Evelyn and John Bell   

For decades Evelyn and John Bell were beloved ambassadors of Stanley Park Lawn Bowling Club. Between them they won numerous Provincial and National medals over the long span of their bowling careers.  

Married in 1950, they started bowling in 1967 as members of Dunbar LBC. They also belonged to Terminal City LBC (now Granville Park) before moving to the West End in 1976 and joining SPLBC.  

The American-born Evelyn was one of the women that spearheaded the campaign to get women into the Canadian lawn bowling championships, which finally happened in 1972. Evelyn went on the win BC and Canadian gold in 1981 and 1988.  

John also had great success at the provincial and national levels, winning three provincial championships and two national silver medals. He devoted his considerable energy to the sport of lawn bowling, getting involved in all facets of the game. He designed a lightweight bowls pusher and generously shared his design and construction methods with other clubs. A certified umpire, he umpired at all levels of the sport. From 1993-2002 he was head of officiating for the Canadian Blind Bowls Council. In 1993, he was the Games Scheduling Secretary and Record Keeper for the World Blind Bowls Championships in Victoria. In 1996, John was the head umpire at the IOC Paralympic Games in Atlanta.  

Both Evelyn and John enjoyed taking a novice or intermediate bowler to a tournament to give them experience. The V&D tournament that bears their name today was borne out of their desire to encourage new bowlers to get a taste of friendly inter-club competition and hopefully instil a life-long passion for the sport, just as it did for them. 

As a couple they were devoted to each other. They met when Evelyn accompanied her mother on a trip to Alaska in 1949 and John was a steward on a Union Steamship. They would meet every day after his shift. Evelyn returned to California and they corresponded for over a year. She worked hard and bought herself a car and drove up to Vancouver to be with John. They were married for over 70 years. They continued to bowl well into their nineties. They passed away within two months of each other, in 2021. 

Evelyn and John received 50 year pins from Bowls Canada in 2017.  Prior to that, in 1997 John was awarded the President’s Award from the BC Lawn Bowling Association and in that same year GPLBC presented him with a life membership. In 2003, Evelyn and John were awarded life memberships to Stanley Park Lawn Bowling Club, and John was awarded the Award of Merit from Bowls Canada in recognition of his significant contributions to the game of bowls.  

They both were great fun to bowl with. They introduced so many people to bowling over the years and would nurture and encourage them all. John was known as the man to see if you were in need of a set of bowls, and Evelyn is remembered for her unorthodox but deadly delivery. They truly loved the sport. Their smiles and laughter are sadly missed at the club, but their influence will be long lasting.