USBC Communications
ARLINGTON, Texas – John Falzone of Morris Chapel, Tenn., co-founder of the Ladies Professional Bowlers Tour and a Professional Women’s Bowling Association Hall of Famer, died recently at the age of 80.
Falzone co-founded the LPBT in 1981 shortly after the dissolution of the Women’s Professional Bowlers Association.
He served as both LPBT President and Commissioner while tour operations were headquartered at The Cherry Bowl in his hometown of Rockford, Illinois.
Among Falzone’s many achievements while running the LPBT was his development of Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall’s umbrella sponsorship of the tour, which helped guarantee that the sport’s best female competitors would have a world class venue to compete in on a yearly basis.
That accomplishment and many others led to Falzone’s 1996 enshrinement in the PWBA Hall of Fame in the Meritorious/Builder Category, which is reserved for those who have advanced the PWBA as an organization and promoted the PWBA Tour through media.
Falzone is survived by his wife of 61 years, Kathy Falzone, his son Benny, daughters Brenda and Bonnie and by multiple grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
USBC HALL OF FAMER ROBINSON DIES
ARLINGTON, Texas – United States Bowling Congress and Professional Women’s Bowling Association Hall of Famer Jeanette Robinson died Jan. 31 at the age of 94.
Robinson was elected to the PWBA Hall of Fame in 1996 in the Pioneer category, and she was inducted into the USBC Hall of Fame in 2000 for Meritorious Service.
Born in Flint, Michigan, Robinson developed and shared her passion for the sport as a competitor, instructor, event organizer and administrative figure, which included serving as the president for the PWBA during the 1960s and 1970s. She was elected to the position in 1965 and held the role until 1975.
As a competitor, she found success on the local and state levels across Michigan and earned her time in the national spotlight with her win at the 1974 PWBA Dayton Classic in Dayton.
After moving to Las Vegas in the late 1970s to join the staff at the famed Showboat Lanes, she continued to find the winner’s circle in local and state competitions in Nevada.
In addition to her role with the PWBA, Robinson also served on the Greater Flint Area Board of Directors for 10 years, was a director and supervisor of junior bowling programs in Michigan for 20 years and helped organize tournaments and participation programs for the Special Olympics.
In Las Vegas, she helped to develop tournaments for members of the military. In the early 1990s, she set her sights on providing female bowlers ages 50 and over the chance to compete on the national stage and created the National Golden Ladies Classic (now International Golden Ladies Classic), which continues to run each year in Las Vegas.
Robinson coached Team USA in 1967 at the Federation Internationale des Quilleurs (FIQ) World Championships (now International Bowling Federation World Championships) in Sweden, and she traveled across the world helping to conduct clinics as an ambassador of the sport through the AMF Staff of Champions.
She was recognized as the International Bowling Media Association’s Rip Van Winkle Award winner in 1995, and her tireless efforts and contributions to the sport helped her earn five additional inductions to local and state halls of fame – Greater Flint Area USBC, Michigan State USBC, Greater Flint Area Sports, Southern Nevada USBC and Nevada State USBC.