American Contract Bridge League

Profile

Bernadine Lacy

(As of January 2006)

Bernadine Lacy burst upon our Rogue Valley bridge scene in 2001 (after a ten-year hiatus to rear her children), and we are all enriched by her presence and her hard work

As a teacher she used to give short lectures before the Friday game and is currently giving five classes per semester in Jackson and Josephine Counties through rogue Community College

Bernadine was born in Stockton CA, and she was reared there. She attended UC at Berkeley where she majored in Political Science. She was exposed to bridge in college for the first time. (Her family had never played card games.) A friend said. "I am going to take you to play duplicate bridge, and it will change your life." Bernadine was hooked on the beauty of the game, and she joined the ACBL in 1974. She has since amassed over 4500 master points.

In 1980, Bernadine and husband, Dan, attended a Regional Tournament in Ashland. Taking a break in the play they roamed the area and found and fell in love with a "For Sale" house outside of Talent. They bought it and moved there from Modesto, CA, where Dan practiced law. They were partners in bridge and in rearing their children until 1988 when they made the decision to take a total break from bridge and become "sports parents." Their children were "all state" athletes: Amy in basketball and volleyball; Vincent in football; and Emily in soccer. The parents' time was filled with school activities and sports activities. In early 2000, Dan died suddenly; Bernadine went to work for his Company to assist in the transition of ownership. She commuted for almost two years and retired in 2001.

It took a business trip to Florida for Bernadine to realize how much she missed bridge. She tried a game of Spades with some friends and was roundly criticized for her inability at the game. She couldn't wait to get to a phone and call Scott Foster to tell him she was ready to return to bridge.

The first Regional event that Scott and she won was in 2003. Since then she has won seven. (eight since she started playing again.)

Bernadine was District 20 President in 1986-87. She was able to push through legislation making all tournaments non-smoking, and she changed the schedule so that board members met three times per year at Regionals instead of once per year. In addition, she was chair of the 1989 Reno National. Also, she was Regional Good Will Chair where she instituted the practice of honoring a Good Will Committee Member of the Year.

She is now a lifetime member of the ACBL’s Charity Committee and was voted one of the most important contributors to the first 50 years of the ACBL awards which were presented at the Anaheim Nationals.

Bernadine is currently the Director for the Ashland Club games as well as the Unit game.

Besides, bridge and following the budding careers of her grown children and enjoying her two grandsons, she revels in the antics of Zelda, an adorable Shitzu-Maltese who is one-and-a-half years old and her two black pug puppies named Joe and Eddie.

Bernadine believes "duplicate bridge is an instant connection with people all over the world. There are games and tournaments everywhere and if you are without a partner they’ll find one for you. You just sit down across the table from strangers and begin to play."