Assembly Resolution No. 614

BY: M. of A. Barclay

COMMEMORATING the late Great Mark S. Roth upon his
70 years of a life well lived, his tremendous
achievements in the world of bowling, and as a
player who helped revolutionize the sport

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to acknowledge
outstanding athletes who distinguish themselves through their
exceptional performance, attaining unprecedented success and the highest
level of personal achievement; and

WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its
long-standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to
commemorate the late Great Mark S. Roth upon his 70 years of a life well
lived, his tremendous achievements in the world of bowling, and as a
player who helped revolutionize the sport; and

WHEREAS, A former resident of Fulton, New York, Mark S. Roth taught
himself how to bowl while working at Rainbow Lanes while living in
Brooklyn, New York; during this time, he set a goal to become the
greatest bowler in the world and committed to practicing every day; and

WHEREAS, Later, in 1989, Mark S. Roth and his partners purchased
Rainbow Lanes and renamed it Mark Roth Lanes; and

WHEREAS, Mark S. Roth's goals, determination, and talent led to him
to become an icon in the sport, earning 34 Professional Bowling
Association (PBA) national titles, surpassing $1,000,000 in career
winnings, the second professional bowler to do so, and was inducted into
the PBA Hall of Fame; and

WHEREAS, Mark S. Roth's long and storied professional bowling career
began in 1970, when he debuted his trademark, hard-throwing style that
created a generation of imitators and is now prevalent throughout the
sport; he was also famous for his ability to pick up spares and was the
first bowler to pick up a 7-10 split on national television on January
5, 1980; and

WHEREAS, In 1975, Mark S. Roth shot a 299 during the televised
finals to win his first PBA title at the King Louie Open in Overland
Park, Kansas; he repeated the achievement in 1987, at the Greater
Buffalo Open in Cheektowaga, New York; and

WHEREAS, In 1978, Mark S. Roth won eight titles which is still the
PBA record for a single season, and was named PBA player of the year in
1977, 1978, 1979 and 1984; and

WHEREAS, Mark S. Roth also received the George Young Memorial Award
six different seasons for the highest average in the PBA; and

WHEREAS, In 2006, Mark S. Roth won the very first Generations
Bowling Tour event, and two years later, he was ranked number 5 on the
PBA's list of 50 Greatest Players of the last 50 years; and

WHEREAS, In addition to being inducted in the PBA Hall of Fame in
1987, Mark S. Roth was inducted in the Staten Island Bowling Hall of
Fame in 2000, the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame in 2009,
the New York State Bowling Hall of Fame in 2010, and the National Jewish
Sports Hall of Fame in 2014; and

WHEREAS, Mark S. Roth's fame transcended the sporting world and met
Hollywood when he played a professional bowler in the 1996 movie
"Kingpin" starring Woody Harrelson and Dennis Quaid; and

WHEREAS, Even though a stroke in 2009 caused Mark S. Roth to be
paralyzed on his left side, he remained as active as possible and in
2010, he was able to attend the first annual Geico Mark Roth Plastic
Ball Championship, a PBA nationally televised event held in his honor;
today, it is known as the Mark Roth-Marshall Holman PBA Doubles
Championship; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his many professional bowling tournaments,
charity bowling tournaments were a focus for the late Great Mark Roth,
and he frequently used his talent and fame to help raise funds for a
number of causes including the Children's Miracle Network; after his
retirement, he made several guest appearances at the annual Upstate
University Hospital-Strikes Against Strokes at Flamingo Bowl in
Liverpool, New York; and

WHEREAS, A gifted athlete, Mark S. Roth was a renowned role model in
the sport of professional bowling; his character and achievements stand
as a sterling example and inspiration to all who would aspire to
success; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commemorate the late Great Mark S. Roth upon his 70 years of a life well
lived, his tremendous achievements in the world of bowling, and as a
player who helped revolutionize the sport; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Denise Roth, Mark S. Roth's beloved wife.