Bob Pinkalla
- April 13, 2015
- 86 years
- heart failure
About Bob Pinkalla
Bob Pinkalla, 86, American ten-pin bowler, heart failure.
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Full Biography
|Robert K. Pinkalla (October 7, 1928 – April 13, 2015), better known as Bob Pinkalla, was an American ten-pin bowler and owner of Pinky's Bowl in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Pinkalla was born on October 7, 1928. He was married his sweetheart Barbara Granum. Robert and Barbara went to the same High school, Casimir Pulaski High School. Pinkalla was the owner of the family's business, Pinky's Bowl bowling alley and pro shop (AKA Pinkalla's Bowling Lanes), which was started by his father. He won numerous tournaments from the 1940s through the 1970s.
Bob Pinkalla, for the 1959-1960 season, set a world record individual average over 238 and was ranked first nationally with an 837 series. The three-man team of Bob, his brother Wayne, and Gene Raffel, "set an all-time record of 2,404 pins and single-game record of 859, with the Pinkallas both spilling 300 games in the latter."
Bob Pinkalla and his brother Wayne organized and were on the Pinky's Bowl team which won the 1967 American Bowling Congress (ABC) national championship with a record setting 3,327 series. They were the first and only team to break 3,300 until 1989. Bob Pinkalla was the highest scoring team member with 700. Four of the five-man team became part of the eight-man United States team that went on to Sweden to compete in the Fédération Internationale des Quilleurs (FIQ) tournament. He and his brother were awarded a bronze in doubles.
He died of heart failure on April 13, 2015, in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, at the age of 86.
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Sources
- Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Pinkalla
- CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sep 26, 2026
- View article
- Sep 26, 2026
Trivia & Knowledge· 16 questions
Questions drawn from Bob Pinkalla's archived record and the sources above.
1.On what date was Bob Pinkalla born?
- A.October 7, 1928correct
- B.April 13, 1928
- C.October 13, 1928
- D.April 7, 1928
Robert K. Pinkalla was born on October 7, 1928.
Source: biography introduction
2.What was the name of the high school Bob Pinkalla attended?
- A.Casimir Pulaski High Schoolcorrect
- B.Wisconsin Central High
- C.Pinky's High Academy
- D.Milwaukee High School
Robert and Barbara Pinkalla went to the same high school, Casimir Pulaski High School.
Source: childhood section
3.What was the name of the business Bob Pinkalla owned?
- A.Milwaukee Bowling Center
- B.The Pin Shop
- C.Bob's Lanes
- D.Pinky's Bowlcorrect
Bob Pinkalla was the owner of the family's business, Pinky's Bowl bowling alley and pro shop.
Source: career section
4.What specific cause led to the death of Bob Pinkalla?
- A.Heart failurecorrect
- B.Stroke
- C.Pneumonia
- D.Cancer
Bob Pinkalla died of heart failure on April 13, 2015.
Source: death section
5.Who was Bob Pinkalla's spouse?
- A.Barbara Granumcorrect
- B.Susan Pinkalla
- C.Janet Raffel
- D.Mary Pulaski
Bob Pinkalla was married to his sweetheart Barbara Granum.
Source: childhood section
6.What record did Bob Pinkalla set during the 1959-1960 bowling season?
- A.An individual series record of 900
- B.A single game record of 300
- C.A lifetime career average of 250
- D.An individual average over 238correct
Bob Pinkalla set a world record individual average over 238 for the 1959-1960 season.
Source: career section
7.How many pins did the three-man team including Bob Pinkalla, Wayne Pinkalla, and Gene Raffel record as their all-time record?
- A.2,404correct
- B.2,304
- C.2,204
- D.2,504
The three-man team set an all-time record of 2,404 pins.
Source: career section
8.In what year did the team organized by Bob Pinkalla win the American Bowling Congress national championship?
- A.1989
- B.1970
- C.1959
- D.1967correct
Bob Pinkalla and his brother Wayne organized the Pinky's Bowl team which won the 1967 ABC national championship.
Source: career section
9.What was the score of the total series for the 1967 American Bowling Congress national championship winning team?
- A.3,300
- B.3,500
- C.3,327correct
- D.3,404
The team won the 1967 American Bowling Congress national championship with a record setting 3,327 series.
Source: career section
10.Who was the highest scoring team member during the 1967 American Bowling Congress championship?
- A.Bob Pinkallacorrect
- B.An unnamed team member
- C.Wayne Pinkalla
- D.Gene Raffel
Bob Pinkalla was the highest scoring team member with 700.
Source: career section
11.To which country did members of the Pinky's Bowl team travel for the FIQ tournament?
- A.Denmark
- B.Germany
- C.Norway
- D.Swedencorrect
Four of the five-man team went to Sweden to compete in the FIQ tournament.
Source: career section
12.What medal did Bob Pinkalla and his brother Wayne receive in the doubles category at the FIQ tournament?
- A.Bronzecorrect
- B.They did not win a medal
- C.Gold
- D.Silver
Bob Pinkalla and his brother were awarded a bronze in doubles at the FIQ tournament.
Source: career section
13.In which city did Bob Pinkalla pass away?
- A.Madison, Wisconsin
- B.Chicago, Illinois
- C.Menomonee Falls, Wisconsincorrect
- D.Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Bob Pinkalla died in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin.
Source: death section
14.Until what year did the 1967 American Bowling Congress championship record stand as the only team to break 3,300 pins?
- A.1985
- B.1975
- C.1989correct
- D.1980
They were the first and only team to break 3,300 until 1989.
Source: career section
15.What is an alternative name mentioned for the business known as Pinky's Bowl?
- A.Pinkalla's Bowling Lanescorrect
- B.The Milwaukee Ten-Pin Center
- C.Bob's Pro Shop
- D.Pulaski Bowl
The business Pinky's Bowl was also known as Pinkalla's Bowling Lanes.
Source: career section
16.How old was Bob Pinkalla when he died?
- A.84
- B.86correct
- C.88
- D.82
Bob Pinkalla died at the age of 86.
Source: death section
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