District 14 is has a smaller bridge population than a number of other districts. Nevertheless, our active competitors and bridge stars shine brightly. One of those shiny stars is Bill Kent, a most successful long time player from Unit 163 in Iowa.
Bill started playing bridge around 1975, in (junior high/high school?) Dennis Cordle was a favorite partner and mentor, and Bill progressed rapidly. A few years later, Mark Patton and Bill became a regular partnership and successful, learning to discuss hands away from the table to hone their game. In 1994 Bill and Mark's GNT team went to San Diego in our district, doing well until Berkowitz/Cohen KO'd their team. For Bill, though, this turned out to be a plus. The ACBL had its first Fast Pairs event, which was a regional at the time yet turned into an NABC the next year. Bill played with Walt Schafer, and the two racked up a 67% and 74% game for the win!
Back home in Iowa City, soon thereafter, Bill and Paulette Koontz developed a fine partnership. Theirs was Unit 163's best and strongest pairing. Determined to beat Alan Stout’s record, Bill won the most points in Unit 163 Sectionals for the next 20-25 years!
Bill excelled at the table for many, many years - yet playing bridge was not his only accomplishment. Bill donated time and energy to bridge by being Unit 163's Secretary/Treasurer, directing club games and mentoring. A great amount of archived bridge materials in Bill's files are being saved, including their Hall of Fame, of which Bill of course is a member, inducted with his good friend Ron Johnston. Bill also served as District 14's President and, helped on committees and tournaments.
At this point, I must inject some personal stories about Bill and yours truly. Although I am 8 years older than Bill (many used to inquire if I was his mother!) I think that Bill began bridge a bit prior to my entry. When I met Bill, I'd been playing for a while, with an array of absolutely superb and exceptionally kind mentors and eventually truly wonderful partners/friends, too. Yet, for my steady partner for 25 years of sectionals, regionals and NABC events - Bill was my guy. He put up with my 80's bidding systems, managed to not get totally hysterical when I did something insane and taught me a ton.
The start of our partnership was at a Lake Geneva Regional when both of our regular pards had left the Midwest. We were having a super game until you know whom made not only one bad error, but two against the partnership that won (I dropped us to 2nd). Yet, as the years passed, we had much good fortune at pairs, and with wonderful teammates in GNT's, first Vern and Monte Evans from South Dakota, and then later Bob and Cindy Balderson, and Paul Meerschaert and Carole Minor.
I could take page after page of memories telling you about highs and lows and exciting moments. Yet one starts as a fall into disaster, culminating in a thrill with laughter inbetween. Bill and I had qualified for the NAP 2004 in Reno and were excited to start with an excellent first day. The next day, however, I chose a bid which I knew Bill hated. And unfortunately, we got a zero and our game disintegrated. The next event, Open Pairs, I was not a horror but not my day to shine. Bill received a reprieve for the next event, the Vanderbilt, when Chicago's Dick Bruno and I played in the Vanderbilt. We ultimately got KO'd by a precision pair whose different style than ours gave them 22 more IMPS when we twice wrong sided a NT game.
Then it was time for the NAOP Mixed Pairs. Bill told Dick to play with me (we'd had a date for that event, ahem.) Dick had been suffering a bit from a cold, and told Bill, no, he wasn't up to it and Bill should play. For a few minutes, the two of them argued who was going to get stuck with me (!!) - and finally Bill (or should I say Dick?!?) won.
We started the next day, and I was utterly determined to not play like a lunatic, to avoid bids and plays that Bill hated and to try to stay "in the boat". It worked! We had a pretty good game day #1 and were up pretty high in the standings. The next day, as the saying goes, "our basket was out and people were contributing." We played well and the opponents did not. After the session, we ran rapidly to the deli to conserve our energy and settle down. When we returned for the last session, we saw a lovely surprise: we were leading!
As we entered the final round, my mantra of "stay in the boat; no craziness" continued. And gifts continued, too. I broke on one hand, taking an odd position - yet it was our day. It worked, an opponent went nuts - and when the final scores were posted we were still at the top. A highlight for both of us in a partnership that lasted many years.
Unfortunately, that partnership is now ending. Bill has been ill for a number of years where he fought hard and received treatment. Yet a couple of weeks ago, his doctors told him that medicine had no more to help, and they recommended home hospice. Bill accepted that choice some days ago, as friends aid him in getting settled, visiting Bill and sharing years and years of most special memories and friendship.
Mark Patton, who was kind enough to share with me some details of Bill's career that I did not know, also gave me some words that Bill wished to share.
I was very fortunate to have lots of people give me opportunities, too many to name. Bob Otto pushed me into directing: (You're directing Thursday - just wing it!) Candy Fowler and Walt Schafer gave me entry into top level bridge. Peg Kaplan gave me a regular partner with whom to play at high levels. Vern and Monte Evans, and Cindy, Bob Balderson, Paul Meerschart and Carole Miner provided steady team support. Dennis Cordle gave me confidence. Paulette Koontz helped me enjoy bridge. Oh how I miss her! Also, too many to name are the people who give me hope. Which I am using right now! My father, Tom Kent, was also very important to my development. He gave me his time. We practiced bidding, taking certain cards from the deck, playing Bridgette, and of course, all the old Bridge Worlds from which I learned Standard American. "Challenge the Champs" was a useful tool.