A memorial service will be Saturday in Port Orchard, Wash., for Chester Eugene “Red” Elkins, whose life centered on the sport and business of bowling in Northern California for much of the latter half of the 20th century.
Mr. Elkins died March 10 of complications of post-polio syndrome and leukemia. He was 86.
In 1954, Mr. Elkins won one of bowling’s four major championships, the ABC Masters, in Seattle. In 1958, he was the third of 33 founding members who signed up to create the Professional Bowlers Association. He was the organization’s West Coast director in the early years of the PBA.
From the mid-1950s to the mid-1960s, Mr. Elkins was one of the top bowlers in the country. He bowled in the National Bowling League for the Dallas Broncos, an early attempt at making bowling a national team sport. He also bowled for the Stroh’s Team in the Midwest beer leagues in the 1950s, competing against such luminaries as Don Carter and Dick Weber.
He managed several bowling centers in Northern California, including Plaza Lanes in San Jose. The Plaza Lanes center had an adjoining nightclub, The Safari Room, where Mr. Elkins booked The Supremes, Wayne Newton and The Righteous Brothers in the 1960s.
In 1969, he and his new wife, Margaret, purchased Felton Bowl. The couple and their children ran it is a family business until selling in 1989.
Mr. Elkins was active with Nor Cal Bowling Proprietors Association, serving on the board and as a line officer.
Mr. Elkins also loved golf. He had three holes-in-one to go along with his two 300 games in bowling. He was a lifetime fan of the San Francisco 49ers and Giants.
Born in Merced in 1925, Mr. Elkins contracted polio as a child and overcame its lifelong symptoms as an athlete. He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1944 and earned his wings, but the war ended before he saw action. He liked to say, “I was on the plane going over there, and the Germans and Japanese heard about it and surrendered.”
Survivors include five children, including San Lorenzo Valley High School graduates Craig Elkins of Port Orchard, Willie King of Soquel and Bob King of Broken Arrow, Okla.; and five grandchildren.
A memorial golf tournament in Mr. Elkins’ name is being planned for July 24 at McCormick Woods Golf Course in Port Orchard.
