Quick, somebody call Hollywood—we've got a hot biopic here. The exact details are elusive, a boon to an imaginative screenwriter, but here is what we do know. Errol Resek was born in the Dominican Republic, circa 1942, to a family of table tennis bluebloods. He emigrated to the United States in the mid-1960s and eventually rose to #3 in the nation. In 1971, Resek was in the right place at the right time. Then, as a member of the US Table Tennis Team, he was invited to China as part of the historic Ping Pong Diplomacy delegation. The following year, he and the team toured the US, performing exhibitions during the reciprocal visit. After knocking off the biggest names in USA table tennis during the seventies, including Danny Seemiller and George Braithwaite, Resek moved very far from his tropical homeland to the icy north of Anchorage, Alaska. While Resek easily dominated the state table tennis scene, he unfortunately lost a significant battle with temptation. According to the State of Alaska, Errol helped his brother Alex Resek run "the largest cocaine operation in the history of the State of Alaska." Errol was sentenced to 32 years, with 12 suspended. While details are again elusive, his reappearance in competitive table tennis in 2008 is consistent with serving a 20-year sentence. No fall from grace is complete without a redemptive coda. USATT Historian Tim Boggan's Hall of Fame profile for Resek tactfully glosses over his rehabilitative retreat, simply stating, "Errol finally returned to the game…and more or less took up where he’d left off—winning titles." Resek claimed numerous titles in age events, including the 2008 Over 65 at the US Open and the 2012 Over 70 doubles title at the US Nationals with Ron Von Schimmelman. Resek ultimately settled in Nevada, running the Las Vegas Table Tennis Club in his golden years. This week, he passed away after a three-year battle with cancer. "I will always remember his happy and exuberant personality," said fellow Team USA member Connie Sweeris. "He will be missed." No doubt, Errol Resek will be missed. Having lived a globetrotting life of adventure worthy of cinematic treatment, he will certainly never be forgotten.

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