Joseph “Joe” Edward Worrall was born in London, Ontario on August 12, 1915. The death of his father in 1926 started Joe’s love affair with bowling. At the tender age of eleven and being the eldest of four children, Joe found it necessary to seek part time employment to help his working mother support the family. He found a job setting up pins at a local bowling centre and continued on this course until 1931 when he graduated from high school. Following graduation, Joe took up full time work at the bowling centre and in1936 was offered the snack bar concession, rent free, which he operated until 1939.
During the period 1939 to 1947, Joe worked for Metropolitan Stores in London, Kitchener, Halifax and Montreal and served in the Canadian Armed Forces. It was while he was in the service, he met Lucille whom he married in 1946.
Joe renewed his interest in bowling in 1947 when he bought the bowling centre in which he set pins as a young boy, the 16-lane Arcade Recreation situated in downtown London. He expanded his operation with the purchase of St. Thomas Bowl in 1956 and Eastown Arcade in 1959 which he still owns and operates.
In 1959, Joe established Sanders Pro Shop supplying a full line of bowling and billiard equipment, balls, shirts, trophies etc. This business has flourished to a point where it now requires over 9,000 square feet of warehousing and services customers from coast to coast.
Joe has been an ardent supporter and active member of various bowling associations. He was one of the first Canadians to join the Bowling Proprietors Association of America and contributed to this organization on the Appeals and Legislative Committee and Convention Committee. He served on the board of Directors of the Bowling Proprietors Association of Ontario in the capacities of 10 pin Chairman, Membership Chairman, and Vice-President. At the national level, Joe has assumed positions of Membership Services Chairman, 10-pin Chairman, and Treasurer for the Bowling Proprietors Association of Canada.
Locally, Joe acted as City Association Secretary for the American Bowling Congress from 1947 to 1970 and was made an honourary lifetime member of the organization. He was instrumental in encouraging ladies to bowl 10 pins, resulting in them forming leagues and joining the Women’s International Bowling Congress. He was involved in the organization of the London 5 Pin Bowling Association which later affiliated with the Ontario Bowling Congress, then known as the Canadian Bowling Association.
Joe, himself, was a top notch bowler mastering both the 5 and 10 pin game. He competed in 24 consecutive American Bowling Congress tournaments in the U.S.A. and won the City of London 5-pin Bowling Championships.
As a member of the Rotary Club, Knights of Columbus and the Advertising and Sales Club of London, Ontario, Joe has been an active member of his community. His hobbies include golf, music, photography and all other spectator sports.
Bowling has played a great role in the life of Joseph Edward Worrall. For a half century, it has been his recreation, sport, business and livelihood. He is proud to be in bowling, likes the people he has met in the industry and enjoys the kind of life that bowling has been able to provide for him and his wife, Lucille. He has gained much from the industry and has contributed equally as much to it. It is for this reason, that we are pleased to honour him today.