Published in the Orlando Sentinel (FL) on 3/13/2003.

LAKE, BERNARD DAVID "BUDDY", On March 1, 2003 Bernard David "Buddy"
Lake passed away. He was born on July 30, 1913 to Benjamin and Elizabeth
Lake in Louisville, KY. The family moved to the Sanford area in 1916,
where the family farmed in the community of Lake Monroe. He attended
Sanford High School where he was a standout baseball player. "Buddy" was
co-owner of the Thrifty Service Station, on the corner of 2nd St. and
Palmetto Avenue in Sanford for 32 years. He will best be remembered
for his career as a baseball player. He started his career in 1933 with
the Boston Braves Organization playing for Harrisburg in the New York
Penn League. After hurting his pitching arm in 1936, he came back to
play for Sanford in the Florida State League. He was the Florida State
League batting champion in 1943 with a .352 average. After he served
in the U.S. Navy during WWII, he came back to the Florida State League
in 1946. He will best be remembered for a game played on July 19, 1947
in Deland. He pitched 19 innings that Saturday night and did not allow
a run. He then hit a homerun in the top of the l9th inning to Win the
game 1-0 for Sanford. His pride and joy however was a perfect game he
pitched in Sanford on July 24, 1948. It was the first perfect game in
the history of the Florida State League. It was many years later before
another pitcher was able to match his record. He is listed in the National
Baseball Hall of Fame in New York Coopers Town as the only baseball
player, either major or minor leaguer, to ever have pitched a perfect
game and led the league in batting. He was honored on October 18, 2001,
at the rededication of the Sanford Memorial Stadium with the naming of the
conference room as the "Buddy Lake Room". He was the husband of the late
Pauline Eleanor Lake. He is survived by his sister, Doris Eldred of West
Palm Beach; six children: Kelly Lake of Deltona, Thomas Lake and Cindy
Anderson of Lake Mary, John Lake and MaryBeth Lake of Sanford, Chris Lake
of Longwood; 10 grandchildren and 9 great-grandchildren. The location
for the memorial service for Mr. Lake has been changed to the Memorial
Baseball Stadium, located at 1201 Mellonville Ave., in Sanford. The
service will take place on Saturday, March 15, 2003 at 3 PM. In lieu of
flowers the family has requested that memorial contributions be made to:
B.A.S.E. Camp Children's Cancer Foundation, 7501 Glenmoore Ln., Winter
Park FL 32792 (407)673-5060. Gramkow Funeral Home, 500 E. Airport Blvd.,
Sanford, Florida. (407) 322-3213.