Robert Vrooman, Ticket Master Before There Was Ticketmaster

Robert Vrooman, longtime owner of Seattle's old Fidelity Lane Ticket Office on Fourth Avenue, was one popular guy.

People always pressured him to find tickets to sold-out events featuring a hot sports team or rock act, or to provide them "freebies" for any number of reasons, and he did.

A former sports announcer who was rarely seen without a cigar, he served much the same do-me-favors function for 52 years as director of admissions at the Longacres race track in Renton. Everybody was his friend when they sought special treatment in admission or parking.

"A fellow who purveys tickets is always in a peck of trouble," said former Seattle Times Sports Editor Georg N. Meyers. "He had a knack of getting out of it and making everybody happy."

Mr. Vrooman died Wednesday (July 8) of heart failure. He was 77.

The man who called himself "The Schnoz" for his prominent nose was no stranger to working his way out of tight spots: He excelled at hockey before and after graduating from Queen Anne High School in 1939. He often joked that he knew his semipro hockey career was over about 1941, "when they traded me for two broken sticks and a gross of (athletic supporters)."

The Spokane native grew up in Seattle. He began working in admissions at Longacres in 1937. He also was the voice of Sick's Seattle Stadium, former home of the Seattle Rainiers baseball team.

He served in the Navy in World War II, then came home to work as ticket manager for the Rainiers.

In 1948 he began selling tickets from an outlet run by Frank Hixon in what became The Turf Cigar Store. In 1952 he became partners with Hixon and they formed Sherman Clay Ticket Office at Sherman-Clay piano store, then founded Fidelity Lane Ticket Office.

Mr. Vrooman also announced at hockey games in the 1940s, worked summer afternoons at Longacres and co-owned the Seattle Totems Hockey Club in the 1950s and 1960s.

"He truly was Seattle history," said his son, Robb Vrooman of Bellevue. "He kept Fidelity Lane until it was bought out by Ticketmaster in 1986."

Mr. Vrooman had a soft spot in his heart for horse racing. After he'd put in 50 years at the track, the owners honored him by running The Bob Vrooman Stakes.

"Was he good at handicapping?" said his son. "He taught me to handicap by the time I was 12. At 8 or 9 I was reading the Racing Form. That's how I learned math!"

Other survivors include his daughters Roberta Vrooman of New York City and Sandi Smalley of Bellevue; sister Mickey Clark of Charlotte, N.C.; three grandchildren; and a great-grandchild. His wife of 44 years, Josephine, died in 1992.

Funeral Mass will be held at 7 p.m. at St. Therese Catholic Church, 3416 E. Marion St., Seattle.

Remembrances may go to the American Cancer Society, 2120 First Ave. N., Seattle, WA 98109.

Carole Beers' phone message number is 206-464-2391. Her e-mail address is: cbee-new@seatimes.com