We are highlighting our virtual club directors since there are many players
participating who may not know them. This month we are featuring our Sunday
and Monday afternoon director, David White.
Dave White took up bridge after his family refused to let a ten-year-old
stay up and play in the Friday night Pinochle game. He earned his high
school varsity letter as a freshman on the Bridge team. He got started in
directing in 1974 when a regular tournament director got sick and they were
desperate for a substitute.
During his twenty years in the Air Force, he played bridge all over the
world and became a Life Master while playing in Portugal and Germany. While
overseas he kept busy directing ACBL tournaments in Germany, England, and
Italy. David said: “Yes, the Air Force took second place to my bridge
career.”
After the Air Force, Dave finished his formal education. He thinks 29 years
some sort of record to get a BS, but we see in the news that there are
plenty of people who finish their degrees after retiring from their regular
job. He took more classes in Physics and Rocket Engines, with an advisor
who was a horrible bridge player. After a couple of successful inventions,
he finally had enough money to play some serious bridge.
Alas, ACBL then hired him to oversee the new scoring program. They fired
him when it crashed disastrously. Re-hired him to maintain the current
program a little longer; was fired again when they gave up on that project.
Another record: ACBL has hired him four times, fired him three.
Before COVID, Dave usually played with Pat Larin of Rancho Mirage, on the
first and last day of any tournament he was working. He also played as
often as possible with Bob McBroom in Santa Clarita. He says they are the
only two people who can tolerate his peculiarly weird sense of humor and
archaic weak notrump system.
Since COVID, Dave’s 50-year marriage license, to a non-bridge player, has
expired. He now commutes from Lancaster to Rancho Mirage. Today he is
running more games than he plays in and is still looking for opportunities
to play more serious bridge. He also serves as District 23’s webmaster. No
grass is growing under his feet.
