Holly Gillbert Leet arrived in Toronto at the young age of fifteen, determined to build a future for himeself.

An outstanding athlete, Holly played baseball and was a catcher for prominent bowler and pitcher, Pat Hogan. Through Pat, Holly joined Canadian Arsenals as a tool and die maker. His bowling career began at New Toronto Bowl and on this team, Holly joined the City Major League in 1958.

While bowling at the major league level, Holly, with a fast ball, was a solid but not top flight bowler. However, one of his skills was watching other players, how they adjusted and which balls were working on the lanes. Also, with the development of the Blue Band by another of tonight’s honorees, Oskar Kinzler, Holly realized that a slower ball was the answer and, with this change, his career was on the ascendancy.

In the City Major League, Holy won back-to-back high average honours in 1963-64 and 1964-65. With this accomplishment, Holly was the first repeat winner since the legendary Eddie Hawkes turned the trick in 1945-46. Following this outstanding performance, Holly was invited to join Hellewell’s All Stars and toured the province with Bert Garside, Bill Hoult, Red MacQuaker, George Smith and manager Jake Hellewell.

Holly was also a winner in the first year of the Master Bowlers Association and overall would earn a large diamond in his Master’s ring with five victories. He capped his MBA career in 1973 with a national gold medal in the first MBAC team championships bowling with another of tonight’s honourees, Nick Pagniello.

In league and tournament play, Holly was the master of gamemanship and he could back up his actions with outstanding scores As well as winning the high average titles in the City Major League, Holly also won the high average title twice at the high scoring Willow Bowl, once reaching a mark of 290. Holly won the aggregate title in the all events at the prestigious Waterloo Lanes in 1967 and also appeared on CBC television several times winning qualifying rounds at O’Connor Bowl.

As money tournaments began, Holly also won the $2,000.00 first prize at Cataract Bowl in Niagara Falls. In 1965, he won bowlings’ biggest prize with a $5,000.00 victory at the Corcoran & Fletcher francise tournament at Sherwood Centre. Now retired, after 28 years at Continential Can, Holly has returned to his eastern roots and enjoys the slower pace of Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia.