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Lifestyles Tribute - Berenice Starr It’s tempting to paint this dedicated and creative woman as larger than life because of her tireless commitment to this community for nearly fifty years. Yet Bernice would have been the first to tell you that when something’s important, it simply needs to get done. And it wasn’t until her ninth decade that this former Oregon schoolteacher began painting–playfully and going for the gusto, just as she lived. Avid travellers when she and her late husband Ed came to Vallarta for the first time at Easter 1952, she thought it great fun that a bed was made up for them underneath a Rosita Hotel stairway because no rooms were available. And right up until being admitted to a California hospital last fall, no matter how bad she felt physically, Bernice greeted every morning with childlike anticipation of what she would paint that day. She sold out her whimsical cat series, but not before friends had convinced her to illustrate a children’s book with them. She proudly published “Bartholomew” last year. And she was having a lot of fun with the carousel-themed paintings she was working on. “I loved fair merry-go-rounds as a child and remember always reaching out trying to grab the brass ring.” This indominatable spirit led her to become one of the American community’s most determined activists, never saying never despite roadblocks that would deter most. It took three decades of persistent effort to rally support for a spacious and well-equipped public library, for example. She’s credited with the successful negotiations for the land donation where the Los Mangos Public Library now stands, as well as the realization of its planning and construction. But perhaps she’s best known for helping to level the education playing field for needy Mexicans. Knowing that education provides a foundation for a productive life and a healthy community, she co-founded and continuously supported the America-Mexico Foundation, a volunteer organization that raises money and negotiates scholarships for bright students who would otherwise have to quit school. Now Vallartense doctors, architects and other professionals are equipped to co-create their community, Bernice’s creativity in action shaping a culture of pride and sparking the awareness that you and I, too, can chose to contribute.

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