One of the Greatest Woman Bowlers is Gone

[BubbaRay]

Bowling has lost another great one. A close friend of mine and someone who used the Hammer Brand when she was on tour has left us.

Patricia Ann Costello of Scranton died Thursday at VNA Hospice at Community Medical Center after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer.

Born in Washington, D.C., daughter of the late William Joseph and Marjorie Moran Costello, she was one of the best female bowlers of the 1970s and '80s. She did not begin bowling until she was 16, but the left-hander quickly made a name for herself in the sport, winning the Columbia 300 Open in 1970. During her professional bowling career, she earned 25 professional titles, including three first-place finishes at the Professional Women's Bowling Association national tournament in 1971, 1972 and 1976; and a victory at the 1976 Women's U.S. Open. In 1976, she won seven events, setting a record for most titles earned in a year. She was named female bowler of the year by the Bowling Writers Association of America in 1972 and 1976.

Her career suffered a setback in 1977, when her father died of a heart attack while watching her provide commentary for a bowling telecast. Afterward, she suffered from depression and anxiety attacks for several years. However, she recovered and won three titles between 1979 and 1981.

"I was very close to my father," Costello explains. "My parents came to watch me do commentary for a local TV bowling show that year, and before we went on the air, I turned to them and said, `Hey, you must know someone to get such good seats.' My dad said, `Yeah,' and we laughed. I turned back around and 10 seconds later he was dead of a heart attack. Right there at the TV studio lanes. Gone."

Costello was undone by her father's sudden death. She began having anxiety attacks during competition, and she developed a fear of dying. "I used to go to the hospital emergency rooms and just stay in them all night," she says. "The tournament I won in Miami [the 1977 PWBA Miami Classic], my mother made me go to it and I didn't want to. I cried through the whole thing."

"Patty was terribly depressed for a long time after her dad's death,"

She won three more championships in 1985, and was named player of the year by her contemporaries. In 1989, she was inducted into the Women's International Bowling Congress Hall of Fame. She bowled her last match in 1993, a second-place finish at the WIBC Queens Tournament.

Afterward, she began working at Community Medical Center, a job that held great joy for her because of the people she met. She was also known for the great love she had for her dogs, Abby and Mac, and will be missed by them.

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I remember Patty pushed me on the gurney down to have my caterization done back in 2004. I also remember the day Patty quit the game for good. She took all of her bowling equipment and went to a local lake called, Lake Scranton and threw everything into the lake. patty never picked up another ball again. Patty will be missed . God Bless you Patty. May you rest in Peace. ( Wiping my Tears ):(

[Lonewolf300800]

That's a sad thing to hear Bubba. I only know of her through past telecasts of the Ladies Tour on ESPN Classic and what's been written about her in bowling publications. She will be missed, and my thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.

[idlehourlegend]

I have only met Patty a couple times around here but she was always very nice and happy to help anyone that needed it, just a great person overall and an awesome bowler, a very big loss to the bowling world.

Very sad to hear, Pam told my dad about this yesterday(Bubba Im sure you know which Pam Im talking about, another great lefty..)

[BubbaRay]

yes idle I do. Patty , Pam, Paulette were three of the greatest woman lefties to come out of the Scranton area.

Lonewolf, Patty and I did charity events localy for the March of Dimes. Idle Hour Lanes held a Charity event every year in the late 80's and 90''s . Patty and I bowled in this every year to raise money.


Patty had won 25 PWBA Womans titles when she was on tour. Patty was always worried about other people. She was always looking for ways to help someone else. She had won six WASA titles in 1980. I can remember Patty mentioned to me during one tournament and had asked the WASA director if she should sit the next one out. WASA had about 100 or so members back then, and she was afraid the other Women would be scared away from the program if someone else didn't win. And, of course, when she got on the lanes, she always bowled to win. She didn't know any other way to play.

