Long Beach State University Athletics
49er Alum Condon Remembered
3/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
March 9, 2008
In a life of tennis, Curt Condon came to believe there were matters more important than the score.
Even if he were behind, Mr. Condon would tell himself to focus on his strategy and goals. If he could persist, he felt it wasn't important whether he won or lost.
When Mr. Condon learned in October 2006 that he had a brain tumor, he applied a similar principle.
"He never gave up, just like he taught (tennis)," said his wife, Shari Condon. "You never give up no matter what you're battling."
The cancer got more aggressive, and a final magnetic resonance image showed a new tumor with hundreds of "feelers" working into his brain. A doctor warned him that he would live only another 30 days at most.
Mr. Condon lived 25 days longer than that. He died under care at his Oceanside home Monday. He was 54.
Mr. Condon, a native of Glendale, had been a tennis teaching pro for 35 years. Since 1993, he had been director of tennis at El Camino Country Club in Oceanside.
"He taught thousands of people tennis, from age 3 on up to 93," Shari Condon said. "But when you took a lesson from Curt, he actually gave you life principles. Before a lesson, he would ask you, `So, how's your life going? How's your family? How are your children?' "
Tennis was a love acquired early in life, and Mr. Condon would recall hitting balls against a chain-link fence while his parents played the game. He played tennis in high school, at Pasadena City College and at Long Beach State University, which named him most inspirational athlete for 1974-75.
He also was a Pacific Coast Athletic Association champion for singles and doubles in 1974, and was named San Diego Pro of the Year in the early 1990s.
The Southern California Tennis Association created a "Curt Condon Spirit Award" in his honor and made the Condon family its first recipient.
As a professional athlete, Mr. Condon toured for three years and twice played in qualifying rounds for the U.S. Open. He toured in Europe for three years.
A friend, Donnie Dee, said Mr. Condon's most remarkable attribute was that he always thought about others before himself.
It was a trait traced to his decision in 1994 to become a Christian, a turning point that "changed the direction and motivation of his life," Dee said.
"He started seeing life from a different vantage point, and it was no longer about him," said Dee, who met with Mr. Condon for Bible study every Tuesday morning for nine years. "It was about God, and it was about others. I think because of that he's had as big an impact on the people around him as any man I've ever met.
"He saw his role as just being an example, and being a blessing to the people around him."
Mr. Condon is survived by his wife, Shari; his daughter, Brittany Condon, and son, Brett Condon, both of Oceanside; his parents, Paul and Hazel Condon of San Diego; and two sisters, Chris Bryant of Del Mar and Laura Eyler of San Marcos.
A celebration service is scheduled for noon today at North Coast Church, 1132 N. Melrose Drive, Vista.
The family requests donations to the Curt Condon Memorial Camp Fund, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, P.O. Box 2196, Vista, CA 92085-2196.
