USBC Hall of Famer Mort Luby Jr. dies at age 94
May 08, 2026
ARLINGTON, Texas – Mort Luby Jr. of Chicago, a member of the United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame, died on May 6 at the age of 94.
Luby, a giant in the bowling industry whose name is synonymous with excellence and vision in bowling journalism, was best-known as the publisher of Bowlers Journal International and for founding the World Bowling Writers.
He was elected to the USBC Hall of Fame in the Meritorious Service category in 1988. He also was inducted into the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame for Meritorious Service in 2005.
Born in Chicago on July 14, 1931, Luby grew up in the Windy City and would make his way to the University of Notre Dame where he would earn a degree in journalism.
But it seemed Luby was always earmarked for a career at Bowlers Journal.
Luby followed in the footsteps of his father Mort Sr. (publisher) and grandfather David (who founded the magazine in 1913) at the magazine. His USBC Hall of Fame induction also followed the inductions of his father and grandfather in the same category in 1974 and 1969, respectively, and the trio are believed to be the only family with three generations in any national sports hall of fame.
Luby assumed command as publisher of Bowlers Journal in 1956 upon the death of his father and remained publisher and editor until selling the publication in 1994.
During those 38 years, Luby transformed the publication from a collection of league and tournament reports highlighted with celebrity profiles into the No. 1 monthly consumer and trade publication for the industry. In publication since 1913, Bowlers Journal International is now the longest-running monthly sports magazine in the United States.
Luby’s involvement with international bowling led him to create the World Bowling Writers (WBW) in 1977 to help bowling journalists share information and promote the sport in their own countries. He published a monthly “Worldletter,” which provided bowling news on the world scene. He also was a driving force in creating the WBW International Bowling Hall of Fame to recognize the sport’s greats from all four corners of the globe.
A rare publisher who could also write and edit, Luby earned more than 40 national writing awards and numerous industry awards for his own editorial commentary and reporting over the decades.
Notable among them were being named the 2012 recipient of the Bowling Writers Association of America (now International Bowling Media Association) Alberta E. Crowe Meritorious Service Award and having his name grace the WBW’s Distinguished Service Award.
Luby also won the BPAA Special Projects Award for the creation of the “Bowling Center Architecture and Design Awards” (now in its 42nd year) and was a central figure in the push for the creation of a bowling stadium, which led to the National Bowling Stadium being built in Reno, Nevada.
Luby’s other talents included being an accomplished pianist and artist. He used his skill as an artist to interpret bowling’s history through watercolor and oil paintings and donated several bowling-themed works to the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame for use in fundraising auctions.
Luby is survived by his wife Patricia, daughters Mary Kay Donnelly (Gary), Diane Nyhammer (Grant) and Jean Navarro (Oscar), and grandchildren Ryan and Bridget Donnelly and Peter and Jaclyn Navarro.
Information regarding services are not available at this time.
For more information on the USBC Hall of Fame, click here.
Luby, a giant in the bowling industry whose name is synonymous with excellence and vision in bowling journalism, was best-known as the publisher of Bowlers Journal International and for founding the World Bowling Writers.
He was elected to the USBC Hall of Fame in the Meritorious Service category in 1988. He also was inducted into the Professional Bowlers Association Hall of Fame for Meritorious Service in 2005.
Born in Chicago on July 14, 1931, Luby grew up in the Windy City and would make his way to the University of Notre Dame where he would earn a degree in journalism.
But it seemed Luby was always earmarked for a career at Bowlers Journal.
Luby followed in the footsteps of his father Mort Sr. (publisher) and grandfather David (who founded the magazine in 1913) at the magazine. His USBC Hall of Fame induction also followed the inductions of his father and grandfather in the same category in 1974 and 1969, respectively, and the trio are believed to be the only family with three generations in any national sports hall of fame.
Luby assumed command as publisher of Bowlers Journal in 1956 upon the death of his father and remained publisher and editor until selling the publication in 1994.
During those 38 years, Luby transformed the publication from a collection of league and tournament reports highlighted with celebrity profiles into the No. 1 monthly consumer and trade publication for the industry. In publication since 1913, Bowlers Journal International is now the longest-running monthly sports magazine in the United States.
Luby’s involvement with international bowling led him to create the World Bowling Writers (WBW) in 1977 to help bowling journalists share information and promote the sport in their own countries. He published a monthly “Worldletter,” which provided bowling news on the world scene. He also was a driving force in creating the WBW International Bowling Hall of Fame to recognize the sport’s greats from all four corners of the globe.
A rare publisher who could also write and edit, Luby earned more than 40 national writing awards and numerous industry awards for his own editorial commentary and reporting over the decades.
Notable among them were being named the 2012 recipient of the Bowling Writers Association of America (now International Bowling Media Association) Alberta E. Crowe Meritorious Service Award and having his name grace the WBW’s Distinguished Service Award.
Luby also won the BPAA Special Projects Award for the creation of the “Bowling Center Architecture and Design Awards” (now in its 42nd year) and was a central figure in the push for the creation of a bowling stadium, which led to the National Bowling Stadium being built in Reno, Nevada.
Luby’s other talents included being an accomplished pianist and artist. He used his skill as an artist to interpret bowling’s history through watercolor and oil paintings and donated several bowling-themed works to the International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame for use in fundraising auctions.
Luby is survived by his wife Patricia, daughters Mary Kay Donnelly (Gary), Diane Nyhammer (Grant) and Jean Navarro (Oscar), and grandchildren Ryan and Bridget Donnelly and Peter and Jaclyn Navarro.
Information regarding services are not available at this time.
For more information on the USBC Hall of Fame, click here.