The longtime Bowl 10 proprietor, who served as president of the Bowling Proprietors Association of Greater Dayton, lost his battle with cancer on Sunday. Most recently, Flemming was awarded the BCAO Pat Marazzi Certificate of Achievement Award in May.
“Pat recognized all that Dave brought to us,” Clarke said. “She appreciated and respected that and taught me to do the same. No one else was more deserving of the award that bears her name.”
Flemming’s passion for the game spanned half a century. From Beaver-Vu Bowl manager, at just 21 years old, to Aero Lanes and, later, Bowl 10 proprietor, the Greater Dayton USBC hall of famer will be remembered as a mentor, coach, teammate and friend. Some of those friends weighed in on the impact that Flemming had on them and the bowling community.
“When I was 15 years old, David Flemming took me under his wing. There was a waiting list 50-plus deep at every pro shop in town. He told me he would move me to the top of the list for a Hammer because it would help my game. Two years later, when I graduated, he put me on teams with the best bowlers in the city. In 1994, when I qualified for the United States Open, he convinced AMF I was good enough to get free balls. He always drilled my balls for free and never charged me to practice. Without his belief in my game, my low self-esteem self, would have never been able to achieve so many of my bowling goals and dreams. I could not be more thankful for 42 years of friendship, memories and bowling stories like only he could tell,” – Rick Borns
“If you ask anyone who has bowled at Aero Lanes or Bowl 10, there was one thing everyone yelled out after a bad shot that struck ‘Thanks Dave.’ It echoes through the bowling alley more now than ever. He was so much to everyone. So, answering the question of what I will miss most – his honesty, rather harsh at times, but if you threw it like trash, he would show you where the dumpster was. Thanks Dave!” – Tony Cherpeski
“Throughout the 25-plus years I worked with Dave, I learned one thing – when he gave his opinion, you’d better be listening. Dave always brought a unique perspective to our conversations. He was able to articulate the small center perspective as well as the thoughts of a competitive bowler. I reached out to him countless times for rule clarifications or his opinion on happenings in the Dayton bowling world. He was never afraid to give that opinion and his thoughts were always valuable, concise and logical. His contributions to the bowling industry in Dayton and throughout the state were greatly appreciated and will be sorely missed. The bowling industry is better because Dave Flemming was a part of it.,” – Jenny Clarke
“Dave was a great ambassador for the sport of bowling and was always willing to host any event I wanted to run. But, more importantly, I will miss our bowling and life conversations and his friendship,” – Jerry Kessler
“Dave would do anything for anyone. I bowled in leagues against him for a few years and I bowled on the same team with him for more than 20 years. He would always help me when I was struggling. When I won my first PBA Regional, he stayed for the entire tournament, even though he lost in the first round, just to watch me win. That’s the kind of guy he was. I’m going to miss just being around him – having his friendship,” – Ron Profitt
A Celebration of Life honoring the longtime fixture in the Dayton bowling community is slated for Sept. 28 at 4 p.m. at his second home, Bowl 10 Fairborn.
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