
Have you met Joe & Betty Patrick?
Wow! First of all Joe is just a wealth of Black History knowledge. I was supposed to be interviewing both of them, but honestly, the stories that Joe was telling were so interesting.
Joe & Betty are one of our founding couples of the Cruisers. They are both retired from the LAUSD. Joe left as a Senior Dispatcher in Transportation after 36 and a half years, and Betty spent 26 years with the District and retired as a bus driver.
Joe & Betty were avid bowlers until Joe’s knees decided it was time for him to quit. Joe is even documented in the The International Bowling Museum and Hall of Fame in St. Louis with an 868 series, bowling TWO PERFECT GAMES in that series. Joe was a pinsetter as a boy.
In the Jim Crow era, black folks were not allowed to use the bowling alley, but as a pinsetter, the owner allowed Joe and the other pinsetters to bowl on Saturday mornings before the alley opened up. When Joe moved to LA for work, one Saturday Joe’s brother suggested they go bowling. Joe, confused, looked at his watch thinking it was much too late and that they would not be allowed to use any public bowling alleys.
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Joe & Betty live in Gardena and are just the kind of RV’ers that we all strive to be. The drop
of a hat is all that Joe needs to get in and roll. Betty says the most memorable place they visited was Niagara Falls and Joe says his happy place is any casino. Joe & Betty have been across the country sixteen times. They are mainstays at just about every Cruiser campout.
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