Terry Kulibert might be best known to today’s bowlers as a tournament and brackets operator and bowling center manager, but when we were young he was one of the best in Wisconsin and the U.S., and he made a mark internationally.

Kulibert died Monday at 65, after years of health problems that began in the mid-1980s with a bout with Guillain-Barre syndrome that he never fully recovered from.

I heard the news Monday but waited until others posted about it on social media before posting this story on Tuesday, as I wanted to make as sure as I could that no one close to him would find out from my story.

As part of Rich Wonders’ Kendor Corp./Faball Enterprises group, “Koolie” won team all-events Eagles in 1982, 1983 and 1986 in the ABC Tournament/USBC Open Championships, finished second in doubles with Gary Daroszewski in 1982 behind teammates Wonders and Darold Meisel (on different pairs) in an unmatched achievement. Kulibert also rolled a perfect game in 1989.

He won a silver medal in the FIQ World Championships for Team USA in 1979, and his state and local wins include a State Tournament all-events title, a State Match Doubles title with me, five State Match Team titles, three Wisconsin Non-Pro Bowlers Alliance titles and 12 Northeast Wisconsin Non-Pro titles.

“Koolie,” as he was known to everyone in bowling, was inducted into the Wisconsin Bowling Hall of Fame in the Class of 2018.

After he was told of his Wisconsin Hall of Fame induction, he posted this on Facebook:
"I can't express how much I appreciate getting inducted into the Wisconsin USBC Hall of Fame. This is really the highlight of my life. Hope that all my friends and family can join me on that special night! THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Don't know who the other inductees are but looking forward to a great night."

Koolie was instrumental in my development as a bowler by requesting to bowl doubles with me when Daroszewski went on the PBA Tour in 1983 — I would never have become the bowler I did without being part of the Kendor/Faball teams.

I met him bowling Wisconsin scratch tournaments in the late 1970s when we were teenagers and we became like brothers and eventually doubles partners.

I covered the PBA Miller Open in Milwaukee for The Capital Times in the early 1980s, including 1983 when Koolie made the top 24 and I got to see him go head-to-head with all-time greats like Earl Anthony. Those were some thrills neither of us would ever forget.

Our win in the 1985-86 State Match Doubles was a highlight of my bowling career to that time and included an epic 4-3 win over Wonders and Meisel.

I often wondered what Koolie might have achieved in bowling had he not come down with Guillain-Barre syndrome, which permanently robbed him of strength and coordination.

There is no doubt he had the ability to win more Eagles and who knows what else, had he not gotten sick — he was as good as anyone in Wisconsin before he got sick and he was only two years older than me.

Koolie was a bowling center manager and owner from his early years, ran the Wisconsin Scratch Bowlers Tour for years, including the popular WSBT Over 40/Under 40 Doubles on Thanksgiving weekend that still draws huge fields. I hope it continues.

“Gone but never forgotten” is a saying that certainly applies to Koolie.