Costello and CarolynDorin-Ballard's names were linked together during the 2001 season; Dorin-Ballard tied Patty's mark of three consecutive titles and her record of seven titles in a single season. But there was something different in Ballard's wins. Everyone wondered if Patty thought that Carolyn Dorin-Ballard's 7 Titles in a row should carry an asterisk, like Roger Maris' 61in baseball, because Dorin-Ballard had eight more tournaments in which to reach it?

Patty stated those eight extra events probably tired her out more. Anyone who can win seven tournaments in one year should be celebrated.

Patty was hoping she'd tie the record rather than break it. I haven't been in the public eye this much in years Patty said. Everyone kept mentioning Patty's name and carolyn Ballard's in the same breath. I can still hear Patty saying they'll all be talking about me again in 2002, when Carolyn makes another run at it.


One thing about Patty. Once you met her , she was a friend for life. A great Woman and Bowler. What amazes me is Patty still watched the pro tour up untill her death to see how Carolyn was doing. That is the kind of Person Patty was. I will miss her. I have alot of great memeries of her. :(

[2KDriver]

My condolences to all of Patty's friends and family! Here is yet another example why we should all take time to celebrate the accomplishments of life in the midst of mourning....While the pain of loss is felt, do not forget the achievements earned during her time here, and that is not limited to public acclaim but extends to personal achievements as well. As well as Bubba has described her public successes, surely there are lesser known actions,known by a few individuals, that reflect her beliefs as well! Patty sounds like someone who might have been a proper role-model, something rarely found in todays society!

[BubbaRay]

There are many unkown published things about Patty. All for the good though. For those who knew her personally and for those who didn't , always had a nice thing to say about her. NO ONE ever said anything bad.

Patty Costello was once asked why she didn’t bowl for fun after giving two decades of her life to the sport.

The two-time women’s professional bowler of the year gave a simple explanation. Bowling was her job, not a hobby.

And from 1970 to 1989, few were better at what they did.

Costello, the left-hander who adopted Scranton as her hometown in 1975 and won 25 pro tour events, died Wednesday after a private battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 61.

Ranked 47th in the Times-Tribune list of the 100 Greatest Athletes of the Century in 2005, Costello was selected to 10 All-America teams, won another 29 Women’s All-Star Association events and was enshrined in the women’s International Bowling Congress Hall of Fame in 1981.

But to friends like Jessup’s Emma Preambo, she was down-to-earth Patty, the woman who called her to come practice at Idle Hour Lanes.

“My husband, we had two kids, would say ‘Go, go ahead,” said Emma, a close friend to Costello for her 34 years in the area. “What an opportunity to be in the company of someone that great, just watching and maybe learning.

“She was always helpful. She didn’t care to keep it all to herself. She was always willing to share. That’s a side of Patty a lot of people didn’t get to see.”

In part, it’s because local bowlers seemed to turn their back on Costello. One league once passed a rule so that no professionals could participate in the league. Of course, it was clear that vote was meant to keep Costello out.

“I think they were afraid of her, afraid of her ability,” Preambo said. “We had an icon here. We had a living legend. I was so surprised that the area didn’t honor her more.

“She didn’t necessarily want it, though, because she was a very private person.”

She did have her share of accolades locally, including induction into the state Hall of Fame. In fact, when she was inducted into the WIBC, the local bowling association had a trophy carved out of coal and presented at the ceremony in Wisconsin.

“She was surprised and thrilled, because she felt like she was not accepted into this area,” Preambo said.

If she was offended, it didn’t show. Costello still encouraged women in the area to get out and try to be successful at a higher level.

“She convinced us we were good enough go to the WASA to bowl on a higher level than league bowling,” said Preambo, who with Costello was a member of the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame Northeastern Chapter. “She gave us confidence that we really didn’t have in ourselves.

“We set a world record with her on the team. It was the WDAU (TV) Women’s Tournament. She never bowled in a league in this area, but she could outbowl 99 percent of the men around here. I’m not just saying that because I liked her. I’m saying that because she could split hairs on the lanes and she proved it.”

