The Fountain Hills Businessmen’s Golf League mourns the passing of Gerald Oliver Vincent Berna.

Jerry was the heart and soul of the Fountain Hills Businessmen’s Golf League for 17 years. Managing a roster of as many as 70 players, he scheduled golf outings 52 weeks a year for the league. He booked tee times, created tournaments, scheduled foursomes, scored results and paid out winnings. He also ran fundraising golf outings for the Four Peaks Noon Rotary. He is well-known and admired by golf course professionals throughout the Valley.

His personality was infectious; sometimes gruff, usually witty and always well-meaning. Of the golf league that he ran so well for those 17 years, he always said, “It’s not a rich league, but it’s an honest one.” He always made certain all players were properly rewarded. It was indicative of the kind of man he was.

The day after Jerry passed away was the league’s usual golf day. Just prior to tee time, a light rain was ending and a rainbow appeared. It turned into a bright, sunny day that was perfect for golf. It was just the kind of day that Jerry would have ordered.

For those of you that did not have the opportunity to get to know Jerry, you missed a very memorable man. For the hundreds of golfers and golf professionals in Fountain Hills and the Phoenix metropolitan area that knew him, we will miss him very much.