Moonshiner's League pays tribute to Gruszkowski

Once in a while someone comes along whose very presence has a positive effect on everyone around. Such a man was Ted Gruszkowski, affectionately called "Crazy Ted" not because he was crazy loco but because he was crazy about bowling. On a rainy evening last week, the Wednesday Night Moonshiner's League paid tribute to Ted and unveiled a Memorial Podium in his honor. Fifty-six happy people were presented with 126 pins, patches and plaques that night.

Ted was such a focal point in the Prince William County bowling community that the league felt he de-served more than just an obituary and send off article about him and his accomplishments in the News & Messenger -- for many years he was this newspaper's bowling writer. His bowling buddies thought he deserved a Memorial Podium.

You could always find Ted somewhere around the bowling centers in the area. He would make himself available for free lessons and was quick to provide league guidance. He loved the sport of bowling and the camaraderie that develops among the bowlers.

Ted was a Hall of Famer in the Nation's Capital Area United States Bowling Congress Association (NCAUSBCA) and member of their board of directors.

Directors wear red sports coats to formal bowling functions. League secretary Sally Fisher was able to get Ted's actual red coat with his pins and board of directors name tag still intact from his wife for the presentation of the awards. She wore Ted's coat while presenting awards to the Moon-shiner's League bowlers. Ted's daughter, Crystal Souza, received the first of the 126 awards.

Though presenting league bowlers with patches, pins, plaques and rings is not considered a formal func-tion, Ted always showed up for the Wednesday Night Moonshiner's awards presentations in his red coat. He showed the bowlers that their achievements were not only noticed by the area's associa-tion, but that their achievements are something to be proud of -- no matter how big or small.

The Memorial Podium was painted red to represent Ted's red coat so the bowlers presented with awards that night will remember Ted, his encouraging and proud smile and handshake for each recipient. There was a plaque attached to the podium shown below, which read, "In Memory of Theodore Gruszkowski, Jr., 1/26/1936 -- 7/27/2008."

Ted's bowling-related memberships, positions and board seats from the past are listed below:

-- Member of the NCAUSBCA Board of Directors since 1992

-- Chairman of the NCAUSBCA Public Relations Committee

-- Director of the Southern Bowling Writers Association

-- Member of the Bowling Writers Association of America

-- Reporter for the Mid-Atlantic Bowling News

-- Reporter for The Bowling News

-- Commentator for the Jones Communications Network "Sports Scene"

-- Member of the Joe Richards Memorial NCAUSBC Hall of Fame for Distinguished Bowling Jounalists, inducted in 1999

-- Bowling Writer for the Potomac News

Fisher is a great admirer of Crazy Ted. He took her under his wing and helped her out while she learned the ropes of being a league secretary. He told her she had the "right heart and mindset" for being a league secretary.

Ted always showed up in his official spiffy red coat on league nights to give out the awards. He gave out the awards personally, not simply by announcing them over the loudspeaker when all the bowlers are practice bowling.

Gil Sanchez, a member of the Bowling Writers Association of America, is a freelance bowling writer for the News & Messenger. Reach him at 703-587-6792 or at gsanchez@insidenova.com.