When Costello would show up for practice — her father almost always at her side — Preambo and friends would bet a cup of coffee on how many consecutive strikes Costello would roll.

“I remember, I think we counted 27,” Preambo said. “She was like a machine. She was smooth.

“She was very, very basic. Being a left-hander, she didn’t have to get real fancy. But she did things on the left side that other lefties couldn’t do.”

Like win tournaments. In 1970, in her fifth pro event, she won the Columbia Open. She went on to earn bowler of the year honors in 1972 and 1976, and in ’76 set a record that has stood for 33 years. Costello won seven tournaments including the U.S. Open. At the time, there were just 15 tour events that year.

For as good as she had it at the alleys, her private life took a terrible twist in 1977 when her father died while watching her broadcast a local bowling show. Years of anxiety and depression followed, but Costello shook it off to come back to win three times between 1979 and 1981, then won three times in 1985, including the Tournament of Champions, and was voted Player of the Year by her peers on tour.

She won again in 1986, the called it a career in 1988, picking up a bowling ball just once more — and finishing second in a tournament five years later.

After that, she returned to Scranton to find a “real job”, as she told Times-Tribune reporter Josh McAuliffe in 2001. She sold cars for eight years, then went to work at Community Medical Center transporting patients.

She never bowled after 1993, but remained a big name in her sport.

“She was an icon,” Preambo said. “She was like a machine. She was just head and shoulders above everybody.

“Nationwide, everyone knew her. She was that good. She always pushed us to make us better, and for that, we’ll always be grateful.”

[Lefty]

my condolences to her family. It was a nice article they put in the times.

[Lonewolf300800]

BubbaRay, this is what I found on bowl.com.



USBC Hall of Famer Patty Costello dies in Pennsylvania


4/18/2009


By Bill Vint
USBC Communications



Patty Costello

Patty Costello of Scranton, Pa., one of the most successful women bowlers in history, died Thursday at VNA Hospice at Community Medical Center after a valiant battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 62.

Born in Washington, D.C., daughter of the late William Joseph and Marjorie Moran Costello, Costello was one of the most dominant left-handed women in professional bowling in the 1970s and '80s when she won the majority of her 25 professional titles.

Despite the fact that she didn't take up the sport until she was 16, but she quickly made a name for herself after winning the 1970 Columbia 300 Open. Among her victories were the 1976 Women's U.S. Open and 1985 Ladies Pro Bowlers Tour Tournament of Champions titles. In 1976, she won seven events, setting a record for most titles earned in a year by a woman.

Costello, who frequently was confused with fellow competitor and right-handed California native Pat Costello, was named Woman Bowler of the Year by the Bowling Writers Association of America in 1972 and 1976.

Patty Costello was inducted into the Women's International Bowling Congress Hall of Fame in 1989 and she bowled her last professional tournament in 1993, finishing second in the WIBC Queens.

Costello retired from bowling to a career with the Community Medical Center in Scranton, where she was a transport driver.

Surviving are a brother, Daniel (Nancy) of Bowie, Md.; nephew William (Angela) of Okinawa, Japan; and her best friend and caregiver, Anne Mullen.

A memorial service was held Friday at the Neil W. Regan Funeral Home, 1900 Pittston Ave., Scranton. In accordance with her wishes, private services will be conducted by at St. Joseph's Church followed by private interment at Cathedral Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to the VNA Hospice Inpatient Unit, Community Medical Center or the Lackawanna County Humane Society, 967 Griffin Pond Road, Clarks Summit, PA 18411.

[BubbaRay]

Thank you Lonewolf for that. Like the article stated, she was always confused with Pat Costello. The difference between the two was, Patty was a lefthander and Pat was right handed. I am trying to find a video of Patty to post but I haven't found any yet. but I won't stop searching . Thanks again.

[VmsTopGun]

Sorry for your loss guys, 62 was way too young. Sounds like she was one of the good people that have a positive impact on a community.

[Curacao_Dejavu]

a 1980 article about the P. Costello's.

http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1123561/1/index.htm