Marilyn Mayo

She never talked about her days in the spotlight, but I soon found out. Everyone who spent their childhood in Australia would say, 'Wow, that is Miss Marilyn,' referring to her 10-year stint heading up the children’s hit programme, The Super Flying Fun Show. She was also a dancer, performing on Bandstand and many other shows. She also remained silent about this, but Dobbs Franks dobbed her in. Dobbs who joined me around 1990 to run the Grand Slam in Mosman, was the original conductor of West Side story in the US. When they brought the show to Australia, in 1984, Marilyn was one of his dancers.

Barbara Lennox

Barbara was one of the stars of our community, always gracious and friendly. She learned with her sister-in-law, Jan Hutchins, in 1990. Together they would become the most successful pair in the history of Grand Slam, eclipsing, the great pair from the 1980s, John Fenner and John Wallace. Barb became a GM in 1995 and earned a star in 2006. Only 24 people have achieved the rank of GM*.

Outside of bridge, Barb had a great love of cooking. Her children included a selection of her favourite recipes in the notes at her funeral service. They included several Latvian recipes. (Barb came to Australia from Latvia as a young child.) Here is Barb's famous BEEF CURRY recipe:

Mary Lang

Doreen Orsatti

Emma Kemeny

Emmy was a member here from the late 1980s. She last played here in 2019. She had her own cohort of friends that she always played with: Dora Krulis, Susan Gretsy, Lily Wolf, Viola Mechler and many more, but Emmy was in charge. She used to come to all our holidays, usually playing with Edith Faux. Emmy was a friend, so I would routinely sit with here at the dinners, where she would routinely grumble about Edith, much to the amusement of Edith and the rest of us.

She was born in Hungary in the shadow of World War II. It was only thanks to her unwavering spirit that she survived the Holocaust. She married her childhood friend in 1952 and in 1956 they escaped from the oppressive communist regime in Hungary to reach Australia, with nothing but a single suitcase. In time they set up Kemeny’s store in Bondi Road. Leslie died in 1986 but Emmy remained the matriarch. With her sons now involved, Kemeny’s became Australia’s number one liquor store by 1990!

Carmen Mednick

Carmen was a very active member of our community from November 1994 until early 2019. She had a nice friendly manner that helped to make her very popular as a bridge partner. She was born in England and immigrated here after the war with her husband Jack, who died in 1996.

Deirdre Greatorex

Deirdre was a woman of grace and warmth. It was always a joy to have her around. She was also a fine bridge player, forming a long-standing partnership with Elizabeth Gilbert. This picture image was taken at the Noosa Bridge Week when they played together.

She never talked about herself, but she had other talents. When Dobbs Franks came on board as a partner in Grand Slam Mosman, he told me that she was a flautist in the Sydney Symphony. Dobbs knew from his many gigs conducting the Sydney Symphony.

Deidre’s member number is 13, which means she was there when Grand Slam was finding its feet. In the early 2000s, Deidre gave up bridge for a while. When she came back, she asked to have her number changed – no doubt, 13 did stand out. So, we gave her a regular 4-digit number. After a while she realised that low numbers have some prestige around here, and 13 is a bit special, so she asked to have it back, which we were pleased to do. Here last game here was in June 2016.

David Galmidi

David played bridge with us for a long time, always in partnership with Edith, his wife of 60 years. They met in Istanbul, and they did everything together. David, an engineer by training, was always very popular here. He had a gentle sense of humour, and he never exchanged a cross word with anyone. You always felt better after an encounter with David.

Eva Lowy

Eva was a member here for more than 30 years, rising to the rank of Grand Master in 2005. Her life away from the bridge table sometimes presented her with challenges, but she was always in her element at the Grand Slam. Here she is at the 30th birthday party in 2013, surrounded by friends.

Her number one partner was Rosalea George. They were an item, and a mighty effective one. She also had a regular partnership with Abe Cohen on Tuesday mornings. She last played here on 29 April 2024.

