MAY 2013 -
7
SERVING THE BOWLING INDUSTRY SINCE 1967
By: Mary Lynly
Joan Feinblum was always up, cheery and positive
and during her years of various treatment methods for
cancer if you asked how she was doing the answer
would always be, ―Hangin’ in!‖ Her body was ravaged
from the infusions and things nursing care facilities
have to do to help people sustain life but on April 22,
at 1:00 PM Joan Feinblum decided enough was
enough and quietly went to sleep for good.
Joan was born in Venice Beach, California and
early on in her life lost both of her parents. She was a
graduate of the University of California Los Angeles
(UCLA) with a degree in physical education. Always
up for the challenge, her first job was at a school for
wayward girls. She later came to Northern California
to work at Napa State Hospital as a State of Califor-
nia Department of Mental health Administrator, a position she held for 19 years.
She was not a great bowler but she loved bowling and all of the people she met and befriended all
over the United States many times paying her own way to attend association annual meetings. For
many years she shared a home with her good friend Mozelle Walker and ―Mo’s‖ mother in Santa
Rosa, California. Mo and Joan were collectors and their home was filled with Jim beam bottles,
Toby mugs, antique cookie jars and at one point they actually had 17 antique cars!
Joan was generous to a fault and if you complained about her over-zealous gift giving she would
say, ―Just stop it –it makes me feel good and I love doing it.‖ Her contributions were many in the
bowling world. She was a WIBC/USBC member nearly 60 years and a NWBW/BWAA member for
nearly 50 years. She was president of the California WBA and Redwood Empire WBA where she
also served as Secretary and rose to the rank of 2
nd
Vice President of the WIBC.
Joan was an excellent and convincing speaker and as one committee member said, ―I am not one
to change my mind easily but she could sure do it.‖ She had little regret and her rationale was usu-
ally right on. She was honored as an inductee to the California and USBC Halls of Fame.
Joan was always fun. Her email was ―JollyJoan!‖ and that she was. At various meetings and
events we were always waiting to see what Joan and Mo were going to come up with.
The objective on her resume submitted when she ran for a BWAA Director pretty much tells what
her goals were: ―
To make an impact that will help make decisions that will bring the organization in
touch with the 21
st
century and gain new members. I believe my experience, knowledge and training
gained from serving on a variety of boards within the bowling industry and my knowledge and train-
ing in Governance can be beneficial.‖
For all who endeared themselves to Joan, the light she brought into our lives will be missed. She
was one of a kind.
Cards may be sent to her home:
4801 Saddle Club Lane
Santa Rosa, CA 95409-2536
Agnes ―Rose‖ Duffy Passes At 92
By: Mary Lynly
Agnes Duffy, a name synonymous with bowling passed away peacefully on April 8, 2013 in So-
noma, California. Responses to her passing brought nu-
merous comments about all the lessons learned from
―Duffy.‖ Named Agnes Rose, she was born in Watertown,
New York and eventually migrated to California where she
made her home in Richmond and later in Sonoma. Most
of her years in California were spent sharing her home
with Dottie Schultz, a friend she met when both of their
husbands were in the service.
What defines a person like Agnes Duffy? Among the
many responses to her death were: ―Great lady, dear
friend, mentor‖ ; ―I thought she would live forever,‖ ―Shared
knowledge‖; ‖When Duffy spoke, we listened‖; ―Fortunate
she was in our lives‖; ―Special Person, great gal‖; ―You
knew where you stood with Agnes‖; ―God has a very spe-
cial angel‖; ―Great leader – full of knowledge and strength‖;
―No one like her!‖ ―One of our absolute best and most
enjoyable colleagues, friends and confidants during the
―good bowling days‖; ―Intimidating, but turned into respect
and admiration‖; ―Intelligent, humorous and caring.‖……
and Agnes Duffy was all of that.
Memories were revisited about various adventures, among them when Duffy drove. They said
sometimes the driving was good and sometimes – well, maybe not so good - usually got lost but all
had a ball. She loved driving and we all wondered what her insurance was because of the number
of fender benders she had. The CWBA office was one of her favorite places to assault a small
metal pole over and over again! She would tackle anything and she fished, bowled and golfed with
her long time friend Dolores Ruppel who came from Guaymas, Mexico to ssurprise Agnes on her
90
th
birthday.
