and adults in an effort to pass on to them his knowledge of and love for the game of tennis. He would talk for hours to anyone willing to listen and learn. There are names of city tennis champions found in the sports pages of The Journal each summer, but in my humble opinion "Chopper" was a true champion for tennis in Lorain. Any serious tennis player who has played at the city courts has probably been touched in one way or another by Chopper's love of tennis. He was an ornery, irascible, old gentleman, who often said what was on his mind and stepped on people's toes. But for my money, he was "Mr. Tennis" in Lorain and I for one will miss him a lot - Arthur E. Gibbs Jr., Tennis Professional
He had worked as a security guard at Ford Motor Company in Lorain for 20 years prior to his retirement. He was a tennis instructor at the Oak Hills Country Club, and was a member of the Lorain Tennis Club. He served in the Navy during World War II.
The following is a letter written to the editor of the Lorain Journal shortly after Grandpa Rollie's death, in the "Letters" section, entitled "Chopper Is Missed":
To the Editor: I feel that Roland "Chopper" Harnett who died of a heart attack recently deserves more than a one line comment in his obituary that he was an instructor of tennis at Oak Hills Tennis Club. Chopper died while playing tennis and I can't think of any other way for him to pass away. It was his love of and devotion to tennis that cost him his life (in my estimation). With a heart ailment and other health problems he had to choose between living and playing tennis. Tennis was his life so he chose to take his chances and pay the consequences if he had to. I knew "Chopper" for three years. During that time I saw him work with children and adults in an effort to pass on to them his knowledge of and love for the game of tennis. He would talk for hours to anyone willing to listen and learn. There are names of city tennis champions found in the sports pages of The Journal each summer, but in my humble opinion "Chopper" was a true champion for tennis in Lorain. Any serious tennis player who has played at the city courts has probably been touched in one way or another by Chopper's love of tennis. He was an ornery, irascible, old gentleman, who often said what was on his mind and stepped on people's toes. But for my money, he was "Mr. Tennis" in Lorain and I for one will miss him a lot - Arthur E. Gibbs Jr., Tennis Professional
Inscription
Roland James Harnett, MM3 U.S. Navy, World War II, June 10, 1909 - August 20, 1978