Pam Thomas

Pam was a vibrant and popular presence here from around 1990 until April 2018. It was always more fun when Pam was around. She played a lot with the likes of Ellen Merer, Lisa Frank, and Brian Parker, but her top two were daughter Annthea Matheson and Kay Don. (We ran into Kay at the Eva Lowy minyan, and she is very alive and well, though housebound at Montefiore.)

Margaret Scott

Her boat, Matira, won several significant offshore racing contests. She met her soul mate, Harry, at the CYC in Rushcutters Bay. They soon found out they were neighbours in the Eastern Suburbs icon, Ranelagh. They immediately moved in together and married a short time later in 1981.

After Harry died in 2007, Margaret mixed her love of travel and bridge. She was a regular at all the bridge holidays run by Anne Weber, from the Grand Slam in Canberra. Her regular bridge partner from that time on was Colin McGregor. He said that Margaret was fun to play bridge with, and she was a safe and dependable friend. She would never say a bad word about anyone.

Sonia Young

Sonia was a long-standing and very loyal member of our community. She was also one of our strongest players. In the Grand Slam’s 41-year history, only 90 people have achieved the rank of Grand Master. Sonia won her GM title in 1994. She then added 2 stars to her title. She is one of only six GMs to do this.

She also excelled as a coach and mentor. She took several of our newer players under her wing and guided them to understanding and confidence. Her time was in great demand.

This year, Sonia is one of our Players of the Month both in Double Bay and online, so her strength did not wane. She was fit and strong until she suffered a stroke some 5 weeks ago. We are pleased to announce that Marion Burtenshaw will fill Sonia’s spot in this year’s Double Bay Winner’s Tournament. Sonia and Marion were good friends and regular partners.

Poppy Cohen

Poppy learned bridge with us in 2014, after a chance meeting with Nevena when Poppy was working at Cue. She took an instant liking to the game and played very regularly. She was always good natured and friendly, so she became a popular partner. Her game was also steadily improving. She had reached the rank of Heart Master. Her most recent regular partners were Jason Billings and Ruth Fingret.

She was diagnosed with cancer mid last year, had surgery in July and was back to bridge with gusto. Everything seemed back in place but that suddenly changed. Her last game was on 16 February. She phoned us two days before she died and had a 10-minute conversation with Nevena. It was a warm and loving farewell. She is survived by three daughters, a sister and a brother.

Eva Curran

Eva was a regular player with us over a long period of time, though she did suffer from persistent health problems. She last played here in February 2019. Together with husband Charles, she set up the Curran Foundation, a charitable organisation that has made many significant contributions, mainly to the St Vincent’s Darlinghurst Campus.

Elaine Bogan

Elaine was a regular player with us since 2010. Her gracious and friendly manner made her a popular partner. She played with 13 different partners here, most recently with Sally Davis. Her good friend Ann Milch went on 10 cruises with her, though they never played together here at the club. She said Elaine really loved bridge. Zara Young also knew Elaine since they were young.

Elaine had three children, the first one mute. Zara and Ann both told me that Elaine devoted much of her life to looking after him. It was a very happy event for everyone when he married a deaf woman, but sadly he died about three years ago.

Elaine had longed suffered from a cancer that unexpectedly became aggressive.

Denis Howard

Denis died 14 January 2023, aged 90. He was part of the big four, who dominated bridge in this country in the 1960s. He was also an and an influential administrator, serving as chairman of the NSWBA, the ABF and the WBF. He was behind the world bridge championship being held in Perth in 1989. I first met Denis in 1981, when he helped me with Australian eligibility, soon after having represented New Zealand.

He was also an entertaining writer with a feisty style and a cutting wit. He was the founding Editor of Australian Bridge Magazine and the bridge columnist for the National Times and the Sydney Morning Herald. He was never afraid to present his opinions, and he would always do it in an entertaining way. This made his column on Sundays in the National Times a must-read. That was especially the case when he and Ron Klinger were waging a feud through their respective columns, as boys are wont to do.

