03/31/2026
The Los Angeles Pool League regrets to inform you of the passing of Phil Burns a consummate cowboy, always wearing skintight blue jeans, kick ass boots, a big shiny belt buckle and a well-worn Stetson, passed away Tuesday, March 24th in Palm Springs after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Phil played in several cities within our league. Long Beach Pool League, San Diego Pool League, Los Angeles Pool League and most recently with Palm Springs Pool League. His years with our League earned him many awards. I personally knew Phil but had no idea of his time and accomplishments in our League until I searched through our archives. Here are some of what I found:
Spring 2001- 8th Place Open Individuals
Spring 2002- 1st Place Hi-Lo with Ron Rinker
Fall 2003- 3rd Place Open Individuals
Fall 2004 and Spring 2005- member of the 1st Place Team with Lauren Ward, Frank Bustamante, Gibbi Tkatch, Daniel King and Stevan Bailey
Fall 2005- 8th Place Open Individuals
Fall 2008- 6th Place Open Individuals
Before my first time playing in the West Coast Challenge, I called Phil and asked him if he could coach me. He invited Tod and I over. We spent an afternoon playing pool, talking stance, proper stroke, speed control and how to shoot a safety. At the end of the day when I asked how much I owed him he said you guys stay for dinner and we are even. Phil didn't like everybody and not everybody liked Phil. He was loud and had a voice you could identify the minute he walked into the room. He said what he was feeling and did not put up with anybody's s**t. But if you did befriend him, he was kind and generous. He was always willing to take the time to help you improve your game. Tod and I spent many hours at his home playing pool and picking up all we could from him as a friend and mentor. At the pool hall or bar, it was always a learning opportunity as well as the scariest couple of hours you ever lived if you got him as a partner in our Lucky Draw or Hi-Lo tournament.
Phil moved to the desert in 2014, but we kept in touch over the years. Phil offered his guest room in Palm Springs to Tod and I one weekend when he heard we were going to an event at one of the local bars. Tod and Phil shared the same birthday, August 10th, so one or both of us would text him happy birthday wishes every year. I spoke to Phil in August, once the location for the next West Coast Challenge was confirmed for Palm Springs, and told him to keep that weekend open and plan on attending some of the night tournaments. He informed me that his cancer had returned but was hopeful that the new round of treatments would do their job. Sadly, they did not. My condolences to Phil's partner Randy, brother Ray, his wife Nora and Phil's niece Maggie, her husband Scott on behalf of all the members of LB, SD, LA, & PS Leagues that knew him in person or got to know him a little bit from this remembrance.
Goodbye. Friend. Steven and Tod.
Steven Duckman
LAPL President
