Mark Bainbridge Class of  1967

  After graduation from SWHS, I attended Ohio State for a couple of terms and then transferred to Florida State.  I joined Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Several other SWHS classmates were members of Phi Delt including Richard Zacur, Eddie Floyd, Jim Lenehan, and Chuck McCormick.  Unfortunately, I lost contact with all of them and have not seen any of them since I left FSU.

  I received a bachelors and masters degree while at FSU.  While at college, I helped pay my way by working at restaurants and eventually at the local country club.  At the time of my graduation, I was the maitre d' at the country club.  I soon took a job for Club Corporation of America as assistant manager of the University Club in Jacksonville.  That was the beginning of a long career in restaurant, city club and country club management that has taken me to such places as Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, back to Jacksonville, Dallas, Tyler Texas, Lafayette Louisiana, and Nashville.

  Until I moved to Nashville, I wasn't in one place very long and never established any lasting relationships. However, I lived in Nashville (Franklin) for nine years and that is where I met my wife Terri.  We were married in 1992.  Terri is from Tullahoma, TN and graduated from Middle Tennessee State.  While in Nashville, I was the general manager for Richland Country Club.  Richland was one of the more prestigious clubs in the area and included a Jack Nicklaus signature golf course. 

  I loved my job at Richland and would like to think that I would still be working there.  Nevertheless, in the mid nineties my father was suffering from Alzheimer's disease.  Over the years he had to be moved from one type of facility to another as the disease progressed.  Once we got him comfortable in one place, it was time to move him to a more appropriate level of care.  This happened about once a year.  At first, my dad was in the Daytona Beach area, but we soon moved him to the Miami area so that my sister, Gayle (class of '69), could be closer.  Well as time went on, the burden of care was mostly falling on my sister, so I decided to look for a job in south Florida. 

  So in 1996 we moved to Naples.  Less than two months after the move, my dad passed away.  He had taken a sudden turn for the worse, which was actually a blessing.  I do not believe that he was leading a meaningful life at that point by any definition.  Even though the move to Naples may have seemed in vain, I really enjoyed being close to home and the many visits I had with mother and Gayle over the last four years.  Unfortunately, my mother also passed away several months ago.

  Terri and I really love the Naples area.  I am the general manager of Wyndemere Country Club.  Terri is a CPA and is the controller of Quail West Country Club.  We both enjoy the country club business, as it is a nice environment in which to work.  We really have to work very hard during the season of October through April, but the summers are slow and that gives us time to travel and rest up for the next hectic season. 

  I'm also an avid FSU football fan and we attend six to eight games every year.  Already this year I've been to games in Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Miami, Atlanta and College Park, MD.  Terri likes the traveling, but I'm not so sure she likes the games as much as I do.

Bio October 21, 2000