He also had a clever way with words. His title for an article about England regretting the waiving of some penalty during the Bermuda Bowl in Monaco in 1976 was: Britannia Rues the Waives.

Bob Richman used to laugh at the way Denis wrote him up. '... not since he dunked his chubby toes in Lake Erie...'

I took over Australian Bridge Magazine in 1999. During the first six issues, Denis wrote a column where he would usually attack the ABF over fiscal matters. Just one example of his style:

'In the other letter, NSWBA Chairman John Doe informed us that he was the honest man Diogenes had searched for in vain! Honest John it is then – HJ to his friends. HJ was present at the Management Committee meeting when the NSWBA loan was discussed, but his involvement was zip. It seems time therefore to unmask the real mover and shaker in this affair, none other than the Grey Eminence of the NSWBA, its Treasurer, Cardinal Bobby Doe.'

Of course, Denis wrote their real names and, from the correspondence that followed, it is fair to say that they did not enjoy it much.

It was always better to have Denis on your side. In 2000, we encouraged him to captain our team to the World Teams Olympiad in Maastricht. We almost did alright, ending our campaign against Italy in the quarterfinals. We maintained a contact over the years. I last heard from him on January 1 this year. I think he knew the end was nigh. He signed off saying, 'Fact is, age is taking its toll. Best wishes for your enterprises.' The bridge world has indeed lost a great man.

I published a brief obituary for Denis in my column in the Weekend Australian on Saturday 4 February. This prompted an email from Dr Bruce Watson, a non-bridge player, giving us a perspective of the man from outside the bridge world:

'I was a young solicitor at Stephen Jaques & Stephen from 1979 and while he was not my partner, I had a lot to do with DWH and was regularly 'lent' to him. Very large law firms never briefed barristers for advice as they had that expertise in house and young people were often given complex problems to solve. Amongst many other incidents I can recall being called down to see him and handed a large document with his saying to me 'Here is an opinion I have prepared for and sent to, the AMP Society. It is now 6pm on Friday. At 8am on Monday you are to present yourself in my office to in writing confirm whether what I have written is correct. If it is-well and good! If not, we say-that was wrong, here is the correct answer!' That was the end of the weekend!

I was and remain very interested in sailing and recall at 7 am one Sunday his requiring my attendance in the office forthwith. Saying 'but I'm going sailing...' the response was 'my boy. It is a matter of supreme indifference to me whether you intended to go sailing....'

I enjoyed his dry wit and learnt an awful lot from him. I heard anecdotally long after I'd left the firm that when he became managing partner, he really changed a lot of attitudes for the better. As to his National Times column, he was sued for defamation a couple of times which must have been a first for a Bridge column!'

Dobbs Franks

Dobbs ran the Grand Slam in Mosman from its launch in 1991 until 1995. Born in Arkansas, he was a charismatic man who loved bridge, and he was an acclaimed musician. After graduating with a Masters in Piano from the Julliard School of Music in New York, he spent the next two years touring the US as the pianist in a piano trio for Columbia Artists. They performed in 49 of the 50 states of the USA. Then he conducted the first US tour of West Side Story. This eventually brought him to Sydney in 1964, with our member Marilyn Mayo as a dancer. He conducted more than 1,000 performances of the musical.

In the late 60s, he became the Artistic and Musical Director of the New Zealand Opera Company. It was there that he met his wife, English violinist, Ruth Pearl. I met Dobbs in 1975 when he was conducting the Christchurch Symphony in a special festival. He then spent four years as the music director of the Australian Ballet and four years as the music director of the Australian Opera. In 1989, he conducted the Melbourne Symphony when they toured with John Farnham. Here is a video.

Then he did a stint with the Tasmanian Symphony before joining us in Sydney. We talked a lot. I would always ask him about music, and he would always ask me about bridge. During this time, he conducted the Sydney Symphony in a special Summer Festival of American music at the Opera House. When it came to Rhapsody in Blue, Dobbs took the chair at the piano!

