01/02/2026
This is Howard Marshall with the Greater Baltimore USBC.
Our 2026 Hall of Fame and Youth Making a Difference Awards Ceremony is 2 weeks away. In connection with the event, I am resharing a post that legendary bowler Danny Wiseman shared with me and, by extension, our local board.
In 2019, Dave Williams, Jr. was elected into the Greater Baltimore USBC Hall of Fame in the Meritorious Service category for his work as a pro shop owner and operator in Eastern Baltimore County. Dave drilled balls for, coached, and mentored Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania bowlers for almost 40 years.
Dave was unable to attend the ceremony, as he had relocated to central Pennsylvania and was dealing with health issues that prevented him from making the trip to Baltimore. Dave was an early mentor to Danny and asked him to read his remarks to those in attendance.
Sadly, Dave Williams, Jr. passed about a year after his induction.
Fair warning—this is a long read. However, those who remember Baltimore’s star bowlers of yesterday will recognize many of the names mentioned.
From Dave:
“I want to thank the Greater Baltimore Bowling Association USBC for honoring me by inducting me in the HALL OF FAME. It is truly a great honor and I am humbled! Congratulations to the other fine and well deserved inductees (Monica Jones, Richard Byrd and Eddie Speaks) as you are more then deserving of this wonderful honor ! My apologies for not being able to attend but please know I am so very honored to be inducted into the Greater Baltimore Hall of Fame with many of the local and state Hall of Fall members I drilled balls for and worked with over the decades.
In the early days, before I opened the pro shop; my Dad and I would go to a few pro tournaments in the area. I got to talk to Some of the greats on the PBA tour at the time like Don Carter, Ray Bluth, Skee Foremsky, and Billy Golembiewski among others about various issues on ball drilling; Spans, pitches, weight distributions, This was in the early 1960's I learned a lot from local bowlers also during that time period. Jim Podowski, Ken Selin, Ken Weaver, Lloyd Hawkins, Norm Chelf. and Harvey Robinson, to name a few.
When my Father and I got started, We worked at home in Middle river from 1968 to 1982.We got in factory direct, first with AMF, Then Ebonite, Columbia, Brunswick; Lind Shoes and Dexter shoes. Colonial bags, all finger grip companies, and thumb insert manufacturers. Back then we were one of a few shops in the country to have that kind of access direct to the companies. After we expanded and closed the home shop from growth We also had shops in Middlesex shopping center from 1982 to 1990, Crown Lanes 1990 to 1998 and then Perry Hall 1998 to 2003 before I retired.
I guess where I got my start and passion to drill equipment was in the adult leagues; was where I bowled on a team with Jim Podowski around 1967 in the ''Fairlanes Masters league.'' We bowled in in for two years, and won it both years. There was a draft including the top 100 bowlers in the area. It was a great league, but we bowled at 9:30 at night. I met a lot of super bowlers, in those days. Our team, at the same time bowled in the Crown Industrial league, where we came in second, for two consecutive years. I believe, in those days, the league had 28 teams.I decided to begin drilling balls professionally, in 1968, and finally retired in 2003.
I had the pleasure of drilling for many top bowlers; in the early years, Mike Lastowski, Howard Marshall, Jim Podowski, Bruce Hollen (Sr. & Jr.), Karl Schmidt, Mike McMenamen, and Brian Hickey. All good friends, and great competitors. In later years, Danny Wiseman, Doug Sass , Brian Link, Jack Hoskins, Samantha Schaden, Tom Griffin, Joe Jenkins. I also learned quite a lot about our sport thanks to these bowlers!
In the early days, I bowled with many of the local stars and Hall of Famers. Some were from the other side of town and surrounding areas, probably don't remember me. Many have passed on.. When I was 25, a lot of them were in their 50"s.
Some of the great local bowlers I had the privilege to drill equipment for and to work on the lanes with that are in either in the Maryland State and GBBA Hall of Famers or were great local players over the decades. Below are some that come to mind:
Billie Heatherington, Ada Bylsma, Joe Moore 2nd, James Podowski, Debbie Kuhn, Bob Marshall 3rd, Margery Bowers, Rosalie Kelly, Pat Wallis. Nelson Ray, Kit Carson, Joe Helmick, Ed Ningard, Walt Theilhart, Charles Royster ,Bob Claypoole ,Ray Jenkins, Percy Mack,Yancy Price, Tom Parrish ,Joe Andreone, Tom Shelor, Bud Carder ,Gene Sines ,Buzz Wolcott, Jack Curtis, Don Connors, Lou Manfredi, Al Fowler, Steve Florentine, Gary Karner, Joe Ciufo Jr.,Tom Griffin, Brian Hickey, Russ Brocato ,Chuck Brocato, Bob Boeh , Tony Moscato, Ed Zeidman, Ronald Doub , Sonny Poole, Will Waisner, Ed Hallahan, Lloyd Hawkins, Phil Jones, Bill Eberwine ,Bob Griffin, Mike Babb, Irv Roswall ,Ed Chilar ,Tony Moscato, Jack Winters, Ed Hallahan, Pete Turdo, Ted Wilkerson, Robert Evans, Ed Vinroe, Jack Curtis ,Ralph Libertini, Hal Bowling, Bruce Hollen Sr. Harold Campbell, Joe Moore Jr., and many, many others.
Thank you again for this fine honor."
