Picchietti, of Bannockburn, Ill., gained notoriety as one of the sport's leading authorities on lane maintenance and procedures. He was elected to the USBC Hall of Fame for meritorious service in 1993.

Formerly the chairman of the board and president of DBA Products Co., Inc., Picchietti traveled the world conducting seminars on the intricacies of lane maintenance. He also shared his bowling knowledge as an author and endorsed the efforts of other experts and coaches trying to educate people about the game.

During his many decades in the sport, Picchietti served as president of the National Bowling Council, Billiard & Bowling Institute of America, National Association of Independent Resurfacers, Tech-Ed Publishing Company and the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame.

Picchietti never intended to play such a prominent part in the sport of bowling, however. As a law school graduate, he planned for a future in law and politics. Although he grew up around bowling, he actually had very little knowledge about the bowling business.

When his father died suddenly in 1959, Picchietti ventured down a new career path at the helm of the family business and never looked back. The company, started as Deerfield Bowling Academy in the early 1940s, researched, developed and sold lane conditioners, cleaners, lane machines, coatings and other products related to lane maintenance.

Because of his expertise in bowling and the law, Picchietti often served as an expert witness in bowling-related cases, as a guest lecturer at a variety of bowling courses and institutes or as a consultant for tournaments and bowling centers around the globe.

Even with traveling thousands and thousands of miles each year, Picchietti still found time to remain involved in politics. He served as a city judge, city councilman and then mayor of Bannockburn from 1975 until 1991. He also served a stint in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War.

Visitation will be held on Sept. 30 from 3-8 p.m. at Kelley & Spaulding in Highland Park, Ill. Services will be Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. at St. Patrick's Church in Lake Forest, Ill.