Like a large number of bowlers, Earl Jones built an interest in 5 pin bowling as a teenager and worked as a pin boy during World War II at St. Clair Recreation at Dufferin St. and St. Clair Ave. in Toronto. Earl also practiced at the centre and, by age 15, had already bowled two unsanctioned perfect games. These achievements brought Earl to the attention of the prestigious Toronto City Major League, the showcase for the top bowlers of the day.

Originally, Earl was a member of the St. Clair Recreation team which was captained by Richard Papa and included Hall of Famer Tom McBurnie and such top bowlers as Tom Lenzi and Joe D’Orazio. Surrounded by the elite bowlers of the day, Earl’s game improved and so did his interest in the growth of our sport. Earl ran several leagues in Toronto’s west end and, in 1964, was a charter member of the Master Bowlers Association representing Albion Bowl. In addition, when the York West zone formed in that same year, Earl was the first vice-president under their president and Hall of Famer Fred Pechaluk.

Earl also joined the board of the Ontario Bowlers Congress and initially handled publicity for the provincial Open and dealt with television personalities Johnny Esaw and Tom McKee. In addition, Earl and Fred Pechaluk also arranged for the scores from the Ontario championships and the Toronto City Major League to be broadcast on television on a regular basis.

At the provincial level, Earl was part of the eastern Canada contingent which included Hall of Famers Bert Garside, Fred Halle, Ken Edge, Red McQuaker and Flo Cutting. This group met with their western counterparts, on several occasions, to discuss the elimination of the counter pin. These discussions were extremely sensitive and the Canadian Open Championships were suspended from 1969-1971, while the eastern and western groups struggled for a solution.

Throughout these years, Earl was starring on the lanes as well. In 1963, at an all-events tournament at Plantation Bowl, Earl joined with Bert Sheehan to bowl a record three game doubles score of 2230, with Bert bowling 1088 and Earl adding 1142. Earl added several additional titles to his list of accomplishments with the York West Classic title in 1965 at Albion Bowl and the singles title in the Toronto City Major League in both 1968 and 1975.

At the provincial championships, the York West bowlers were a powerhouse. The men’s team were provincial champions in 1965 and 1969 and Earl was also an Ontario champion with the mixed team from York West in 1972. In the 1965 event, the first run by the bowlers, Earl averaged 283, and the team also won the national title, which was decided in Kitchener, Ontario. In 1968, in the Toronto City Majors, Earl was a league champion in 1968, while bowling with Tom Lenzi, Gord Longarini, Mario Mainelli, Lou Sebastiano, Ken Roy and Doug Cain. Earl also appeared on television as part of the tournament program conducted through Ace Bowl. Ultimately, Earl added a sanctioned perfect game, bowled on January 22, 1984 at Queensway Bowl.

Earl was also a builder on the instruction side of the sport as well. Not only was he the chief instructor for the York West zone, Earl was the one of the original instructors, along with Hall of Famers Jimmy Hoult and Theda Procher, of the Master Bowlers Association of Ontario. In addition, at the Open, Earl coached the Central Ontario ladies in 1981 who won the Ontario title and finished third in Canada.

Earl continued to bowl into the early eighties and, as late as 1982, carried a league average of 268. In theory, Earl retired from competitive bowling in 1984, the same year that he bowled his perfect game, but he has continued his competitive involvement through the Etobicoke Senior Games Committee. This group participates in a variety of activities, including both 5 and tenpin bowling and also golf, all areas of Earl’s expertise. His golf handicap is twelve and Earl can actually bowl both 5 pin and tenpin quite well. To this day, Earl coordinates both a winter and a summer program as part of the Ontario Senior Games.

Off the lanes, Earl joined the fire department in 1955, and stayed till his retirement in 1986. Earl was married in 1949 and with his wife Gloria, had a daughter Sandra who now has one child and, as well, there are three great grandchildren. Sadly, Gloria passed away in 1981 and as Earl says, there’s not a day goes by when this living legend in 5 pin bowling doesn’t think about her.