RAY BLUTH — THE LAST OF ‘THE BUDS’ — PASSES AWAY

The last link to arguably the greatest bowling team of all time and a bowling center owner for close to half a century has died. Ray Bluth, known for his unusual (but effective) “peek-a-boo” approach while bowling for the fabled Budweisers, and the long-time owner of Crestwood Bowl in St. Louis — many of those years with his son, Mike — passed away on April 11. He was 97.

Bluth had a sterling record as a bowler, including a victory in the 1959 American Bowling Congress Masters (held at the 138th Infantry Armory in St. Louis) and three titles on the PBA Tour. But he likely will be best remembered as a member of the “Buds,” which on March 12, 1958, established an American Bowling Congress five-man team series record of 3858 that would stand for a month shy of 36 years.

On a team that included mega-stars Don Carter and Dick Weber, as well as Tom Hennessey and Pat Patterson, Bluth set the pace that night with an 837 series, ruining a shot at a 267 triplicate when he shot 300 in game three.

He is a member of the ABC (USBC) and PBA Halls of Fame, as well as three other bowling halls. He went into the ABC Hall in 1973, and was part of the PBA Hall’s inaugural class of 1975 that also included his Budweiser teammates, Carter and Weber, as well as Carmen Salvino, Harry Smith and Billy Welu.

While touring with the Budweisers, Bluth perfected the people skills that would serve him well as the proprietor of a league-based center. He acquired the 24-lane Crestwood Bowl in 1973 and, honoring the center’s history, opted to keep the original Route 66-style neon sign, even though it was expensive to operate and maintain.

The sign went dark in 2009, but with the help of a grant from the National Park Service, was completely restored and relit by the Route 66 Association of Missouri’s Neon Heritage Preservation Committee in 2012. It’s one of just a few signs that have been designated as official county landmarks by the St. Louis County Historic Buildings Commission.

Shrewsbury Lanes, which is located near Crestwood Bowl, posted the following message on Facebook the day after Bluth’s passing: “When we purchased Shrewsbury Lanes in 2013, the first person to walk through our doors was Ray [Bluth]. We were not open yet, as we were making necessary improvements to be able to do so. He came by to welcome us to the neighborhood and to the business. We had a conversation that was far more meaningful to us than it was to him. Even though our centers are under five miles apart, he told us that if we all did our part to promote the sport of bowling, we wouldn’t have to be competitors as there would be enough bowlers to go around for everybody. Ray was a true gentleman and will be missed by so many of us in the bowling community. Our condolences go out to Mike Bluth and the entire Bluth family.”