George "Ginky" San Souci passed away on Tuesday. His life had been in a spiral since his neck injury that forced him to 'retire' from professional pool in 2002 only three years after playing a near-perfect week of pool to win the BCA Open in Las Vegas. George obtained the nickname Ginky from his parents who said that was the first sound that he made as an infant.
In his prime, during the mid to late 90's, San Souci could win any event he entered. He won the Camel Pro Tour 10-Ball event in Charlotte in 1996 and awoke everyone on the scene to his presence then. That year Billiards Digest named him Rookie of the Year. He was continuously in the top ten of major events for the remainder of the decade. After that, the pain in his neck sidelined him on a near-permanent basis. Surgery did little except show his sense of humor. When the surgeon, tasked with placing a cadaver bone in his neck to replacing his deteriorating bone, asked San Souci if he wanted anything before being put under San Souci quipped: "Can you use a bone from Mosconi?"
Those who knew San Souci were all pulling for him to conquer his health issues and come back to the pro scene. Sadly, that was not to be. The void that he leaves is a darkness that will sadden many of us for a long time. This is truly a time for grieving.
