Just a month ago, on October 3, Earl Gallagher celebrated his eighty-seventh birthday. A native of Hamilton, Earl began his bowling career at age fifteen, when he joined his father at Connaught Lanes. Earl was both a pinsetter and a league bowler but his bowling exploits were curtailed with the arrival of the World War in 1939.

Earl joined the Air Force and was stationed in MacLeod, Alberta, where he specialized in Search and Rescue. However, he did have the opportunity to bowl a few sweeps as he traveled across Canada. When the war ended, Earl came home to Hamilton and, not only returned to the lanes, but he also began a successful business career as well.

Earl joined the major leagues of the day, specifically the Commercial A & B leagues, which were bowled at the prestigious Central Lanes in downtown Hamilton. The Commercial A League would eventually become the Hamilton Pro League and Earl was a major player, bowling many nine hundred triples and winning several high average titles. He bowled in numerous Open tournaments including the O’Connor Open in Toronto and the Korkoran and Fletcher Championship of Champions Tournament held at Sherwood Centre in Hamilton.

As bowling was organizing, Earl took advantage of this new opportunity to show his skills provincially. Overall, he qualified for five Open championships from 1964 to 1974. In 1968 at Niagara Falls, Earl led the Hamilton men’s team with both the high single game of 346 and total pinfall, but the men lost to York West. In 1972, however, the Hamilton men roared to victory and Earl was joined by Hall of Fame bowlers, Bill Korz and Lloyd Ormerod, as well as Neil Gallant, Doug Whitfield and Tom Falletta and another Hall of Famer, Bob Coulter, was the coach. This team traveled to Saskatoon to bowl in the Canadian Championships, but, unfortunately, lost to Alberta.

While Earl continued to bowl in the Open and also dominate the local scene. He also developed a successful business career and a passion for both quarter horse racing and fishing, and this latter activity including a trip, traveling with his brothers, to Northern Ontario each year.

On the business side, Earl began as a mechanical draftsman and joined a colleague, Bill Anderson, in a company that specialized in water treatment and delivered soft water to numerous households and also the beer companies in the area that required pure water to begin the distillery process.

Earl married Kay Gray in 1943 and they had two sons, David and Clifford. Subsequently, David and his wife, Terry, brought two grandchildren, Catherine and Greg, into the world. As a hobby, Earl developed an interest in quarter horses and competed on the limited circuit here in Ontario that is centered at Picov Downs in Ajax. As well, Kay and Earl enjoyed many trips to Las Vegas as they enjoyed the casino activity and a few shows.

Today, due to ill health, Earl has moved into Wentworth Lodge in Ancaster, a long-term care and retirement facility. As a living legend, Earl will be remembered as an individual who supported organized bowling, represented Hamilton with class both on and off the lanes, and with his wife, Kay, enjoyed life to the fullest.