NATIONWIDE — William Owen Hanna, a Pennsylvania Army veteran, reached his 100th birthday on October 4, 2026, with a bowling ball still in his hands. He celebrated the milestone at a local bowling alley, where family, friends, and fellow league members watched him enjoy the game he has loved for more than eight decades.
His connection to bowling began in the 1940s, when he was a teenager working as a pin setter. Before automatic machines handled the job, workers had to reset the pins after each turn. Hanna eventually moved beyond that role, but his love for sport never faded. At 100, he can still bowl strikes and hopes to keep playing for as long as his strength allows.
Family and friends gathered at MacDade Bowl in Holmes, Pennsylvania, to mark the occasion. Members of the MacDade Bowl Senior League joined the celebration, which included cake, hugs, and a round of “Happy Birthday.” Hanna also spent time on the lanes, bowling part of the birthday festivities rather than simply celebrating from the sidelines.
“God has blessed me to live to see my 100th birthday, yeah,” he told 6 ABC News. He also explained that he wants to keep bowling if he can lift his 13- or 14-pound ball. Sport has given him more than a favorite pastime, allowing him to build lasting friendships with other league members.
Dan Mozier, manager of the senior league, said the group wanted to recognize Hanna’s milestone and celebrate his continued presence. His daughter, Patricia Hanna Clark, attended the party and called him an inspiration to her, his friends and the rest of the family. She is his last surviving daughter. Hanna’s wife and three other daughters died before him, but his family now spans several generations, including six grandchildren, 15 great-grandchildren and 23 great-great-grandchildren.
Bowling is only one part of Hanna’s story. He served in the U.S. Army’s Quartermaster Corps before taking on a range of jobs and community responsibilities. Over the years, he worked as a welder, diesel engine mechanic and trucking contractor, while also serving as a Sunday school teacher, church deacon and Boy Scouts leader. He also worked in the bus transportation ministry. At 100, he continues to enjoy bowling and the relationships he has built through sport.
