BARRINGTON — Back in the 1950s and ‘60s, when Barrington’s Frank McBride was dominating Rhode Island's amateur golf scene, more than a few people came up to him and suggested he join the PGA Tour — he was that good.

Read Mr. McBride's full obituary here

But Mr. McBride, who died Friday after an illness, never considered making golf his livelihood, his wife of 58 years, Ann, recalled Monday.

“He wouldn’t even think of it,” she said. “He was such a family man. He loved his babies, he loved his kids. He could have joined the tour, I suppose, but it’s not what he wanted.”

The tour’s loss, though, was Rhode Island’s gain. Mr. McBride, who grew up on Wheeler Street in East Providence and honed his game at the Silver Spring golf course, a modest six-hole track on Pawtucket Avenue, was one of the finest amateur golfers ever to come out of Rhode Island. A long-time member of Rhode Island Country Club, he was the first golfer from the club to win the Rhode Island Amateur, and was a medalist and finalist several times. Over the years, he won a number of other state and club tournaments both alone and with partners. Over the course of his playing career, he scored 10 holes in one.

Those who knew him, though, remember more than the golf.

A World War II veteran, he raised six boys with wife Ann, and though he loved golf he never played on Sundays so he could stay home with the family, his wife recalled. Apart from family and golf, one of his favorite pastimes was taking care of his impeccably maintained yard just up the road from St. Luke’s Church.

“I will miss him every time I smell the new mown grass,” his son Bob said.

He also had a reputation as one of the best golf club repairmen and refinishers around. The basement of his Washington Road home was full of hundreds of golf clubs in various states of refurbishment or repair, and before metal woods became popular many Rhode Island members carried classic MacGregors, Hogans and other brands that he had lovingly brought back to life.

Mr. McBride was also fond of Rhode Island Country Club’s caddy program, and was a regular contributor to caddie scholarship funds. His wife Ann said his support of caddies was never surprising.

“He was never standoffish with the caddies,” she said. “He loved kids and he wanted to take care of them.”

Invariably, when he played in the annual caddy-member tournament at Rhode Island Country Club, he would tell whatever caddy he’d been assigned to play with that day to keep practicing and have fun with the game. He carried that philosophy through to real life, his wife said.

“He practiced, he always practiced,” she said. “He was always down there alone on the range. He was a very private person, he didn’t like crowds; he just liked to play.”

His son Bob said Monday that he often spent time with his dad on the range, helping him perfect his game.

“He was never alone on the range,” he said. “I was always with him, shagging balls, raking traps, studying putts,and gauging distances,both of us as a team. He was the player and I was his faithful caddy through many years. He was more than my Dad — he was my best friend.”

Those years of practice served Mr.McBride well, as he won Rhode Island’s club championship 12 times and the senior club championship four times. He held other awards too (see obituary for a full list of accomplishments).

Late last year, Rhode Island Country Club’s board of governors decided to permanently honor Mr. McBride by naming the trophy awarded to the annual men’s club champion the “Frank McBride Trophy.”

Gary McLane, the board’s president, said the decision wasn’t hard. Though he never played with him, Mr. McLane grew up with Mr. McBride’s sons and remembers the respect he’d earned over his years at the club.

“He was the only member I still called ‘Mr. McBride,’” he said.

Though he was private, Mrs. McBride said her husband was overjoyed when he learned a few months ago that the trophy had been named in his honor.

“He was in the hospital at the time, but he was thrilled,” she said. “He loved it.”