The man recognized as the nation's oldest league bowler has died.

Bill Hargrove died Monday of congestive heart failure. He was four days shy of his 107th birthday.

Hargrove began bowling in 1924. For decades, he played a version known as duckpin bowling. But as that faded, he took up the more popular form of bowling, played with a larger ball.

Hargrove said it helped him cope with the 1973 death of his wife and gave him something to look forward to after he retired.

In recent years his eyesight had deteriorated so much that he could hardly see the pins. But at 106, he kept at it and was on the lanes as recently as last week.

Hargrove's daughter Sandra says "bowling kept him fit" and his love for the game kept him engaged in the community. She says the sport "ultimately contributed to his longevity."