MELISSA PINGRY WAS BORN IN ILLINOIS ON OCTOBER 1. SHE WAS RAISED IN CALIFORNIA AND LIVED THERE UNTIL SHE WAS 20, THEN LIVED IN TEXAS AND MARYLAND FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. MELISSA IS PROUD TO ADMIT SHE HAS LIVED IN TEXAS FOR LONGER THAN ANYWHERE ELSE.

MELISSA HAS TWO CHILDREN, LEE PINGRY AND GLENNETTE GREGORY, AND SEVEN GRANDCHILDREN, CHRIS, ASHLI, MICHELLE, SAMANTHA, DAVID, CANDACE AND ANTHONY.

MELISSA BEGAN BOWLING IN 1970 AT MEADOWCREEK LANES ON THE THURSDAY MORNING LADIES COFFEE CUP LEAGUE. SHE BOWLED FOR SEVERAL YEARS AND THEN STOPPED FOR ABOUT 3 SEASONS, THEN, IN 1987, JOINED THE THURSDAY NIGHT LADIES AT ARMADILLA AND STILL BOWLS THAT LEAGUE, NOW SERVING AS SECRETARY.

AT ONE TIME, MELISSA BOWLED 7 LEAGUES A WEEK, BUT HAS SINCE REDUCED HER COMPETITION TO ONLY 2 NIGHTS. MELISSA HAS SERVED THE PWBA AS ASSOCIATION SECRETARY/ TREASURER SINCE 1999 AND SAYS, “I LOVE IT!” MELISSA SERVES AS AN OFFICER, DELEGATE AND DIRECTOR ON SEVERAL STATE AND NATIONAL COMMITTEES, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL 500 CLUB, AND 1ST VP FOR THE TEXAS STATE 500 CLUB.

SHE ATTENDS ANY AND ALL WORKSHOPS AND LOVES THE TRAVEL ASSOCIATED WITH HER BOWLING TRIPS. SHE ALSO ENJOYS WALKING THE LANES AND INTERACTING WITH ALL THE BOWLERS, BE IT FOR PROMOTING AN UPCOMING TOURNAMENT OR FUNDRAISING. SHE JOKES SHE IS RECOGNIZED AS THE “GIVE ME A DOLLAR LADY!”