Ernest Sawyer, a lifelong resident of Northborough who operated a candlepin bowling center in the town for seven decades, passed away at age 96 on Sunday following a period of declining health.
Sawyer was a former minor league baseball pitching prospect and served in the U.S. Army from 1948 to 1950. He opened Sawyer’s Bowladrome in 1953 after digging out the building’s basement with a shovel and a wheelbarrow, according to an obituary posted by Pickering & Son Westborough Funeral Home.
The six-lane alley has operated at 13 Blake St. ever since, with Sawyer himself managing the facility until age 95. Since he stepped back from running the business, the center has mostly focused on hosting leagues and private events on an appointment-only model.
“The ‘dash’ between Ernie’s years of life were well spent with love and hard work,” the obituary reads. “Ernie had an exciting baseball career as a pitcher and was the property of the Washington Senators. He was also known for his two-handed set shot in basketball and was a talented athlete in any sport he played.”
With its low ceiling, wood-paneled walls, and manual scoring, Sawyer’s represented a throwback to the earlier days of candlepin bowling, a sport which has seen some growth after decades of decline.
Sawyer will be laid to rest in a private ceremony at Howard Street Cemetery in Northborough next to his wife, who passed away in 2021. He is survived by his daughter, three grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.
Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the manufacturing and real estate industries.
