The Christy Prichard Sparkle: a Tribute Written by Mike Howard
- Beth Eberhard
- Dec 15, 2025
- 5 min read
On the occasion of a bench dedication by Aiken Pickleball, Inc., on 12/13/25
Christy and I became pickleball partners four months after my wife Kathy and I moved to Aiken six and a half years ago and we remained partners till her passing. We always traveled to local tournaments together, took lessons, practiced against other teams, and she was my assistant for the past 5 years at the charity event held today [Food and Toy Drive].
Per our time together it soon became apparent that Christy had two primary loves in her life; first and foremost was the love for her family. She was a loving, devoted and a caring spouse to Pat that included providing 24/7 hr. Hospice type care when required, putting off a needed operation for herself to provide the care he needed before his passing. She was a loving, devoted and caring mother to her grown children, and always spoke of them in an affectionate and mom loving manner. She was a loving, devoted and caring Grandmother. Christy’s life revolved around her grandchildren. She spoke constantly about them, showed me pictures with them, and the love and adoration she felt was evident in the interaction she had with them, and the love and adoration she received from them fulfilled her life every day.
The second primary love was pickleball. She loved the game, love playing, drilling, taking
lessons, teaching it to others, watching videos to not only enhance her game but to better
introduce and instruct others regardless of age involving the sport. She brought joy and
happiness to all when she played, but also was always polite, courteous, and professional in
playing the game she so loved.
Christy was multi-talented. She was a natural athlete, I was told a very good tennis player,
played in a league and did well until a severe leg injury caused her to give up the sport, which led to pickleball. We once were discussing downtown Aiken, when I mentioned that I was surprised it didn’t have a bowling alley and asked if she ever bowled. She said she did, had participated in a league and once had her picture and an article appear in the Aiken Standard. I asked her average and was told it was in the high 200's. She enhanced her and my pickleball skills that allowed us to compete in the 3.5 and 4.0 brackets in tournaments including being able to win a bronze medal in the 4.0 bracket in one tournament.
She was artistically talented. She started collecting discarded pickleballs and made fantastic
Christmas tree ornaments that she gave to friends and to charities for their silent auction events. She and Beth Eberhard made an American Flag that is about 3’ x 4’, out of discarded pickleballs and is displayed every year by SPA when they hold an annual pickleball event to celebrate the 4th. She was always willing to make some type of artifact that would sell at various charities to support their donation drives.
Christy was an absolute extrovert. She loved meeting, being with, socializing and
communicating with people. We would be talking in a group, she would leave and go over to another group possibly not knowing who she was, put out her hand and say “Hi, I’m Christy”. The group before she introduced herself may not be smiling or laughing, but I would look over 5 minutes later and see the group smiling and laughing and enjoying themselves. She had that personality. She had a zest for life, started a website in the past year, with ideas that included outside insights from others about improving her and possibly her followers daily lives, ideas to improve family and friend relationships, with a permanent theme being that providing for the needy when possible, should be a constant staple in our moral makeup.
She had a sparkle in her eye that was present when speaking about family, her interactions with her grandchildren, introducing and teaching pickleball to anyone, and when giving assistance to various charities by offering her time, teachings, and artistic contributions. The sparkle was even present in a picture she showed me when holding her grandchild River on her lap with her arms wrapped around her, and both smiling so radiantly that no inscription was needed to see the love and joy that they showed being with each other. I miss that sparkle and look for it in people every day.
I thought she was a very special person and this was verified when we won a gold medal in
2022 in the Palmetto tournament. She was pleased about how we played and texted me later and said how excited and happy she was that she was able to tell her family and her
grandchildren that Granny won a gold medal and how much joy she got from her grandchildren being able to tell their friends what their Grandmother achieved. My feelings about her being a special person were confirmed as I knew it was the joy and happiness of her family and grandchildren that was paramount, and not what she had achieved personally.
Today will be a day of mixed emotions for me. I will feel sadness that my pickleball partner and friend, who has been my assistant at this charity event the past 5 years, will not be present to hand out the T-shirts that bear the slogan “Pickleball with a Purpose” that she created. I also will feel joy, as I know a bench with her engraved name is being dedicated in her honor for the contributions she has given to pickleball, her support of various charities, and for providing only joy and happiness to so many in the pickleball community.
Kathy and I have a one year old granddaughter named Sydney. She will, when the time is right, hear me say these words, “Sydney, PaPa wants to tell you a story about a very very special person”. After the story has been told, I will hear this question, “PaPa do I have that sparkle”?
My reply will be “No, Not Yet”.
But if you love and respect your family like Christy did.
If you treat others like Christy did.
And if you do good things for others in need like Christy did.
You can get that sparkle, You can get that sparkle!
Christy Prichard
Beloved Grandmother, Mother, Sister, and Friend
Pickleball Player
May 15, 1954-August 4, 2025.
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