LEGENDARY PROPRIETOR DOUG EISERMAN PASSES AWAY

A celebration of life was held on Dec. 7 for veteran proprietor Doug Eiserman, who passed away five days earlier. He was 77.

Often thought of as “larger than life” because of his imposing size. Eiserman served not only the bowlers at Palmyra Bowling in Palmyra, Pa. — which he and his wife Sue purchased in 1981 — but also his fellow proprietors at both the state and national levels. He was a Pennsylvania BPA past president and a former Eastern Region director for the BPAA.

Eiserman enjoyed hosting tournaments, and one in particular grew to become one of the most popular in the East. Palmyra Bowling will host the doubles and singles events of The Dutchman Bolony Tournament, which is being held for the 75th time in 2023.

The tournament, which awards merchandise prizes on every squad, paid out $452,000 in 2022, and continues to offer $50 for a Dutchman game and Lebanon-brand bolognas for strings of strikes, based on average. The bologna awards are sponsored by Buddies Pro Shop.

That “larger than life” persona also extended to Eiserman’s heart. Since the early 1990s, he had been instrumental in providing bowling, food and gifts to more than 100 local families each Christmas Eve.