GREENVILLE – Judy Collins and Dr. Alex Warner are the new Brethren Retirement Community (BRC) Champions of the Fall Bocce Tournament, claiming the crown after edging out Bob and Krista Boellke in the championship match.
Collins, who will turn 82 on December 7, teamed up with Warner, a Greenville Senior High School Class of 1967 alumnus, to take the title in straight games, 2-0.
“I had a very good partner today,” Collins said with a smile. “Alex is a good guy.”
When asked if winning the BOCCE Ball tournament ranked among her life’s highlights, Collins laughed and replied, “Yes, I think so. It’s unbelievable. I enjoyed it.”
Warner praised his teammate’s performance and reflected on the spirit of the event.
“It’s fun to win, and Judy was great this year,” he said. “She really did a nice job for us. It’s more about the camaraderie and the socialization. That’s why we put these courts in. It’s great to see people come out—even when they’re not playing—just to watch the games. The main thing is getting people out, exercising, and having good, clean fun. We just happened to have a good day.”
Bob and Krista Boellke were gracious in defeat after an impressive tournament run.
“Bob and Krista are really worthy folks,” Warner noted. “They probably had one of the best matches last night I’ve seen. They had a playoff in their division.”
Tournament director and official scorekeeper Myrl Nisely managed the scheduling and results for the event.
“I print out score sheets to keep track of wins and losses every week,” Nisely explained. “Each team plays two games each week for five weeks. We even had a tie in one of the divisions, so we had a playoff between the Boellkes and Tom Bowman and Phyllis Saylor.”
Warner also shared that his championship partner had a long and distinguished career at the Darke County Educational Service Center.
“She ran the place,” he said with a grin. “You talk about superintendents, but Judy was the power behind it.”
Collins chuckled and added, “I did,” when asked if she trained many superintendents over the years.
Now happily residing at the Brethren Retirement Community, Collins says she enjoys both the people and the atmosphere.
“They are friendly, and they’re here to help you if you need it,” she said. “I really enjoy living here.”
