Dick Weber biography
Date of birth : 1929-12-23
Date of death : 2005-02-13
Birthplace : Florissant, Missouri, U.S.
Nationality : American
Category : Sports
Last modified : 2011-07-11
Credited as : Bowler, PBA, Playoffs
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Dick Weber was a founding member and longtime star of the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA). His legendary half-century career included 26 regular and six senior PBA tour titles, and put Weber into both the PBA and the American Bowling Congress (ABC) halls of fame. During the 1960s, when bowling was a staple of sports television, Weber emerged as bowling's most famous personality. His gentlemanly manner and extraordinary skill made him a crowd favorite, and he worked hard to promote the sport with TV appearances and promotional events. Weber once famously bowled on a lane inside an airplane, and he made frequent appearances over the years on the talk show of David Letterman (a fellow Indianan). Weber consistently has been voted by fans as one of the top three bowlers ever.
Weber's son, Pete Weber, is also a professional bowler. Known as a flamboyant bad boy, the younger Weber is one of his era's top PBA stars.
Dick Weber is a member of the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame and both he and his son, Pete Weber, are members of the PBA Hall of Fame. In 1999 Dick Weber was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame. The PBA ranked him 3rd on its 2008 list of "50 Greatest Players of the Last 50 Years." Only all-time titles leaders Earl Anthony and Walter Ray Williams, Jr. ranked higher.
Dick Weber died suddenly of respiratory failure on February 13, 2005. He is survived by wife Juanita, 3 sons, and 1 daughter.
The Weber Cup, named after Dick, is a Ryder Cup-style event that pits European and American ten-pin bowlers against one another. It is held annually in England. For the past three seasons, the PBA has had a tour stop named the Dick Weber Open. In 2011, the PBA named its all-new playoff series the Dick Weber PBA Playoffs.
