Patty Costello
Encyclopedia
Patty Costello was an American
left-handed professional ten-pin bowler
. She was one of the best female bowlers of the 1970s and 1980s.
Born to William Joseph and Marjorie Moran Costello in Washington, D.C.
, Costello began bowling at the age of 16, but quickly made a name for herself in the sport, winning the Columbia 300 Open in 1970. Over her professional bowling career, she earned 25 professional titles, including three first place finishes at the Professional Women's Bowling Association
National Tournament (1971, 1972, 1976) and a victory at the 1976 U.S. Women's Open
.
In 1976, she won seven events, setting a record for most titles earned in a year. (The record was tied by Carolyn Dorin-Ballard
in 2001, although Dorin-Ballard competed in eight more events.) Costello was named Female Bowler of the Year
by the Bowling Writer's Association of America in 1972 and 1976.
Costello's career suffered a setback in 1977, when her father suddenly died of a heart attack while watching her provide commentary for a bowling telecast. Afterwards, she experienced depression and anxiety attacks for several years. She told Bowling Digest in 2002, "I was so ultrasensitive to everything around me that I could feel the hair on my arms standing straight up, and no one could comprehend that. I would go to doctors and tell them my symptoms, and they'd look at me like I was ready for the psych ward. It was an awful, lonely place to be." However, Costello recovered, and won three titles between 1979 and 1981. She won three more championships in 1985, and was named Player of the Year by her fellow bowlers.
In 1989, Costello was inducted into the Women's International Bowling Congress Hall of Fame. She bowled her last game in 1993, a second-place finish at the WIBC Queens
Tournament.
Costello retired from bowling to a career with the Community Medical Center in Scranton, where she was a transport driver. "Bowling was my job then; this is my job now. In both cases, I've always been happy to meet people, talk to them, and get them feeling good to be around me", she told Bowling Digest.
on April 16, 2009. She was age 61, and residing in Scranton, Pennsylvania
. She was survived by a brother and a nephew.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
left-handed professional ten-pin bowler
Ten-pin bowling
Ten-pin bowling is a competitive sport in which a player rolls a bowling ball down a wooden or synthetic lane with the objective of scoring points by knocking down as many pins as possible.-Summary:The lane is bordered along its length by semicylindrical channels Ten-pin bowling (commonly just...
. She was one of the best female bowlers of the 1970s and 1980s.
Born to William Joseph and Marjorie Moran Costello in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Costello began bowling at the age of 16, but quickly made a name for herself in the sport, winning the Columbia 300 Open in 1970. Over her professional bowling career, she earned 25 professional titles, including three first place finishes at the Professional Women's Bowling Association
Professional Women's Bowling Association
The Professional Women's Bowling Association formed in 1960. After the organization struggled, a group of female professional bowlers left the PWBA to form the Ladies' Professional Bowlers Association in 1974. The two merged again in 1978, forming the Women's Professional Bowlers Association,...
National Tournament (1971, 1972, 1976) and a victory at the 1976 U.S. Women's Open
U.S. Women's Open (bowling)
The United States Women's Open, a.k.a. U.S. Women's Open, a.k.a. Women's U.S. Open, is an annual tournament for women, dedicated to ten-pin bowling in the United States. From its inception in 1949 until its cancellation in 2004 , the event was held every year except for 1953, 1997 and 2002...
.
In 1976, she won seven events, setting a record for most titles earned in a year. (The record was tied by Carolyn Dorin-Ballard
Carolyn Dorin-Ballard
Carolyn Dorin-Ballard is one of the top female ten-pin bowlers in the World. She was a member of the PWBA and has bowled in PBA Tournaments as well. She was an exempt competitor in the 2008-09 and 2009-10 PBA Women's Series seasons, which were sponsored by the United States Bowling Congress...
in 2001, although Dorin-Ballard competed in eight more events.) Costello was named Female Bowler of the Year
Bowling Writers Association of America Bowler of the Year
The Bowling Writers Association of America annually selects a Male Bowler of the Year and a Female Bowler of the Year....
by the Bowling Writer's Association of America in 1972 and 1976.
Costello's career suffered a setback in 1977, when her father suddenly died of a heart attack while watching her provide commentary for a bowling telecast. Afterwards, she experienced depression and anxiety attacks for several years. She told Bowling Digest in 2002, "I was so ultrasensitive to everything around me that I could feel the hair on my arms standing straight up, and no one could comprehend that. I would go to doctors and tell them my symptoms, and they'd look at me like I was ready for the psych ward. It was an awful, lonely place to be." However, Costello recovered, and won three titles between 1979 and 1981. She won three more championships in 1985, and was named Player of the Year by her fellow bowlers.
In 1989, Costello was inducted into the Women's International Bowling Congress Hall of Fame. She bowled her last game in 1993, a second-place finish at the WIBC Queens
USBC Queens
The USBC Queens is an annual ten-pin bowling event for amateur and professional female bowlers, sanctioned by the United States Bowling Congress...
Tournament.
Costello retired from bowling to a career with the Community Medical Center in Scranton, where she was a transport driver. "Bowling was my job then; this is my job now. In both cases, I've always been happy to meet people, talk to them, and get them feeling good to be around me", she told Bowling Digest.
Death
Patty Costello died of pancreatic cancerPancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
on April 16, 2009. She was age 61, and residing in Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
. She was survived by a brother and a nephew.