STACY BROMBERG (1956-2017)
The world of darts was saddened to hear of the death of top US ladies’ darts player Stacy Bromberg on 12th February 2017. She was 60.
Stacy (pictured), was born in Los Angeles on 27th July 1956 but lived in Las Vegas, was a popular member of the global darting community and had been Number One in the American Darts Organization (ADO) rankings a record sixteen times: thirteen of those in a row. She was US Ladies National Champion (501) on eleven occasions and Ladies National Champion (Cricket) four times. Stacy was also a member of the US darts team (eight times) which competed in the World Darts Federation (WDF) World Cup.
In the UK Stacy reached the quarter-finals of the British Darts Organisation’s Ladies World Darts Championships in 2002 and competed on many occasions in the WINMAU World Masters. In 2010 Stacy made darts news headlines when she became the PDC/Unicorn Women’s World Champion defeating England’s Tricia Wright in the final on stage at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool.
Tributes to Stacy have saturated social media: such was her popularity within the sport. Professional Darts Corporation Chairman Barry Hearn said,
This is very sad news for all of us at the PDC and we send our condolences to Stacy’s family and friends at this difficult time. Stacy was a wonderful ambassador for darts and a lovely person whose dignity whilst battling cancer and selflessness in raising huge sums of money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation was boundless. She was a larger than life character and will be missed by so many people.
Dave Allen, Head of media at the PDC told me:
She was a wonderful lady and an inspiration with how she led her life despite her health issues. It was a joy to know her and I loved how positive she always was.
Jay Tomlinson, the former publisher of Bull’s Eye News said,
Stacy will always be in my heart. She was a beautiful person, always giving, but also a fierce competitor. We were truly friends.
Paul Seigel (aka ‘Dartoid’), a close friend of Stacy’s, and well aware of her condition, was still devastated at the news when it came. He told me:
We were friends from the day we met. She loved to argue and was good at it. That was probably what attracted us to each other. I am not sure I ever won an argument with Stacy (probably no one did!) but in disagreement we “solved” many of the world’s problems, or liked to think so.
Paul also revealed to me that, for the eighteen months or so up to the time of her death, Stacy was working, with Paul’s wife Marylou, on a book about her life, career, and battle against cancer. Paul added, “The cover is even complete. She has designated a charity to receive the proceeds. It will be a little while, but the book will still be published.”
It is only right and fitting that Stacy’s life story be recorded for posterity and I look forward to eventually learning much more about ‘The Wishgranter’. She was truly one of the greatest ladies to ever throw a dart.
© Patrick Chaplin
Images of Stacy © PDC/Lawrence Lustig. Used with permission.
This tribute to Stacy was first published in Dr. Darts’ Newsletter #84, March 2017 and subsequently in Darts World in April 2017. Updated August 2019.
Dr Patrick Chaplin 