In 2006, he was seriously injured in a car accident in Perth, on his way to conduct the WA Ballet Orchestra in the opening night of a Midsummer Night’s Dream. Ruth was also in the car though she was not seriously injured. She died in 2008.

After retiring to Melbourne, he kept contact with Anne Weber and played in our online games from time to time.

Picture below - Grand Slam partners at the opening of Mosman in 1991: Paul with Joan Butts (Brisbane), Anne Weber (Canberra) and Dobbs (Mosman).

David Don

David was an important member of our community for about 30 years. He had a gravitas that brought great credit to him, his partners, and the game itself. He was a local boy, born in Concorde, so he understood the Australian way, including a great loyalty to the Melbourne Cup tradition. He married Kay in 1955 and they were an inseparable item in life, and here at Grand Slam, though they rarely played together. David’s most regular partner was the colourful Max Sernack. David last played here in August 2019. We wish Kay a long life.

David Emanuel

David and Ileana Emanuel had long dabbled with bridge, but when daughters Fiona and Lisa decided to learn in mid-1993, the four of them came to our beginner lessons. They then became regulars on Tuesday nights until Ileana passed in 2004. David continued to play on a regular basis with a variety of regular partners. These included Ben Green who was his Tuesday morning partner and he would play with Fiona’s husband, Rob Weiss, whenever he could, though Rob was only usually available during school holidays. But after COVID hit they became a regular partnership online. They last played on the 1st of October.

David succumbed to a cancer that was first discovered in May last year. He was a warm and generous man who treated everyone with kindness and respect. He would always turn up early for sessions and everyone would come and have a chat, the kitchen staff included.

In his youth he was an acclaimed sportsman. He captained the school swimming team, and he went on to represent Australia at rugby as a lock forward. For those who do not know rugby, the two locks are the strong men who hold the scrum together. He played nine tests for the Wallabies in 1957 and 58, including tours of the UK and New Zealand. But he then suddenly made himself unavailable for the Wallabies.

We asked Fiona why. She said, 'I believe, as it was still an amateur sport, he felt the need to start work and make a living. He could not afford to take time off work. He still played locally but did not have to dedicate so much time to training etc.'

He went on to have a successful career in clothing manufacturing.

Elsa Vine-Hall

Member 100, Elsa was one of the originals at 8 Cross Street in the mid-1980s. She was a fixture in our daytime games, always easy-going and happy. She loved bridge and she loved to go traveling. Though diminutive in size, she was also tough and independent. Even after she suffered a stroke, she got a stick and walked, rather than catching the bus, and she would bravely travel anywhere. But in the end, life took over, as it does with all of us. She last played here seven years ago.

Elsa fondly remembered a special 90th birthday treat. Anne Weber, who ran the Grand Slam in Canberra, took her for a cup of tea in Buckingham Palace, at the end of one of her bridge holidays.

Ellen Greenfield

Bobby was a regular here since the mid-1990s, always in partnership with her younger sister Esther, who passed away in April 2021. The sisters long had a special place here, loved by all for their warmth and kindness. Their story is an inspiring one. They both escaped the horrors of wartime Europe and Auschwitz to live rich and full lives in their new far-flung land after starting with nothing.

During the war, Bobby engaged the love of her life only to be split up when the sisters were taken to Auschwitz. It was only thanks to Bobby’s support that Ester survived this ordeal. Upon release in 1945, Bobby went looking for her fiancé and eventually tracked him down in Budapest. They immediately set up a big wedding, inviting all the family. At the wedding, Esther met the brother of Bobby’s new husband and they promptly got married two weeks later. The sisters now parted ways for a while with Esther moving to Romania. But when Bobby and her husband made it to Australia, she sponsored Esther and husband to join them, which they did in 1960.

In 1952, Bobby and husband Maurice created their Surry Hills textile business, E & M Greenfield. The business continues to thrive, these days run by son Michael, who is also a member here. Esther created a great business in catering, which also thrives to this day. (You can read the full story in Esther's obituary.)

