Nancie Colling

Nancie Colling, born Florence Nancie Whalley and also known as Nancie Evans, lived from 19 April 1919 to 1 July 2020 and was an international lawn bowls competitor for England. Born in Colwyn Bay, she moved with her family to Somerset and began bowling in Frome in 1948, later serving as secretary of the Frome Selwood Club and of the Somerset Ladies Bowling Association. She won four national titles, the first in the singles in 1956, the third in the two wood singles in 1965 and the fourth in the singles in 1970, only four years after a spine injury had temporarily paralysed her. At the 1973 World Outdoor Bowls Championship in Wellington she won silver in the fours and bronze in the team event. She became president of the English Women's Bowling Association in 1976, served 22 years as secretary of her national association, was president of the International Women's Bowling Board and received an MBE in 1996.