FEBRUARY 2015 -
7
SERVING THE BOWLING INDUSTRY SINCE 1967
Rex Martin
Golobic
Will Be Missed
Rex Martin Golobic Resident
of Foster City Passed away at
his home in Foster City, CA on
January 8, 2015. He was 91.
Mr. Golobic was born on Au-
gust 28, 1923 in San Francisco, CA to his parents
Henry and Inez Golobic.
He attended grammar school in San Francisco, Holly-
wood High School in Hollywood, CA and Lakeside
School for Boys in Seattle, WA, and ultimately received
his BS in Engineering from Stanford University in 1946.
Rex enlisted in the US
in 1942 and attended Air
Corp basic training in Atlantic City, NJ. He attended
NYU as part of the Army Specialized Training Program.
He then shipped out to Europe where he saw action
with the 69th infantry division.
A well-known figure in the bowling industry, both lo-
cally and nationally, he owned and operated Downtown
Bowl in San Francisco, Serra Bowl in Daly City,
Camino Bowl in Mountain View, Palo Alto Bowl, and
Bel Mateo Bowl in Belmont.
He was a past president of both the Northern Califor-
nia Bowling Proprietors Association and the Bowling
Proprietors Association of America.
As a young man he was also a talented competitor
and a charter member of the Professional Bowlers As-
sociation.
Possessing intelligence and curiosity, Rex was a lover
of books, knowledge, good company, food and wine.
Those who traveled with him were always assured of
a satisfying adventure, whether in California or a far
flung corner of the world.
His passion for 49ers football must also be noted; he
was a season ticket holder for more than 60 years. Mr.
Golobic is survived by his wife Reiko; daughter Robin
Alcorn and granddaughters Alyssa and Lindsey; son
Rick (Marie) and grandsons Nick and Erik; daughter
Randel Crites; and nephew Henry. He is preceded in
death by parents Henry and Inez; first wife Dolores;
brother Henry "Bud" Golobic (Norma); niece Katherine;
and cousins Lorraine and Bernadette.
Chuck Pezzano Dedicated
His Life To The
Sport Of Bowling
By Paul Dottino - Staff Writer The Record
Chuck Pezzano dedicated his life to help nurture,
grow and draw attention to the sport of bowling.
In recognition of his tireless efforts, the Professional
Bowlers Tour named its media relations center after
him four years ago to ensure that nobody would ever
overlook what he meant to the lanes.
Pezzano, of Clifton, died Friday (January 23rd) of
cardiac arrest while undergoing a stent procedure at
St. Mary’s Hospital, Passaic, the PBA Tour announced.
He turned 86 on Jan. 14.
"Anytime we would walk into a bowling center, he
couldn’t get 3 feet without someone new stopping him
and starting a conversation," Chuck Pezzano Jr. said.
"By the time we would walk the length of the alley,
he’d be stopped 50 times by people who knew him or
had just read his column."
Pezzano was a "meritorious service" inductee to the
inaugural PBA Hall of Fame class in 1975, perhaps the
most prestigious of his 17 enshrinements, which also
include those of the U.S. Bowling Congress and Bowl-
ing Writers Association of America.
"Chuck called me a week ago, still trying to help the
PBA," PBA commissioner Tom Clark said Friday.
"He’s an icon, prolific and multi-talented. There will
never be another like him. He’ll be greatly missed."
He wrote or co-authored many bowling books, con-
tributed to more than 100 international bowling publica-
tions and became a sportswriter with the then-Paterson
Morning Call in 1952.
But The Record’s readers may best know Pezzano for
keeping them abreast of the sport’s latest develop-
ments in his weekly column, which began in 1969.
"Chuck was an institution at The Record and was
loved by his readers as well as his colleagues," sports
editor John Balkun
said.
"No one knew more
about bowling nor re-
ported it better than
Chuck. He will be
sorely missed."
Pezzano, who gradu-
ated from Rutgers,
was the first collegiate
bowler to post an 800
series. Years later, the
PBA recognized Pezzano and his four sons Chuck,
Craig, Curt and Clay the first grouping of its kind to
each roll a 300 game.
Pezzano liked bowling, but he loved the community.
"He really liked people. He didn’t have any enemies.
He was a guy who never had a bad word to say about
anybody. With bowling, he was able to be with his
friends," Pezzano Jr. said.
During the 1960s, Pezzano joined fellow Hall of
Famer Frank Esposito in forming the PBA Regional
program as a feeder to help the national scene. Pez-
zano was the Eastern Regional director for the PBA for
more than 20 years and became the PBA’s primary
historian.
In addition, Pezzano announced for many bowling
programs and become one of the coordinators behind
the legendary Pro Bowlers Tour television series,
which ran on ABC from 1962-97.
Pezzano offered guidance to countless youth and
collegiate bowling programs and helped break down
the barriers for women to join the Bowling Writers As-
sociation of America.
The BWAA founded a scholarship in his honor in
2000.
"I don't think anyone has poured more of his heart and
soul into the PBA than Chuck Pezzano has over a
span of more than 50 years," said PBA CEO and com-
missioner Fred Schreyer said upon opening the Chuck
Pezzano Press Room during the prestigious Tourna-
ment of Champions in Las Vegas.
"Chuck Pezzano deserves
to have his name attached
to the PBA Press Room not
only in recognition of all he
has done for the PBA, but
as an inspiration for all fu-
ture bowling journalists."
Staff Writer Chuck O’Don-
nell contributed to this arti-
cle.