Bobby was awarded the AOM in March 2021 for services to the fashion industry and the community. She said:

'I was so surprised to receive this acknowledgment. I didn’t expect anything like this. All my life I worked, but that has been my pleasure. I have sold buttons since I was 12. That is how I met my husband, and we started a fashion wholesale business in Budapest after the war. We began again in Australia in 1952. From 1970 I travelled twice a year to America, Paris, Italy and Germany to see the fashion. When I came back, I invited designers to come and see new ideas. You work so you can give to your family and whoever else that needs. I feel very lucky to be in Australia.'

Ruth Weinberg

Ruth was a regular here since the early 1990s - she had a friendly nature and an engaging smile. In the last 20 years she formed a joyful partnership with Barbara Goodman. She came back to the club towards the end of last year after the various government mandated lockdowns. Her last session here was at the end of January.

In March she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and, tragically, three months later she was gone. She is survived by a son and two daughters. Her husband died 18 months ago.

Jacob Greenberg

Jacob was a leading player here in the last 8 years or so. Together with his long-standing bridge buddy, Yuri Vizel, he achieved the prestigious rank of GM one star (for a rating of 65).

Born in the Ukraine, he studied mathematics in Moscow. He then immigrated to Israel with his family, where he ran a software business, before eventually settling in Sydney.

He died following complications from a relatively routine operation. He is survived by his wife, two children and six grandchildren.

George Gelb

George played with us for the last 15 years. Always easy-going, he was a lynchpin of flight B. In his professional life, he manufactured dresses for little girls.

George took up bridge in the late 1960s at the encouragement of wife Judy, who was loving her new hobby. George learned from Ron Klinger in Mr Pyne’s bridge club in Bondi Road.

Footnote: We have never heard of this bridge club, or Mr Pyne, so Paul asked Terry Brown about it. Terry said that it was the social hub for rising bridge players in the late 60s; by day they learned lots about bridge, and by night they learned lots about poker.

Leisha Parker

Member 190, Leisha was a foundation member from 8 Cross Street days. She was a very regular presence, always with her little dog on her lap. Leisha worked in her family dress business, which she eventually took over.

She took a 20-odd year sabbatical from bridge, largely because her partner was not a bridge player. All the while she maintained a close friendship with another foundation member here: tarot card reader and bandstand backup singer, Ruth Marks. They regularly jaunted off to high spots like Aspen.

When Leisha’s partner died, about a year ago, Ruth convinced Leisha to come back to bridge, and she was truly back in the fray. But a few months ago, during a joyful lunch in Rose Bay, Leisha told Ruth she was taking antibiotics for an infection. Just one week later, she was gone!

Laurie Kern

Laurie was born in London and came with the family to Australia in 1949. He leaves behind his wife, Pearl, 3 children, 9 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Beyond family, he was an accountant and a businessman, but his true love was sport. He served as president of Maccabiah swimming, and he competed at the Maccabiah games in bowls. He also played cricket and he was a soccer referee.

It is hardly surprising that he was also competitive at bridge. He loved to do well but he was always good company with a fun sense of humour.

Our condolences to the family and young brother Ian, who is well known to us.

Vivian Shore

Ilana Glaser

Coming soon

Peter Singleton

Peter was a good friend of many here. He was always bright company and lots of fun. And he was cheeky. He was the first one to phone us to say he wanted a coffee while sitting two tables away. He was a member here from the mid-1980s (member number 336). He lived nearby on William Street and he would generously make himself available when we needed a player at short notice. About 2½ years ago he moved to the Montefiore Home in Randwick, where he quickly established himself as the leader of the bridge troupe. Just over a year ago he was arranging for Paul to drop into their game but then COVID got in the way.

We have long supplied his game with bidding slips. In fact, Paul received a letter from Peter on Tuesday 20 April with a nice handwritten note enquiring about his well being and wishing us all well. He also requested more bidding slips. Though we never asked for money, he enclosed three $10 notes. Paul replied with a handwritten note for Peter, which he sent along with the bidding slips on Thursday 22 April. Sadly, Peter never got to read it. We discovered on Saturday that he died on Tuesday after a short illness.