In Sonoma she was delighted when the mobile home she purchased had 35 rose bushes and
she loved tending them and sharing with anyone who visited. One of her greatest disappointments
was giving up driving after she suffered a stroke. Being an independent, but logical person – she
accepted her fate and sold the car. She was a no-nonsense person and when Duffy spoke – every-
one listened. She was never one to hog the conversation in a meeting. She would listen and then,
when she did speak it was usually profound. As a leader, she kept her finger on everything going
on and said, ―I don’t ever want to be embarrassed by my flock being unprepared because that re-
flects on me.‖
She was president of the California WBA served on the WIBC board of directors for 18 years. She is
a Member Emerita of the WIBC, Life Member of four associations, a Hall of Fame member of WIBC,
California State and the Richmond and Alameda County local associations. Her employment years
were spent working in the Import Export field in Europe and the Far East and Mid-East areas.
Agnes rose to the leadership ranks in every bowling association of which she was a part and
continued to support any and all bowling endeavors. She began bowling in 1940 and bowled in the
CWBA Championship tournament 56 years and the WIBC tournament 53 years - something accom-
plished by very few. She is also a two time trophy winner in CWBA tournaments
The California Golden Nugget newsletter was the brainchild of Agnes Duffy in 1950 and she was
its first Editor. She originated California WBA sponsored Clinics; Chaired the Membership Promotion
movement in California and from that the CWBA sponsored Instructor Course originated. She spear-
headed the formation of the California Senior Women's Tournament and the California Princess
Tournament and served as the first chairman of both. As chairman of the California BVL Committee
she expanded the program to include the men's associations and did the oversight for gift purchases
for the VA and Military hospitals.
In the formative years, Agnes was a WIBC State Service Representative for eight years organiz-
ing 20 local associations in California and later, National Coordinator of Membership Development
and an ARC (Area Recruitment Coordinator.) She was an American Junior Bowling Congress
(AJBC) director, National Bowling Council treasurer, National Bowling Hall of Fame and Museum
director and president and a Young American Bowling Alliance (YABA) director.
She was Editor of the National Women Bowling Writers publication Knows for News and the
recipient of two of their special awards: Mary Jannetto Award for
Outstanding Bowling Promotion
and the AMF Helen Dual Award for
Contribution to Youth Promotion and Coaching.
She was the
first recipient of the WIBC Membership Development Volunteer of the Year -
Agnes Duffy Award
,
named in her honor. She also served as a Director on the BWAA board of Directors and was Presi-
dent of the California Bowling Writers. She found no task impossible.
In her retirement in Sonoma it was no time at all before she was involved in the mobile home
park’s home owner’s association. She became president and did all the work on incorporating the
group. Everything Agnes Duffy was a part of was a success - a life well lived.
Services will be held in the New York area on June 15, and later on in Sonoma, California.
Cards may be sent to her niece Stacey Klimczak, P.O. Box 552, Yorkshire, New York 14173
Joan Feinblum Loses Cancer Battle
1932 - 2013
Team USA.‖
Yea!
The Legislative session saw six amendments approved, four rejected and one withdrawn. For
more info, you can go to bowl.com. Apparently the associations are allowed to ask for more dues
money and being encouraged to have their own awards program. Isn’t this what we used to do?
The Hall of Fame dinner saw eight entered into the Hall: Lynda Barnes and Jason Couch for
Superior Performance; Rick Steelsmith, Shirley Levens, Sandra Postma and Frank Santore
(posthumously) for Outstanding USBC Performance. Don McCune was inducted in the Veterans’
category and Tamoria Adams for Meritorious Service.
USBC Recognition Awards went to: Vicki Bowman – USBC Proprietor of the Year; Madeline
Dotta – Helen Baker Outstanding Association Service Award, and Michael Nytry received the Joyce
Deitch Unity Award.
USBC Youth Award Winners were: LaVonne (Mitch) Mitchell – Kerm Helmer Horizon Award;
Carol Gardner – Youth Volunteer of the Year; John Dill – David Dahms Coach of the Year.
The Youth Ambassadors of the Year were Samantha Schnur and Conner Sarich.
The convention was short and sweet and almost completely youth oriented. All focus was youth.
I wonder if the powers that be will ever focus on the people who pay the bill out here, find a way to
take their youth bowlers to all of the events that are being held, and, in my case, pay my way to
bowling and convention year after year in support of our parent organization.
I guess ‖
It’s the Right Thing to do.‖
(Continued from page 6)
USBC Convention
