Fred Boice was a mover and shaker in Tucson sports | Greg Hansen

That might've come to an end in 1962 when the PGA's hierarchy complained that the Tucson Open needed to be played at a better facility with considerably more money available. It was about to be kicked off the Tour.

That's when Tucson business leaders Roy Drachman, Buck O'Rielly, Fred Boice and 27 others met in an attempt to save pro golf in Tucson. Those 30 men named themselves the Conquistadors and for the next 52 years created a first-class organization that staged a PGA Tour (or World Golf Championship) event in Tucson, followed since 2016 by the PGA Tour Champions.

Boice became the Conquistadors' first tournament chairman. He was heavily involved in the glory years of the Tucson Open, helping to get regular Pro-Am guests and speakers such as Sandy Koufax, Joe Louis, Mike Ditka, Mickey Mantle, Bob Hope and Clint Eastwood to Tucson for our winter golf tournament.

Boice died here last week at age 96. He was a heavyweight. As I got to know him over the last 25 years, I sometimes thought a Hollywood producer could create a movie of Boice's life and times.

He grew up on a cattle ranch in Arivaca, became an airplane pilot, president of the Arizona Board of Regents, chairman of the Tucson Airport Authority, chief of the American Cattle Company and chairman of the Tucson Medical Center. He was a contemporary of many of the big names in Tucson history, such as Hank Leiber, Swede Johnson, J. Knox Corbett, Ed Updegraff, Burt Kinerk and Bill Breck.

About 10 years ago, I was fortunate to get to play a round of golf with Boice at the Tubac Country Club. He was in his mid-80s. I thought beating him would be a piece of cake. Instead, Boice showed why he was a career-long scratch golfer. His short game was magnificent. His story-telling — Tucson history — was even better.

When I learned that Boice requested there be no memorial service in his honor, it made sense. His life was about others, not himself.