Ester Grunfeld

Ester was a grand presence here, usually in partnership with her older sister Bobby, who happily lives on. As recently reported, 3 months ago Bobby was awarded the AO for services to the fashion industry and the community. The sisters were very regular players here since about 1990 but it was their kindness and their warmth that made them so special.

During the war, Bobby engaged the love of her life only to be split up when Ester and Bobby were taken to Auschwitz. It was only with her big sister’s support that Ester survived this ordeal. Upon release in 1945, Bobby went looking for her fiancé and eventually tracked him down in Budapest. They immediately set up a big wedding, inviting all the family. At the wedding, Ester met the brother of Bobby’s new husband and they got married two weeks later. The sisters now parted ways for a while with Ester moving to Romania. But when Bobby and her husband came to Australia, she sponsored Ester and husband to join them, which they did in 1960.

Soon afterwards Ester started Mrs Grunfeld’s Catering, which just took off. At her funeral, the Rabbi described Ester as the matriarch of the Sydney Jewish community. Grunfeld’s Kosher Catering continues to flourish to this day.

Helen Goodman

Helen was a joyful and regular presence here in the intermediate sessions. She loved life and she loved bridge. She used to play bridge at night before going to bed. She said it relaxed her! She was a patient and tolerant bridge partner. And she was a proud mother and grandmother. Regular partner, Linda Vogel, said, "She regularly showed me pictures of her grandchildren, and was overjoyed a couple of weeks ago when her grandchild was awarded a music scholarship."

She died unexpectedly while having lunch in Rose Bay.

Odette Salmona

Odette passed away in February after facing increasing mobility problems. She last played with us on 2 April 2018 after being a regular here for about 30 years. She was a cheerful and popular presence here.

Her most regular partner was Roger Muller, but she also played with Marie Sicouri, Valerie Achison, Lynn Shore and others.

Jim Photios

Jim learned bridge with us in the mid-80s, soon after he got together with Marilyn Mayo, who he had known since he was young. Then he became a semi-regular player here, always in partnership with Marilyn. He also became a good friend with Paul, who would catch up with him and Marilyn for dinner from time to time and would also sometimes meet Jim at his local coffee shop, the Tropicana in Darlinghurst.

Jim was a solicitor in his professional life. He retired in his early 40s and had a cruisy life until illness intervened about 10 months ago.

Phillip Brandon

Phillip died 3½ weeks after being diagnosed with a blockage in the bile duct followed by several surgeries. He was a longstanding member here. Generous with his time, he was always willing to help others. He loved to tell a good yarn. He would turn up before a session and entertain whoever was there with his colourful stories. He was educated at Sydney Boys High. In business his main occupation was in sales, operations and business development across a range of industries.

He was president of Maccabi 1972 – 1977 and again 1989 – 1993. He also served on the board of Hakoah. With our member Judy Brandon, he had two children and four grandchildren.

Zona Tripp

Jacky Baruch

Jacky was a much-loved friend of us all. She was member 392, so we have known her for a long time. In fact, it was her who brought twin sister Millie along. Millie died just over a year ago, so this is the end of an era.

Both sisters had very different health issues, but it is interesting to note that they both played their last game here in October 2018.

Jacky always spoke her mind. Here is Paul's recollection of one of their last conversations:

"The last thing I remember her saying to me here at the club was one day when she opined about my fashion sense. She said you are far too old to be wearing bright green jeans. She did speak to me on the phone after that, vowing she would return. Sadly, that did not happen."

Ervin Otvosi

Ervin was born in Hungary but spent most of his adult life in Australia. He enjoyed great success in business, importing cigars, perfumes, and many other things. He loved bridge. For Ervin, too much bridge was barely enough. He would always hire top professional partners and teammates to make up his team and he had significant success. He first represented Australia in 1990. Paul was a member of that team and they came second in the Far East Championships in Singapore. Ervin also enjoyed good success in Europe where he would hire Polish professionals and play under the Polish flag.

