Dene O'Kane in typical pose at the Heretaunga Snooker Classic in 2006. Photo / Paul Taylor
Dene O’Kane’s family pay a heartfelt tribute to their beloved son, brother and cousin. A new scholarship has been established for the snooker star, who died in hospital on Tuesday.
New Zealand snooker legend Dene O’Kane died in hospital surrounded by close family members, including his beloved mother, says his cousin.
Richard O’Kane has paid an emotional family tribute to the “trailblazing” snooker star - a man he considered an older brother and idol, and to whom he was closely connected from a young age when he was living in the United Kingdom.
Dene O’Kane, 61, a twice World Snooker Championship quarterfinalist, died from what his family say was a severe brain bleed from a fall at his home on Waiheke Island earlier this week.
The family are still piecing together details of what happened after O’Kane died in Auckland Hospital early on Tuesday afternoon, surrounded by close family members including his mother.
“We are grieving - he will be very sorely missed,” said a tearful Richard O’Kane. “We look up to him very, very highly. We love him - it’s very difficult talking about it.”
He said his cousin had a wonderful nature and was very private away from the snooker table, but was always proud of his New Zealand roots.
He was incredibly close to his mother and siblings and loved living on Waiheke Island, said Richard.
“He spent a lot of his time on Waiheke Island - he loved the peace and solitude. He loved dipping into Auckland - the bustling and busy CBD - but then getting back to Waiheke.”
Richard O’Kane - who is British but now living in New Zealand - says he remembers his cousin arriving in the UK in the early 1980s.
“He came over as a 17-year-old with a couple of quid in his pocket and a couple of snooker cues and a dream.
“I was very young. I was only five at the time, but growing up we watched and followed his career.”
Dene O’Kane was particularly close to his aunt, Richard’s mum Barbara - he would visit the family in Kent regularly and they always followed him closely on television.
“We saw him on the telly. Growing up he was like a big brother. I looked up to him as my idol. I wanted to play snooker because he was a trailblazer in New Zealand.”
He said his cousin’s story was “amazing” - to leave home at such a young age, and travel to the other side of the world to pursue his dream.
O’Kane turned professional after a couple of years in the UK, a country where he lived for the next two decades.
He became a household name in New Zealand in 1987 - and again in 1992 - when he made the quarterfinals of the World Snooker Championships.
By 1991/92 he had risen to number 18 in the world and he stayed in the top 32 until 1996, before eventually retiring as a pro with earnings of £415,000 ($864,910).
After O’Kane returned to New Zealand in 2000, he would make regular trips back to the UK - he loved London and had great memories of his time living there, said Richard O’Kane.
Richard would accompany O’Kane to tournaments and exhibition events and saw him play in his last tournament appearance at the World Senior Championships at the famous Crucible theatre, Sheffield in 2019.
“I have been really fortunate to follow Dene’s career closely, but I think the time I’ve spent with him post his pro career, where we were just ‘good mates’ holds the fondest memories. We got to spend quality time together with the family and share stories over a couple of beers – a normal relationship, priceless.”
He said snooker legend Dennis Taylor always had wonderful things to say about O’Kane.
“He was always in awe of Dene about how he came over as a young lad, with a couple of quid in his pocket.
“Dennis would say how hard it was to make it on the tour. Even coming from the UK - he obviously came from Northern Ireland - he said it was hard, let alone being from a foreign country as far away and as small as New Zealand that wasn’t renowned for snooker players.
“He was such a trailblazer. He had a wonderful career.”
Richard O’Kane said he had met many of the legends - including Taylor, Jimmy White and Cliff Thorburn - as he watched O’Kane in later years.
“They were great company - they were so competitive on the table and so full of character off it. Dene fitted in with the biggest of companies. It was brilliant snooker. It was just so competitive.”
Dene’s nephew Nick O’Kane also told the Herald: “I remember I wrote a school report on Uncle Dene when I was younger. I was always incredibly proud of my Uncle and wanted all my classmates to know how cool he was.
“The way he walked into a room was captivating. Dene always held himself a certain way, a way that showed the utmost elegance and pride. He was always best dressed, a true gentleman. I will miss Dene forever, but I’m so grateful to have had him in my life.”
With the family’s support, the premier cue club Massé - of which O’Kane was chairman - has established a new scholarship for aspiring young snooker players hoping to follow in O’Kane’s footsteps overseas.
Massé club secretary Bernie Endres said the new fund would be used to assist junior players to travel overseas to advance their game without having to overcome the financial barriers that O’Kane faced.
Massé's board has agreed to an initial contribution of $10,000 and ongoing support of the fund. Readers can donate via the club’s account – Massé Incorporated – Westpac - 03-0318-0533915-001.
In an interview with sports broadcaster Mark Watson two years ago, O’Kane reflected on his career.
“It could always have been better, that’s what I say. But when you’re up there at the top, you’ve just got to get what you grab, what you can and I had some very, very good years on the pro tour.”
He went to the UK as a 17-year-old amateur and New Zealand champion.
“That was early 1981 in the middle of February, which is a stupid time to go, you know, because it’s the heart of winter... but I turned up Heathrow. I had two suitcases of snooker cues and 700 quid in my pocket.”
He turned pro in 1984: “That was really the start of a serious career for me.”
Earlier in his life, Christchurch-born O’Kane had been inspired by the Sunday morning television show Pot Black. As a 12-year-old he practised on a makeshift snooker table using a table tennis table, a broom handle and ping pong balls.
He’d read library books to clue up on the sport and some of the leading players, and - after he and his family moved to Auckland - eventually started playing on real tables in Birkenhead and Takapuna clubs.
“I was fascinated with the game and just loved it. As soon as I saw it, it was just like love-at-first-sight kind of thing.”
Across his career, O’Kane won 10 New Zealand titles, two Australian opens, two Oceania championships, and three World Masters Championships in 2004, 2005, and 2008.
The 37-year-old added a second straight victory over his English rival.