John Joseph "Jackie" Rea (6 April 1921 – 20 October 2013) was a Northern Irish snooker player. He was the leading Irish snooker player until the emergence of Alex Higgins. Rea reached the semi-final of the 1952 World Championship losing to Fred Davis. With interest in professional snooker in decline he was one of four entries for the 1957 World Championships, losing to John Pulman in the final. He won the 1954/1955 News of the World Snooker Tournament, winning all his 8 matches and taking the first prize of £500. He continued playing professional snooker for many years, making his final appearances in 1990. Career Rea was born in Dungannon, County Tyrone and began playing snooker at age 9 in the billiard room of the pub his father managed in Dungannon. He won the All-Ireland Snooker Championship in 1947 and also the Northern Ireland Amateur Championship the same year. Rea became the Irish Professional Champion in 1947 through his defeat of Jack Bates and held the championship until he was defeated by Alex Higgins in January 1972. Rea held Higgins to 5–4 after the first session, but Higgins pulled away to win 28–12, the last scheduled session was not required (and played as an exhibition match). Rea encouraged Higgins to move to England and Higgins would rate Rea's help so highly that he described him as 'a bit of a father figure'. Higgins would also later go move to Cheadle, close to Rea. in 1981 (see p. 158).</ref> Rea claimed that once, after Higgins had insulted Rea's wife Betty, Rea (who had been in the Commandos) "laid [Higgins] out". Higgins later apologised profusely, and Rea said that they remained strong friends. When Alex Higgins married Lynn Hough on 5 January 1980, Rea was one of six people who held an arch of cues under which the couple walked as they left the United Reformed Church in Wilmslow, Cheshire. The other five people being John Virgo, John Smyth, David Taylor, Bruce Donkin and actor Gareth Hunt. Rea first appeared in the World Championship in 1949, when he lost 18–17 to Conrad Stanbury in the second qualifying round. He didn't enter again until 1952 when he won two matches before losing to Fred Davis in the semi-final. He lost to John Pulman in the 1953 championship and again in the 1954 championships, losing this latter match just 31–30. He lost to Pulman