Dorothy Rowe, USBC Hall of Famer, dies at age 88

ARLINGTON, Texas – Dorothy Rowe of Phoenix, a United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame member, died March 15. She was 88.

DorothyRowe150x150Rowe was inducted to the USBC Hall of Fame in 2004 after more than 40 years of service in the sport of bowling.

Elected to the Women’s International Bowling Congress Board of Directors in 1963, she would serve on the board for 38 years, including the last 12 as fourth vice president. Rowe was the chair of 10 different committees during her service, including the Finance, Hall of Fame Selection, Advisory and Planning and WIBC Championship Tournament committees. She also was a director for the Young American Bowling Alliance and was president of the Arizona YABA organization.

A member of the Phoenix and Arizona Women’s Bowling Association Halls of Fame, Rowe was president of the Phoenix WBA (seven years) and Arizona WBA (32 years) during her service with those organizations. She played a major role in the success of the 1962 WIBC Tournament held in Phoenix and also assisted with the development of the Phoenix WBA Queens Tournament, Phoenix WBA Lane Representative program and Arizona Women’s Bowling Writers Association, of which she was a life member.

On the lanes, Rowe competed in more than 40 WIBC tournaments. She won singles and all-events title at the Arizona state tournament in 1958 and won the doubles title with USBC Hall of Fame member Dot Wilkinson in 1963.

Born in Harrison Township, Pa., Rowe began her civil service career for the Army and Air Corps in 1943 in Columbus, Ohio, after graduating from high school and continued her civilian career with the Air Force at Luke AFB, located just west of Phoenix, in 1953. She worked in the Comptroller Squadron, completing a 70-year career of federal service as Chief of Financial Analysis in October 2013.

Funeral services will be held March 21 at 11:30 a.m. at Holy Cross Catholic Mortuary in Avondale, Ariz. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Fighter Country Foundation, 500 N. Estrella Parkway, Suite B2, PMB 479, Goodyear, AZ 85338 or at www.fightercountry.org/dorothyrowe.
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