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Archives - The amazing Whitey Liggett

Ourimbah/Lisarow RSL Bowling Club's perennial “treasure”, 98 years old Whitey Liggett, continues to amaze his club mates with his positive attitude (mixed with cheeky humour), endurance and zest for life.
A great club supporter, Whitey bowls up to four times a week, goes to gym classes three times a week and still finds time to drive himself, on an unrestricted licence and without glasses, to visit his daughter at MurraysBeach on LakeMacquarie.
Whitey was born on the 27th April 1915 at Kanopolia, Kansas in the USA  and joined the American Army in 1935 serving in the Philippines from 1937-1938. His unit left PearlHarbour the week before the Japanese attack and was sent to Darwin where he spent most of World War 2.
In 1943 while in Sydney he met and married the daughter of Jack Wilson, President of Ryde City Bowling Club and was introduced to bowls.
At the war's end Whitey and his wife went to live in America where he rose to the rank of Chief Warrant Officer (Administration Specialist) before retiring from the U.S. Army in 1958. Also in 1958, the Liggetts moved back to Australia and lived at Eastwood where he worked for Plessey for 21 years until retiring from the workforce in 1980 and took up bowls seriously at Ryde CityBC until it closed. He then played Grade 6 Pennants for Deniston East BC and moved to the CentralCoast in 1988.
Whitey first played bowls on the CentralCoast at the A & C Bowling Club, West Gosford until it closed, then played at Gosford CityBC before transferring to his present club, Ourimbah/Lisarow.
In 2012, at age 97, Whitey played in Grade 7 Pennants and was promoted to Grade 4 where he astounded his team mates and their opponents alike by displaying the skills accumulated over numerous years. A truly amazing man.
  
Sad News: - It is with regret that we report that “Whitey” (C P Liggett) from Ourimbah Lisarow RSL passed away on Monday 2nd February 2015. Whitey was one our oldest registered bowlers on the Central Coast and he would have turned 100 years old in April 2015. He was one of the great characters of our sport and will be sadly missed by his many bowling mates