Vera Inglis was an outstanding bowler who began her career at the Riverdale Alleys at Parliament and Queen Streets in Toronto in 1926 and retired from our sport in 1954. In her lifetime, Vera Cooper, which was her maiden name, married twice, initially to Chris Walmsley in the 1930’s and to Bill Inglis in the early forties.

While Vera’s career began in 1926, it has to be realized that, as a group, women only began to bowl, on a regular basis, in the early twenties.

As early as 1929, Vera bowled a 416 game as part of an 872 triple at Riverdale Lanes, which were managed, and later owned by another Hall of Famer, Jim Beeforth. She added a second 900 triple in 1931. Eventually her highest triple would be 989 and her top single was 431.

Overall, Vera also bowled in the Mixed Major League at Olympia Edward, the Allen Ladies League, named after Toronto Alderman, Fred Allen, the Karry’s Ladies Major League, Roseland Mixed League, the Ladies City Major League and the Telegram League, both of which travelled.

In the Allen League, Vera won the high average on several occasions beginning with the 1927-28 season. In the Toronto City Major League, her Riverdale teams won the championship in both 1936 and 1937 and also set several three game records. These standards ranged 3443 in 1937 to 1942 when her King Edward team rolled both a single game record of 1506 and a three game score of 3691. Subsequently, Vera led the Central ladies to a 3811 triple in 1943.

Vera won her first city singles title at Queen City in 1947 when her 15 game score of 3682 was 206 pins better than Velma Barnes. She repeated her title the following year and, while her total was higher at 3759, her margin of victory was only six pins over Eileen Keough. Vera also won the city singles title in 1951, when a 402 single in the fourteenth game boosted her from eighth to first place and the title. Her 15 game score was 3668 and she was 60 pins ahead of Agnes Gilson.

In 1950, Vera was part of the opening ceremonies for Olympia Bowl at Yonge and Edward Streets. The 64 lanes were the largest installation in Canada and, for the opening, Vera was selected to bowl with Mabel McDowell against Hall of Famer Marge Bentley and Twila Kimberley.

At the Canadian Bowling Association annual event, Vera won the doubles title with Ollie Miller in 1941 with a combined score of 1554. She was also a mixed team champion with Queen City Bowl in 1946, ladies team champions with Home Furniture in 1949 and she won high aggregate honours in both 1949, (tied with Vera Hotchkins) and in 1952.

Following the 1954 season, Vera and her husband, Bill, retired to Bobcaygeon. In this locale, Bill, who was a top golfer, passed along his links knowledge to Vera and she enjoyed this outdoor game in her later years.