Hugh Connelly not only excelled in 5 pin bowling but also enjoyed a professional career as a soccer player as well.

Born in England in 1920, Hugh came to Canada five years later and, with his parents and two brothers, settled in Welland. As Hugh grew up during the depression, he developed his soccer skills with his brothers, Jim and Mike, who both were active in the sport in England and later in the Niagara area. Hugh worked for General Motors in St. Catharines and actually played soccer for them. As well, Hugh would also play in the Hamilton and District Soccer League and, following the second war, played professionally for both the Toronto Greenbacks and the Chicago Maroons.

Meanwhile, in Welland, Hugh began his bowling career in the later thirties initially as a pin boy with and an early teammate of Hall of Famer John Scholes. However, this development was interrupted by the second war as Hugh enlisted as a pilot. The armed forces quickly realized that Hugh’s eyesight was not adequate enough to fly airplanes and he was transferred to an office job in Toronto. In the military, Hugh honed his skills as a baseball player and, not only starred on the diamond during the war, but he also continued to play softball competitively until this past year.

Hugh’s administrative expertise during his military service laid the groundwork for his post war career. In 1947, Hugh and his wife, Gloria, settled in Toronto and Hugh not only began a forty-year career with O’Keefe Breweries, but he also returned to his love of sports including baseball, soccer and bowling. On the lanes, Hugh joined a league in Toronto’s west end in 1952, where Hall of Famer, Charlie Demelis was the top player and the perennial high average winner. Hugh won the high average title in his first year and Charlie Demelis quickly introduced Hugh to the Saturday Major League and the bowling elite of the day, including Hall of Famers Eddie Hawkes, Bert Garside, Bill Hoult and Jake Hellewell. In the City Majors, Hugh bowled and won championships with such legendary teams as People’s Credit Jewelers and Pasquales Foods. Bowling was developing nationally and, in 1960, Hugh qualified to represent Eastern Canada in both the singles and on the men’s team. While bowling in the national finals in Calgary, Hugh lost the singles to Manitoba’s Ken Harrison, but won gold with the men’s team. In an unexpected surprise, Ontario was also required to field a mixed team and, at the event, Hugh was selected for this team and won a gold medal in this division as well.

By this time, the automatic pinsetter for 5 pin bowling was introduced and bowling centres were opening across Ontario and Canada. To showcase 5 pin bowling, a group of elite bowlers, under the leadership of Jake Hellewell and called Hellewell’s All Stars, was formed and Hugh was selected to be a part of this travelling roadshow. For a two year period, from 1961 to 1963, this group of Hall of Famers, including Hugh, George Smith, Bert Garside, Bill Hoult, Jim Hoult, and Red McQuaker, toured Ontario and Canada and, they not only officially opened bowling centres but also competed in many challenge matches against top local bowlers.

Following the success of Hellewell’s All Star’s, Hugh continued to bowl in the major leagues and was also a charter member of the Master Bowlers Association of Ontario. Hugh bowled in the tournament division from 1964 to 1971and averaged 245 for 430 games. He also won several prestigious open tournaments including the Bowlerama Match play in 1968 and, in 1969 the Dick Adams tournament in Oshawa (named after another of tonight’s honorees). Hugh also appeared on CBC television, another showcase for the top bowlers of the day.

Hugh and his wife, Gloria, had two children, Nancy and Bob, and both these youngsters bowled in the new Youth Bowling Council program that was beginning in 1964. Hugh coached for twenty years and Nancy advanced to participate at both the provincial and national level. Today, Nancy teaches school in England and Bob is in Toronto. From these two families, Hugh and Gloria enjoy three grandchildren.

Hugh and Gloria both bowl to this day, with Gloria in a ladies afternoon league and Hugh in the legendary Crosstown League. Hugh retired from Molson’s in 1985 and, to this day, enjoys the best of the health and can look back on a bowling career that covers more than sixty years.