Madison Area USBC Hall of Famer Dave Kail died Wednesday after a long illness. He was 83.

“My heart is broken, as he was the love of my life for 57 years,” his wife Chris Kail said in a message.

Dave, who spent years competing on the PBA50 Tour, was inducted into the MBA Hall of Fame in 1989 and Chris was inducted into the MWBA Hall of Fame in 1999. (There is now one combined local hall with the merger of the local associations.)

The Kails moved to Florida years ago, but kept in touch with friends back in Madison. I count myself among those lucky enough to be in that group.

Here is his obituary.

Chris Kail later said that she would be planning a Celebration of Life for Dave in Madison in the summer of 2024.

Here is the post by the Madison Area USBC:
"1989 Madison Area Hall of Fame Inductee Dave Kail has passed away. The Madison Area USBC extends its condolences to the family, wife Chris, and many, many friends of Dave Kail.
Dave was born November 14, 1939 in Mineral Point and moved to Madison in 1949. He graduated in 1957 from Central High School in Madison with a letter in baseball. Dave served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1961 being stationed in Massachusetts, Colorado, and Hawaii. He was honorably discharged as a sergeant.
In 1966 he apprenticed as a painter with Quality Decorators, ultimately starting his own very successful business – Kail Decorating – in 1979. Kail Decorating was the namesake for many an Association Tournament team.
Dave enjoyed and excelled in many sports. He golfed, fished, and played adult league basketball and softball. He recorded a hole in one with a fellow Hall of Famer, the late Casey Kasbaum.
He and his wife of 57 years Chris (Meier) – a 1999 inductee into the Madison Area Hall of Fame – enjoyed traveling, particularly by motorcycle. They also traveled extensively throughout Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean.
The bowling information we have is drawn from his 1989 Hall of Fame induction biography. He began his bowling career at Burr Oaks Bowl in 1962 and racked up several team titles, the first in 1974. He was the 1988 All Events titlist. His high series of 813 came in the 1986-1987 season – when they were a rare feat. Dave was a PBA member at that time and had cashed in three of six PBA Regional events. He was looking forward to PBA Senior competition.
Dave and Chris retired to Florida some time ago yet regularly traveled back to Madison to visit bowling friends, and they dependably attended the annual Hall of Fame dinner. When Dave’s health began to falter and he could not travel, he always took the time to call the bowling association office and make sure “Congratulations from the Kails” was shared with the new inductees."