Born February 26, 1935, in Owen Sound, Pauline Van den Bergh, eighth child of Joanna and Frank, has spent all but nine months of her life in Newmarket.
After graduating from Newmarket High School, “Fluffy”, a name that she had picked up during high school, followed in her family’s footstep and started working at Office Specialty, a company that manufactured office furniture. Through work, her bowling career started in a ladies league at a small three lane centre called Kronins, located on Main Street that used pin boys to set up the pins. Pauline soon found herself bowling at Odeon Bowl, on Davis Drive, where Hall of Famers Geoff and Thelma Stevens father, Rod, happened to be the manager of the centre.
It was here at Odeon Bowl, later called Newmarket Bowlerama, where Pauline met a number of people that would have great impact on her future. First, there was Bill and Marg Ingram. Bill was the Assistant Manager and Marg was the Program Director for the Youth Bowling Council (YBC). As an avid bowler and mother of two children, Stephen and Christine, it was only natural that Pauline would enroll them in the YBC. Next were Tom and Betty Horton. Tom and Betty had just re-located from New Brunswick and with his bowling background, registered their girls in the YBC. Then there was Vic Tugwell. Vic was a former graduate of the YBC and was still coaching. Finally there was Carolyn Fletcher, another of tonight’s inductees. Carolyn and Pauline both bowled together in the Office Specialty league for many years and were neighbours for more than twenty-five years.
By now, the Master Bowlers Association was in full swing and with Bill’s influence, was able to get Pauline, Tom and Vic to become the first three Masters to represent Newmarket Bowlerama. Overall, Pauline bowled twenty-one years in the Masters, seventeen in the teaching division, initially with Newmarket Bowlerama and then Superbowl. Another four years on the tournament tour would give her a respectable lifetime average of 225. To her credit, she has one Masters victory, that being the Mixed Doubles tournament at the C.N.E. with partner Tom Horton.
To Pauline, her greatest accomplishment and real love was the Youth Bowling Council. Bill had purchased the centre from the Bowlerama chain in 1976, but sadly, in 1977 Marg Ingram passed away after battling cancer. Pauline was the logical choice to take over as Program Director. In total, Pauline would spend thirty-one years in the YBC, first as a Master bowler, then a Program Director and later as the Treasurer. In 1989, she was presented with an Appreciation Award from the local Zone G YBC for her contributions to the Y.B.C.
In 1964 Pauline qualified for her first Eastern Canadian Championship, for-runner to today’s Ontario Open, as a member of the Ladies team, which represented York Simcoe in North Bay. The Proprietors ran this event until 1965 when the bowlers took it over. In 1966, Pauline was one of the four ladies that were part of the York Simcoe mixed team, along with Hall of Famers Ernie Hughes and Jim Hoult. Pauline represented York Simcoe on seventeen occasions, from 1964 to 1991. On eight occasions, she qualified as part of the ladies singles contingent, another four times on the ladies teams and five appearances on the mixed teams. In addition, Pauline was a member of two of those mixed teams that won Provincial titles in 1969 and 1971. However, Pauline was denied a chance at a Canadian championship in both these years as they were cancelled due to the East-West controversy over the abolition of the counter pin.
With organized bowling in full swing and the formation of the York Simcoe zone in 1967, Pauline would venture in yet another direction. Initially, York Simcoe had a very large zone and each bowling centre would send representation to the monthly meetings. It was Tom Horton, who convinced Pauline to take over as the House rep because Tom has become the zone Treasurer. After representing Newmarket Bowlerama for three years, Pauline took over the vacant Awards portfolio and later became the Membership chair. A position she would hold for seven years. With decentralization growing rapidly, Pauline became the Membership chair for the Superbowl decentralized house. In 1991, Pauline received the incentive award for membership at the Ontario 5 Pin Bowlers’ Association Annual Convention.
Today, while retired from bowling, Pauline spends her summers at the cottage, something she has done for the past forty-four years, as well as reading a book a day and knitting. Her five grandchildren, Jeremy, Samantha, Keegan, Kayla and Brittney are all benefactors, as Pauline has knitted afghan’s for each of them. She also goes to lunch with some of Frank’s old friends.
In looking back, Pauline has had a very successful bowling career. From the Youth Bowling Council to the Masters, from league play and Open competition to Association volunteer, Pauline has left her mark in all facets of 5 pin bowling and York Simcoe has been the benefactor of her contributions.