By Cary Shuman
It was a title he never sought or pursued, but everyone in Chelsea knows that Richie “Hawk” Halas will always reign as the greatest candlepin bowler in the history of the city.
“Max Valentin was tremendous,” as Halas would deflect the praise and speak humbly about the Yellow Pages champion who like, Richie, became a legend in the sport.
Bowling was a very popular pastime in Chelsea in the early 1970s as Broadway Lanes (atop Slaton’s), owned by George Michelson, and Chelsea Square Alleys, owned by Chet Pawlak, were the safe and welcoming centers for bowlers young and old.
By the time he was 19, “Hawk” Halas had already made his first of several television bowling appearances. His career skyrocketed from there, and eventually he reached the mountaintop as an inductee into the International Candlepin Bowling Hall of Fame.
On Monday, members of the bowling community, family, friends, and former basketball, baseball, and softball teammates paid their respects to “Richie “Hawk” Halas at a visitation and service at the Bisbee-Porcella Funeral Home. Halas died July 9 from complications after suffering a stroke. He was 73.
Charlie Anderson delivered a beautiful eulogy about his sister Linda Anderson Halas’ husband, “Hawk” Halas. Linda and Richie’s two beautiful daughters, Colby and Courtney (who became known for her cheer, “Come on, Dad” at TV bowling shows) sat alongside their mother in the front row. Carl Anderson, Linda’s younger brother, concluded the ceremony with a thoughtful poem. Borrowing from bowling terminology, the Andersons’ eloquence and thoughts were a “double strike” of excellence.
“Sometimes, if we are lucky, someone comes into our lives who gently reminds us what life is really about,” began Charlie Anderson. “For me, and so many others that person was Richie Halas, also known as “Hawk.”
“Richie leaves behind an unforgettable legacy of humility kindness, and unwavering devotion to the people he loved,” continued Anderson.
“His legacy lives on in the hearts he touched, the joy he brought to everyday moments, and the unforgettable memories he etched into our hearts.”
Speaking about Richie’s more than 30 years of employment at FedEx (one of the customers on his route was Tom Brady), Charlie noted that Richie “remarkably never took a single sick day, a quiet testament to his dedication and sense of responsibility.”
In a moment that drew smiles throughout the room, Charlie held up a pair of Richie’s old and often-worn bowling shows and asked, “Can you imagine a Hall of Fame bowl wearing these bowling shoes?’’
Charlie Anderson said of the 43 years of marriage shared by Richie and Linda Halas, “Richie adored his wife. He poured his heart into being a great father to Colby and Courtney. He was a Dad they could always count on. His grandchildren, Evan and Hannah, meant the world to him. They were the light in his eyes and the joy in his heart.”
Referring to his brother-in-law’s nickname of “Hawk” (“Many people really didn’t know his first name,” jested Charlie), he told the gathering, “We called him “Hawk,” and it’s a name that now carries even deeper meaning. Like the hawk, Richie has a quiet strength, a steady presence, and a watchful spirit that touched everyone around him. He soared through life not with noise or spectacle, but with grace, purpose and love. And though he may no longer walk beside us, he will forever be in our memories.”
Concluding his remarks, Charlie Anderson stated, “Richie did not just pass through life. He soared! He embedded himself into the fabric of our hearts. And though he flies higher now, his spirit and memory live on, in us, and with us forever. We will forever love you, Hawk.”