In the two months since Tad's passing he has come to my mind often. I'd like to offer this brief tribute.
How many people are known worldwide by just their first name? Of his many accolades, I imagine the one that meant most to him, awarded late in life, was induction into the American Cue Makers Hall of Fame in 2011.
I am the proud owner of five Tad cues. With Tad in the photo on the right, I'm holding a Tad cue that I purchased from his distributor, J&J Billiards. I met with Tad at a number of West Coast billiards shows, where he could be relied upon to be in J&J's booth. Once I asked him how he came up with the profile of his cues. He told me that he sourced Willie Mosconi's cue. I find that my Tad cues share a very similar hit characteristic, tone and vibratory feel. It's interesting that Tad operated in the other direction, telling me that "all of my cues hit a little different."
Something I didn't know about Tad: he was a survivor of the Hiroshima atomic bomb. That must explain his kindness and generosity, there's nothing but praise for him online. I'm eternally grateful that he shared himself and his artistry with me.
Paul McTier
December 9, 2013
