Andy Clark: Bowling-ball driller had a world of knowledge at his fingertips

Hard-core bowlers know what that means.

Ten-pin novices would learn if they ever set foot into the pro shops Clark operated for nearly 40 years in local bowling alleys.

"In this sport you can only be as good as your ball driller," bowler Linda Wallace said.

Wallace, who has been inducted into the local, county and state bowling halls of fame, said Clark's skill as a ball driller was crucial to her success.

"Andy was a legend in helping bowlers reach their potential," Wallace wrote in an article for The Desert Bowler newspaper. "There are a lot of bowlers that owe their success to Andy."

Now Wallace wants to return the favor. She has nominated Clark for admission into the hall of fame for the Tucson chapter of the United States Bowling Congress for his meritorious service.

If Clark is selected, the recognition will be posthumous. The expert driller died unexpectedly May 16 from a blood clot after surgery for circulatory problems. He was 67.

Clark grew up in Detroit and began working as a bowling alley pin boy when he was 14.

It was the mid-1950s, and bowlers still used rubber balls. The sport was growing exponentially thanks to network television coverage.

The automatic pinsetter had been invented, but the machinery was not yet in many bowling alleys. Hence, the need for pin boys, who worked behind the scenes at the end of the lanes setting up pins by hand.

"They used to have fun back there," said Clark's wife, Jan.

When the ladies leagues bowled, the pin boys sometimes knocked down a few extra pins to give certain women an advantage.

Clark served in the Air Force from 1960 to '68 and continued to bowl on base teams. While stationed in England, he ran the base's six-lane bowling alley.

"He did the bowling alley at night," said longtime friend Judy Wiedemann, whose husband served in England with Clark. "He was the all-around person — the desk person, he ran the deli, he fixed the machines. He pretty much did everything."

Upon discharge, Clark returned to Detroit with plans to start a pro shop in a bowling alley but soon realized he'd had his fill of Michigan winters.

In 1969 he returned to Tucson, where he'd been stationed for a time at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, and opened a pro shop at Cactus Bowl, 1630 S. Alvernon Way.

For the next 39 years, Clark operated pro shops at different bowling alleys in Tucson, finally returning to Cactus Bowl, where he'd been the pro-shop owner for the last 18 years.

Over the years Clark played on championship teams, sponsored teams that won national titles, coached the University of Arizona women's bowling team and trained fellow bowlers. He always got more joy from helping other bowlers succeed than from improving his own game, his family said.

Clark was a 200-plus, left-handed bowler who rolled eight perfect 300 games in his lifetime.

"He was a good bowler," Wallace said, "but he wasn't able to rack up any titles because he was so busy drilling everybody's balls. Andy's true love was drilling balls, so his bowling game took a back seat to his pro shop."

Clark stopped coaching 10 years ago so he could dedicate his full attention to the pro shop, Jan Clark said.

"He was the best driller," said his daughter, Cat Clark. "People wouldn't let anyone else drill their balls."

The father of five and stepfather of two took precise measurements of all bowlers' hands, determined the type of grip they would have, then watched them bowl a few frames, taking note of the way each player released the ball. Only then would Clark begin drilling.

"He's been doing it forever. He's a master at it," Williams said. "He loved doing it. Everybody should find something they do for work that they love that much.

"We all figured he would probably drop dead while he was drilling a ball because we all knew he was going to do it for the rest of his life."

Life Stories

This feature chronicles the lives of recently deceased Tucsonans. Some were well-known across the community. Others had an impact on a smaller sphere of friends, family and acquaintances. Many of these people led interesting — and sometimes extraordinary — lives with little or no fanfare. Now you'll hear their stories. Read past "Life Stories" and add your remembrance to this story at go.azstarnet. com/lifestories