VETERAN PROPRIETOR JERRY KRAUSS PASSES AWAY AT 92

Veteran Florida bowling proprietor Jerry Krauss passed away on March 14. He was 92.

Krauss, the father of BPAA President Kevin Krauss, founded three centers in the Sunshine State (including one called Sunshine Bowl) and started the Veteran Wheelchair Bowling League. He belonged to the Pinellas Park Rotary Club, part of his belief in putting service above self, for 61 years.

Editor Bob Johnson offered the following remembrance in his “Front Lines” column in the May issue of BCM.

A TREASURED ‘BOWLING NIGHT’ IN THE SWISS ALPS

It was just over 10 years ago. The lovely Michelle and I were on our pre-honeymoon, visiting three European cities — Barcelona, Engelberg and Vienna — in nine days. It was the trip of a lifetime for both of us. My daughter was convinced that after we returned, Michelle would dump me. After all, I was a bowling writer.

History has shown that my daughter was wrong — at least so far. I suppose that could change at any moment. But so far, so good.

You no doubt know that Barcelona is in Spain and Vienna is in Austria, but you may not be as familiar with Engelberg. It’s a tiny town of about 4,500 perched high in the Alps of central Switzerland. It serves as a home base for those ascending Mt. Titlis, where one can get up close and personal with a glacier on a triple-wide chair lift, experience 360-degree views on a revolving aerial cableway, test one’s courage on Europe’s highest suspension bridge, explore an ice cave or simply sip a glass of steaming gluhwein.

We were in Engelberg on the suggestion and invitation of friend Ferdi Janka, well known in the States as the best man at Earl Anthony’s second wedding and an organizer of European groups bowling in the USBC Open Championships.

The native of Germany had lived in Engelberg for several years, and on the evening of our arrival invited us to dinner at the Schweizerhaus for a taste of authentic Swiss cuisine. When we arrived, we were met in the small lobby by Ferdi, who led us to a table where his wife Angelika was seated along with two other folks: Jerry Krauss and his daughter, Nancy.

I had met Jerry on several occasions at various bowling functions through the years, since he was a bowling proprietor and I was a bowling writer. Ferdi also had been in the bowling business for years and Michelle was a star bowler during her junior days in Southern California.

Details of that evening came rushing back when I heard of Jerry’s passing on March 14. I remembered how Angelika sat patiently and quietly. I remember how, at one point, Nancy excused herself from the table so she could hear the live music better. I remember the creamy potatoes.

But most of all, I remember the conversation among four people — Jerry, Ferdi, Michelle and me — solving all of bowling’s problems as we washed down schnitzel and creamy potatoes with glasses of Gruner Veltliner wine and German beer.

Michelle and I were on vacation from bowling, yet there was no place we would have rather been that night. We extend our sincere condolences to the Krauss family. Jerry Krauss truly was one of a kind.