Bill Petrochuk Inducted Into COCA Hall Of Fame

At the November COCA meeting in Chicago, Bill Petrochuk was the honored recipient of the 2014 COCA Hall of Fame Award.  The etched crystal award was presented by COCA Hall of Fame committee chairman Erick Johnson.

This award is presented annually to those that have made “significant contributions” to the betterment of our club and/or the hobby of collecting coin operated machines.

{image_1}Bill first remembers playing a slot machine in the mid 1950’s when he was six years old.  Through a strange coincidence he obtained that exact same machine in 1971 for free.  After a series of other strange coin-op coincidences he decided he was destined to collect coin-op. 

His fascination with their complex mechanisms and the artistic beauty of the machines continues today. His focus has always been on gambling machines.  Currently he maintains a collection of over 400 trade stimulators and slots along with a few penny arcade machines.

Bill was recognized for his outstanding service and contributions to the club.  He served as the chairman of the first and seventh COCA national conventions.  He was COCA President for four years and he has opened his home for tours during conventions and local gatherings.{image_2}

He chaired the committee that developed our current website and continues to serve as the website editor.  He has recruited numerous candidates to serve as COCA officers and individuals to speak at our meetings.  And, it was Bill’s idea to start the COCA Hall Of Fame.

Bill has written several articles for COCA Times Magazine along with articles that appeared in Antique Week and Southeastern Antiquing magazines.  Bill continues to serve as an ambassador for COCA by recruiting and mentoring new members.  He welcomes all questions from other coin-op enthusiasts.

President Doug Cain, Bill Petrochuk & H.O.F. Chairman Erick Johnson - Pictures by Sandy Lechtick