Downtown Squash Court Dedication
Squash players Bud McDonald and Bernie Mabry to be honored
 It will be a big day for squash enthusiasts on Friday, Oct. 20, 2006. The M.A.C. will celebrate the dedication of the McDonald/Mabry Squash Court located in the Downtown Clubhouse. Patrons will remember both Robert C. (Bud) McDonald - who the court was initially dedicated to - and D. Bernard (Bernie) Mabry who passed away earlier this year. After the dedication an exhibition doubles match will be played on the court. M.A.C. Club Pro Scott Denne and New Zealand's Ray Lindsay will team up against former M.A.C. Club Pro Mike Puertas and Jamie Crombie.
The downtown squash court was originally dedicated to the memory of Bud McDonald, a member of the Club and an outstanding squash player. He won numerous singles and doubles tournaments, both at the M.A.C. and in regional play. An ambidextrous player, Mr. McDonald almost never used his backhand. He was a promoter of the game at the M.A.C. and never passed up an opportunity to teach and encourage new players. Mr. McDonald was an Air Force pilot and Commander of the Air National Guard; he was killed in a crash in 1979.
The Missouri Athletic Club is honored to add the name of Bernie Mabry to the dedication and rename the doubles court in honor of both men. A former governor of the Club and campaign manager for many Board candidates, Mr. Mabry passed away at age 96 earlier this year. The inscription on the dedication plaque tells everything anyone needs to know about Bernie: "The embodiment of the Club’s slogan, 'We don’t stop playing because we are old, we grow old when we stop playing.'" At age 90 a ball in the right corner was his, - everything else was his partner’s. Mr. Mabry was inducted into the Club's Hall of Fame in 1995. He received the Distinguished Service Award for his many contributions to the Athletic Department, including his efforts in promoting the Club's annual Good Fellowship Day on the 5th Floor.
Special invitations to the McDonald and Mabry families have been extended, and members of both families will be in attendance. All M.A.C. Squash players and friends of Mr. Mabry and/or Mr. McDonald are invited to attend. The dedication will take place in the Downtown squash courts at 5:30 p.m., and the pro game will immediately follow. |
