March 2020 - 12

Mr. Everything

William Stine named 2020 Goodwill Member of the Year
BY SUE MUNDAY
Photo by Kathy Rappaport

"My problem," says William Stine,
"is that I just love helping people."
Stine's problem has become so
chronic that he was named ACBL's
2020 Goodwill Member of the Year.
His full-time bridge do-gooderism is
shoehorned into a more-than-full-time
career as a healthcare provider and a
demanding home life. "I'm a workaholic - always have been," he says. His
workweek averages 90 hours; he runs
on about four hours of sleep a night.
With a master's degree in nursing
and an associate degree in restaurant
management, William describes himself as a daredevil who loves to cook
and clean. "I hate just sitting around
doing nothing. I am always busy."
William inherited his love of bridge
from his grandmother. "Grandma
played cards like you wouldn't believe,"
he says. Among his eight brothers and
sisters, William was the only taker
when it came to bridge. "And because
I was willing to play bridge, I got the
benefits."
One of those benefits was a bridge
cruise with Grandma. At 10 years old,
William was by far the youngest of the
players onboard. "They all treated me
very well," he says. "They did everything for me - got me cookies and
everything."
At 56, William is still one of the
youngest in a community of bridge

12 Bridge Bulletin March 2020

players, but now he's the one doing
everything for everybody.
Vicki Graves of La Quinta CA submitted the paperwork nominating
William on behalf of the Palm Springsarea Unit 533 Board. "William is Mr.
Everything to our unit," Vicki says.
"Whether he is baking cookies, setting up a venue or cleaning up after an
event, William is always there."
Stine's bridge stewardship has been
recognized at the club, unit and district
levels, which always makes him feel
uncomfortable. The national goodwill
spotlight? Well, really uncomfortable!
"I've never been one who likes the
recognition," he says. "I don't do things
because I'm expected to. What I get
out of helping people is a lot more than
what I put into it."
When his name was announced as
the first recipient of the Mission Hills
Duplicate Bridge Club's Robert A.
Astone Appreciation Award - or maybe
it was the 2015 Ronald and Nancy
Erickson Volunteer of the Year Award
- Stine was nowhere to be found. He
was hiding in the kitchen, hoping no
one would find him.
Vicki's nomination highlights one of
William's many contributions. "Two
new directors wanted to attend a training program in Los Angeles," she says.
"But the five- to six-hour round trip in
stressful traffic made transportation a
problem. William gave up a day to drive
them, and waited so that he could bring
them home when they completed the
class."
Nancy Erickson - ACBL's 2016
Volunteer of the Year - knows a thing
or two about service and dedication.
"When William started playing
bridge here," Nancy says, "we all saw
something special - a bridge player
with a heart of gold and a unique

understanding of the needs of people
aging and facing limitations. William
believed that an active mind should
not be left to wither in a La-Z-Boy
recliner."
One of the players William helped
get up and get out was Bob Astone, a retired doctor who could no longer enjoy
playing golf and tennis.
Barbara Astone, Bob's wife, owns
the Mission Hills club in Palm Desert.
"My husband was in failing health," she
says. "William picked Bob up and took
him to games and played with him.
He enriched and extended Bob's later
years immeasurably!"
William befriended Luella Becken,
a retired professional dancer, after the
two were randomly partnered for a
club game. William chauffeured Luella
to the club when her husband was unavailable. Then her husband died.
Nancy says Luella's and William's
standard "date" included a ride to and
from the bridge club. "As the years
went by and Luella's health declined,
William became her healthcare provider and lifeline. He was with her when
she passed, so she wasn't alone."
William has just termed-out after
seven years of service on the unit board
- five years as vice president and the
past two as president. He was able to
bring order to a somewhat fractious
bridge community by being calm,
remaining neutral and adhering to the
rules. "And I listened," he says.
He still helps out as tournament
coordinator. He'll also continue to
show up early for club games to help
get tables and chairs set up, organize
food, help pass boards, remove the
cards from the board for those whose
hands might not be as nimble as they
once were and stay after to clean up
and congratulate those who did well. ◾
March 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of March 2020
