Tom Abbott was born in November 13, 1898 and served as the Manager for Brunswick of Canada for Manitoba, Northwestern Ontario & Saskatchewan for both Five & Tenpin Bowling for over 30 years from the 1930’s to 1961.   The Brunswick office was located at three different locations over the years, however during the early years it operated out of 92 Arthur Street.

The establishment of Empress Lanes with its new automatic pin-setters was a novelty and became an exciting place to be, which helped foster new bowlers. Tom would often come watch league play and during which, he saw the need for serious instruction to foster further enjoyment, develop the skills of the bowlers and secure their continued participation.

In 1960(c.), Tom arranged for a female professional bowler to come to Winnipeg and provide free instruction to all that were interested.  This one day session had a immediate impact and several bowlers by showing them the benefits

of spot bowling and advantages of acquiring their own ball & equipment, and was directly responsible for the level of involvement and success experienced by
BHFM member Terry Quinn.

 Tom generated new interest in our sport by offering fun events to introduce new prospective bowlers to the benefits and enjoyment of tenpin bowling.
Tom also sponsored several tournaments and supported other events by providing Brunswick balls, bags, shoes and bowling passes.

Besides working for bowling, Tom was an avid bowler, competing in several leagues and tournaments with moderate success, in addition to attending a few ABC Annual Tournaments with his Winnipeg squad.   After his retirement in 1961, Tom continued to bowl recreationally in a Chateau lanes League with his wife Corona.

It is felt that his sincere interest and passion for the sport and its development went beyond his professional obligation as a Brunswick representative, which included hearty encouragement and many lasting friendships with those that knew him.

Tom Abbott’s efforts are recognized as having a substantial influence on the degree of success our sport had for many years after his passing on November 20, 1987 and we owe him much for the level of continuity we currently enjoy today.