Cortland Standard .net

By TOM VARTANIAN
Staff Writer
It was a morning of celebrating at Cort-Lanes as the weekly Fun Day bowlers cavorted with their good friend Gerald Meyer.
Meyer is one of the founders of the weekly Fun Day gathering, but Friday was special as he was treated to a surprise birthday party. Meyer turned 100-years-old this Tuesday, and the lifelong bowler was honored by his Cortland peers.
Wearing a white T-shirt that read: “I’m 100 years old....and still bowling strong,” Meyer posed for pictures and took congratulations from all those in attendance and looked forward to bowling another day.
“I didn’t know they were doing this,” Meyer said of the nearly 40 people on hand to celebrate the milestone. “It’s not necessary, but it is really nice.”
Jim Grant organized the event Friday.
“Gerry was bowling one day and one of the guys asked how old he was,” Grant recalled. “I went over and asked him and Gerry said that he was 99, I asked when he would turn 100 and he replied Tuesday, June 16. He didn’t come the next week so I told the guys let’s have a little get-together. Gerry comes every other week to bowl with us.”
Meyer came to area in 1955 to teach in the English Department at what he called Cortland College, now SUNY Cortland, after teaching at UCLA for five years. He has a Master’s Degree and Doctorate from Columbia University and aGraduate Degree in Business Management from Harvard.
After raising a family in Cortland, Meyer now lives with his daughter (Carol) in Harford, outside of Dryden. Meyer is still a Professor Emeritus in English.
While the dates are a little tougher to remember, Meyer is still quick with a comment and enjoys the friendships he has formed over the years. His biggest memory involving bowling came in 1993.
“Getting inducted in the (Cortland Bowling Association) Hall of Fame is really the highlight,” Meyer said. “I was a city doubles champion twice and won a few more good tournaments.”
The Fun Day — here it’s all about winning the pennies in the unique scoring system used — was a day started by Meyer and longtime friend Dick Smith.
“We started down at Recreation Alleys 25 years ago with Milt Cass and Glen Wheelock,” Smith recalled. “We used to hang out there in the morning. We just got this going.There weren’t many guys there, but it has grown since we came here at Cort-Lanes. Gerry and I have bowled together for many years.”
Joan Johnson got a late invite to Meyer’s celebration, but she was excited to be at Cort-Lanes honoring a friendly rival.
“Gerry and I are charter members of the Sunset League that started in 1959,” Johnson said. “We bowled in that league when it started at Recreation Alleys because Cort-Lanes wasn’t even built yet. Once it was we moved out here. We bowled against each other in that league for 50 years.
“It’s great he is still going strong at 100,” she added. “He left our league two years ago when he was 98. He was still driving at age 97, but he didn’t like bowling at night anymore. We started at four o’clock and ended around seven. It would be getting dark. He had teammates who would give him rides, but it didn’t want that. He really is very independent. Gerry will take rides to the banquets, but he didn’t want a ride on a regular basis.”
Grant said that Meyer has really been an inspiration to him.“You get a guy who is in his late 80s and early 90s you need to pay attention to him,” Grant said. “I’ve been around him in the Senior Men’s League. As I was growing up, I heard the name Gerry Meyer a lot in bowling.
“Gerry was and still is very competitive,” he continued. “Gerry is a willing guy to come over to you and tell you what you were doing wrong. If you listened, he was willing to help you correct the problem.”
“I didn’t know I was that much of an influence,” Meyer chuckled.
Cort-Lanes owner John Partigianoni, Jr. gave a little insight into the daily routine of Meyer back in the day some 50 years ago.
“Gerry would start the day at the YMCA,” Partigianoni said. “He would swim a mile and run a mile in the morning. After the Y, He would go to the Rec (Recreation Alleys) and bowl three games in the Senior Men’s League which is now here Monday mornings. He would have a few adult beverages after bowling. He would go home in the middle of the afternoon and have dinner with his wife. He would come back to the bowling alley and bowl with a bunch of us. Joe Ferris, Bob Cook, Jerry Hartquist and myself. I believe we won the city league 50 years ago. That was his Monday routine while still at Cortland College.”
When told about Meyer’s response to all the fuss over him, Partigianoni said it best about the guest honor.
“That’s Gerry,” Partigianoni replied. “He really hasn’t changed in the last 20 years. That’s just the way he is. He doesn’t care about the attention, he just enjoys being with his friends. That’s what makes him happy.”
With all that said, another battle for the pennies began. After the bowling was completed, Meyer and his friends enjoyed the cake and another day together.