Jack and Betty Hill have dedicated most of their lives to bowling, with the Youth Bowling Council being the benefactor of their time and energy.
William “Jack” Hill was born in Bowmanville on November 12, 1925 and Betty Curtis was born in Weston on April 2, 1931. Jack was the oldest of four and Betty was the youngest of twelve. They met at a school dance at Humberview school in Weston and were married on April 9, 1949, just seven days after her eighteenth birthday. This partnership lasted for forty-four years, until Jack’s untimely passing in June 1993.
In the early years, Jack and Betty moved approximately twenty-five times before settling in Richmond Hill in the mid 50’s. With full time employment as a supervisor with the RCAF in Downsview, Jack gave his spare time to bowling. His efforts were split between both the adult and the youth programs. In the adult program, Jack began bowling with Bunny Mathewson and Doug Clubine in a small four lane centre in Maple. Other centres included the Richmond Bowl, Allencourt Lanes and finally ABC Bowl.
With the organization of the Ontario Bowlers Congress growing, and the formation of the York Simcoe Zone in the late 60’s, Jack became the house rep. for Allencourt Lanes, under the presidency of Al Richardson. Jack became more involved, as the years went on, which culminated with the presidency of the zone in 1976/77. With Jack at the helm, the York Simcoe zone was awarded with the Most Improved Association honours in 1978. In total, Jack was President for five years.
Despite this activity, Jack was heavily involved with his first love, the Youth Bowling Council. While bowling at Allencourt Lanes, Jack also helped out on Saturday mornings with the youngsters. When the Master Bowlers’ Association introduced the Teaching Division in 1966, Jack immediately joined this group of bowlers. After a devastating fire destroyed Allencourt Lanes in 1972, the Youth Bowling Council moved to ABC Bowl. Jack continued as Program Director, as well as being the Zone Delegate for the Master Bowlers’ Association. Jack held both these positions until his retirement from the RCAF in 1985, when they moved to Gooderham. For his work as Zone Delegate, Jack received the Zone Delegate of the Year honours from the Master Bowlers’ Association in 1980/81.
As a bowler, Jack bowled three to four times a week and held many executive positions. He qualified twice for the Open, during the 80’s, as well as coaching the Mixed team on one occasion. In the Masters, Jack won the very first Mid-Winter Blues Provincial tournament in 1982. In a career that lasted nineteen years his masters average was 215.
All this time, Betty was quietly offering her support, encouragement and time. While raising two boys of her own, Chris and Murray, she also took in foster children. You could always find Betty at the Bowling Centre with Jack. She had her own special way of relieving you of a dollar or two for the 50/50 draws she would run. “Gimme a Buck”, that was her way, and it worked. Saturday mornings, Betty’s home was the Bowling Centre, coaching her YBC “kids”. Her greatest accomplishment came in 1972, when, along with Heather Porter (Cresswell), she started a Tyke division in the YBC at ABC Bowl.
Betty’s involvement at the Association level, lasted twelve years. Her portfolio’s consisted of Membership and Awards. In 1979, Betty was honoured, at the annual Convention, as Membership Chair for Ontario. In 1982, she received her second honour, as Awards Chair.
Betty also won the Executive of the Year award for York Simcoe, in 1981.
Betty bowled socially in two leagues and, as a member of the Wednesday Night mixed league at ABC, she holds the zone Record Score for class two ladies, with a 867 triple.
Jack and Betty received Life Membership into the York Simcoe 5 Pin Bowlers’ Association in 1989 and tonight become the first of two couples to be inducted into the York Simcoe Hall of Fame.
Today, Betty enjoys life back in Richmond Hill, closer to her family and her four year old granddaughter, Julia.