Long a member of Grand Slam, he died from complications after surgery for a broken hip.

John Gray

John was a long-time member here but he only played with us from time to time. He was an enthusiastic bridge player, never tired of searching for new ways to improve his bridge game. John was extremely knowledgeable in many areas particularly in the field of English and Old Norse languages. His other interests included a love of history and classical music. This made for interesting conversations in the intervals between bridge hands. John was a fine chess player and was Queensland Champion at one stage.

In the last two years John continued to play bridge although he was very ill, and his stamina was failing. He will be remembered as a keen student of the game of bridge, a fine chess player, a fierce competitor, an interesting conversationalist and a scholar. John is greatly missed by his devoted wife Denese.

Margie Dowling

Margie was an ebullient character who loved bridge very much. She was a regular here with her many good friends. However, her visits to Grand Slam were sadly cut short when she had a fall on a cruise ship out of Hong Kong. She last played with us in May 2016.

Outside of bridge, Margie did tireless work for charity. In 2004 she received the Order of Australia Medal, principally in recognition of her work with children’s charity, Barnardos.

Marion Wise

Marion was an engaging character who was always alert and alive. And she always looked a million dollars. She was a regular here for many years, playing canasta twice a week with a group of friends. She only took up bridge about five years ago, as her canasta buddies quietly dropped out. But she soon created strong bonds of friendship with her new crew.

In her beginners’ course, she formed a partnership with a smart young film director who remained completely loyal to Marion, playing with her twice a week. He has never played with anyone else.

This story tells it all. About two years ago, a stylish young man wearing black jeans and a black T-shirt came bounding into the club, asking if he could learn bridge. We gave him the information before asking him why he wanted to learn. He said, I was sitting at the Oak Hotel with my friend (the film director) when I saw a couple of good-looking girls that I vaguely knew. They came and joined us, and we were having right old time until my friend suddenly said sorry, I have to leave.

One of the girls quickly asked why.

My friend said, I’ve got a date.

The girl said, wow, she must be special. How old is she?

They couldn’t believe it when my friend said 80-something!

That’s when I decided I had to learn bridge.

Adam Beck

Adam first came to Grand Slam in the mid-1980s, when he became a regular in the Friday afternoon rubber bridge game, which included the likes of Hazel Frisby, who became member number one. Adam became member number 31.

Everything Adam did, he did with great passion. It is therefore no surprise that when he became a regular at our duplicates, he enjoyed great success and earned the title of G2 (for a rating of 65). He has long been one of our top-rated players.

Away from bridge, Adam had taken over the family timber business, which he built to great success. He also had several hobbies, including water skiing and snow skiing. Until a few years ago, he would regularly spend several months a year skiing in the US. Some years ago, he was also into tennis, organising regular games at his mansion on the water in Elizabeth Bay, where he lived until about 10 years ago. He also liked fast cars, which he would park wherever he liked!

He wasn’t given to small talk but when you got into a conversation with him, it would always be lively and interesting. No matter what the topic, he would always take the contrary view.

As his wife Bev said to us, there was only one Adam Beck.

Mark Maycock

Since 2014, Mark was a habitué of the night-time intermediate games. He was always very happy, which made him a joy to know. Fit and active, nothing was a problem. He last played here on 4 July. But then he got a cold. Soon it got worse and he was in hospital. By the end of the month he was gone. Hard to believe how it goes.

Away from bridge, Mark was a financial advisor who was well respected and well known.

Eva Berger

Eva played regularly here on Thursday and Saturday afternoons until two years ago. She was a graceful woman who quietly did her own thing. She was the sister of Judith Morton, another great member here who died a year ago.

Mildred Teitler

Milly was a much-loved member of our bridge community. She was always good-natured and lots of fun. The place was always better when Milly was around.

She first came to Grand Slam in the early 1990s, sometime after her twin sister Jacky Baruch. Before long bridge became an important part of her life. In the years that followed, she would play 4-5 sessions of bridge per week until 2014, when health problems slowed her down a bit.

