Hall Of Fame Inductee
Betty Jones
Inducted into: Builder Division in 2013
Inducted into: Player Division in 1993
Location: Port Dover
Deceased: DEC
- Builder
- Player
Betty Jones was inducted into the Players Division of the 5 Pin Bowling Hall of Fame in 1993. Her credentials were impeccable, including several high average and national championships while representing her hometown Hamilton zone. Tonight, Betty will become only the thirteenth dual inductee in our Hall of Fame history.
On the lanes, Betty began bowling at Olympia Lanes which were located on James St. and King William before moving to Mountain Lanes and ultimately, Sherwood Centre. In addition, as a young twenty-year-old, Betty married Ron Jones, a Hamilton policeman, and, together, they raised two girls, Linda and Diane.
In the early sixties, Betty met and joined with some of the top bowlers of the day including Vera Ward and Evelyn Wood and they encouraged her to participate in the Open and become involved in tournament play. Championships followed with several provincial and national titles and, as well, a 262 average at Sherwood Centre, tied with Vera Ward for the highest average ever recorded in the Steel City.
At the same time, Betty was also becoming involved in the administrative and coaching side of our sport. Before moving away from Hamilton in 1986, Betty coached the Hamilton ladies to a national Open title in Vancouver. As well, working with Hall of Famer Anne Depew, Betty was awards chair in the Hamilton zone and won the provincial incentive award for her efforts in 1985. Following in her mother’s footsteps, her daughter, Linda, continued with this position for the Hamilton association and won the provincial incentive award for three consecutive years from 1988-1990.
With her husband retiring from the Hamilton police force, Betty and Ron moved to Southampton in 1986. With her knowledge gained in Hamilton, Betty immediately became involved in the provincial zone, Grey Bruce, and the decentralized association in her bowling centre, Port South. In the Youth Bowling Council, Betty was program director at Port South as well as president of the decentralized association. At the zone level, Betty was vice-president as well as record scores and awards and also booster club chairperson. Betty was also a teaching master at Port South and, as well as bowling and coaching her youth bowlers, she also coached fifteen times at the provincial Open.
Betty was also an integral part of the provincial bowling school, which began in 1991. Originally invited as an instructor, Betty continues to this day as a school co-ordinator, joining Dave Post and Don Hyatt as they guide the students through their routines. In addition, with her extensive background in our sport, Betty has been an integral part of our Hall of Fame committee since her 1993 induction.
Sadly, in an unfortunate twist of fate, Betty’s husband, Ron, passed away in 1995 and their retirement together lasted just ten years. Currently, their two girls, Linda and Diane, now live in Port Dover and there are four grandchildren and three great grandchildren. Wanting to be closer to her multi-generational family, Betty has recently joined them in Port Dover on the beautiful Lake Erie shores. While Betty can look back on over a sixty year bowling career, she can also look forward to several winters spent in warm southern climates
Betty Jones of Southampton has been bowling almost fifty years and, while building Hall of Fame credentials, is still very active in both league and tournament play and the administration of the Port South and Grey Bruce Bowlers’ Association.
Betty built her reputation in Hamilton as she began her bowling career at seventeen joining a league through her employer, Westinghouse. Her initial centre was Olympic Lanes at James Street and King William in Hamilton. In 1949, Betty began to bowl at Sam Shaw’s Mountain Lanes, and that same year, married Ron Jones, a Hamilton policeman.
Through the fifties, Betty and Ron became parents of two girls, Linda and Diane, and on the lanes Betty gradually increased her average to a very respectable 230. Ultimately, this mark reached 262 at Sherwood centre, tied with Vera Ward for the highest average every recorded in the Steel City.
At Mountain Lanes in the early sixties, Betty met Vera Ward and Ev Wood and these Hall of Famers encouraged Betty to hit the Open and tournament trail.
Through Ver, Betty joined the powerful Bar Don #1 team in 1968 in the Niagara Pro League and Betty bowled with Hall of Famers Helen MacCallum, Shirley Bedell, and Vera Ward along with Midge Fox, Mabel Williams, Del Pintwala and Pat McNeil. Overall, this team won thirteen consecutive titles and Betty stayed until 1972 and the start of the Golden Horseshoe League. Betty’s high single of 416 was bowled on her first day of the elite league.
Betty bowled her first provincial Open in 1967 in Ottawa and, to date, Betty has qualified twenty times and there’s no end in sight. In these first twenty years, Betty has qualified for the ladies team seventeen times and, in eleven of those years, she bowled in the singles. Betty has three mixed team appearances and also coached three times.
The 1977 ladies team was the second of three consecutive national championships for the Hamilton ladies. The 1977 squad included Betty, Hall of Famer Ev Wood, Betty Davidson, Pat McNeil, Glenda Collins and coach Bob Coulter. In winning the event, Betty was the team leader and was named to the All star team with a 252 tournament average.
The 1978 Hamilton ladies team won in Thunder Bay. Betty returned along with Ev Wood, coach Bob Coulter and Pat McNeil and they were joined by Susan Davies, Pat Mahoney and Barb Steeves.
Betty won national honors again in 1983 and once again, the site was Thunder Bay. As well, Betty and another of tonight’s honorees, Irene Witley, were teammates as they were joined by several familiar faces including Pat Mahoney, Susan Davies, Pat McNeil, Sharon Worron and coach Gerry McNeil.
This third national win was significant as Betty added a diamond and a ruby to the ring awarded by the City of Hamilton to residents winning national championships.
Betty added a fourth national win as a coach in the 1986 ladies team that was part of an Ontario sweep at the National event held in Vancouver. Former teammates such as Sharon Worron, Pat Mahoney and Susan Davies joined Josie Tuck, Donnie Dreher and Jan Askin to win the Hamilton Ladies another Canadian championship. As well, this was Betty’s last year in Hamilton as both Betty and her husband Ron chose to retire in Southampton.
Prior to leaving Hamilton, Betty joined the board of the Hamilton Bowlers’ Association. Betty handled the distribution of awards through the various centres and, guided by Anne Depew, won provincial honours as Awards Chairperson of the Year in the incentive program of the Ontario 5 Pin Bowler’s Association. Following in her mothers footsteps, Betty’s daughter, Linda, continued with this position for the Hamilton Association and won the provincial incentive title for three consecutive years from 1988-1990.
In Southampton, Betty and Ron live adjacent to the golf course and, with their own power cart, can just drive to the tee. Betty is president of the decentralized association, Port South, and at the zone level, is vice president and record scores chairperson. Now a Hall of Famer, Betty is still able to enjoy the sport that already has given her a lifetime of memories.