Still, she remained down to earth. About 4 years ago, she had a leg amputated above the knee. The first thing she would do when she came to bridge was unstrap her prosthetic leg and leave it under her chair.

She played with a wide variety of partners but her main one was Zona Tripp. They were a great team for 22 years. Her last game here was on 27 September 2018.

Outside of bridge, she did tireless work for Jewish charities, mainly the United Israel Appeal.

Judith Morton

Coming soon.

Walter Einstein

Walter Einstein joined Grand Slam on the 6th of February 2003 and he last played here on the 24th of November 2013. During that time, he became a much-loved institution here.

Anthea Drescher

Anthea was a popular partner from the first day she sprung up the stairs to learn bridge at the Grand Slam, some 10 years ago. The reason she was so popular is that she was a happy spirit who really liked her partners. There is a good lesson for all of us here. It was always a pleasure to have Anthea in the club and many of us will miss her.

Anne Marston

Henry Briggs

Henry was diagnosed with aggressive pancreatic cancer in early December. A month later he was gone!

Henry was a man of great strength and achievement. Born in Krakow, he escaped the Holocaust as a young child thanks to the help of "Righteous Gentiles." His family immigrated to Australia after the war. He studied medicine and became a specialist cardiologist. He was also successful in business and he remained committed to Zionist causes. He was buried in Israel.

He played his first duplicate with us on American Independence Day 2010. Thereafter, he took to bridge with a passion, playing with 73 different partners. He treated all of them with great respect and he never gave any inkling of his life outside of bridge.

He was very keen to improve his game, sometimes playing with professional partners. He was probably a bit frustrated by the fact he did not conquer bridge overnight. This was something he wasn’t used to. However, we think he would have put that right in 2018, had he been around.

Elen Merrer

Ellen played bridge with us for more than 20 years. She had a collection of regular partners, including husband Richard who died in 2010, aged 96, though she thought playing with him was a bit of a chore. Born in Vienna, a pharmacist by profession, she was much-loved at the Grand Slam, where she was seen as a bit of a character, never shy of an outspoken word.

But funnily enough, when Paul spoke with those close to her who did not play bridge, they had the impression from Ellen that she was not popular at the bridge club.

The moral of the story is that it does nothing but good to tell your bridge partner how much you appreciate him or her.

Ellen took part in the death-letter project – you can read her story here.

Brian Parker

Brian discovered bridge at the age of 66 and he took an instant liking to the game. Actually, he loved the people as much as the game and his kind and generous manner made him popular as a partner. He played here on a very regular basis for the next 9 years, playing with no less than 169 different partners in all. Brian died at the age of 75, after a long battle with cancer.

Outside of bridge, he played an active role with Alcoholics Anonymous, where he did much charitable work guiding people through the challenges of giving up alcohol, something that he had done at the age of 38.

He liked to travel in the bush with his life partner of the last 17 years, Mark deWolf, who didn’t play bridge. Last October, Brian sent us this email:

Hi Paul,
Near Cobar, running low on water and petrol, no power but plenty of mozzies and flies. Amazing so far, love to all.
Brian

Max Sernack

Max was a much-loved character since he first arrived here in the mid-1980s, with his partner, the elegant Lorraine Haven. It was here that the new couple came across Lorraine’s first husband and his new wife. Lorraine had not met the wife and Max had met neither of them. Just as they were about to play against each other, the director called a skip!

When Lorraine died, Max formed a lasting partnership with David Don. Everyone looked forward to playing against Max because he was the perfect gentleman.

Max was a lieutenant in the army during World War 2, serving in North Africa and the Pacific. Back home he had a successful career selling cars before going into a women’s fashion business with his brother.

Roelof Smilde

Roelof was one of Australia’s most successful bridge players. He died at the age of 87. The team of Tim Seres, Dick Cummings, Denis Howard and Smilde, known as the big four, dominated bridge in Australia in the 1960s and they gained respect overseas.

Paul played with Roelof in 1986, in the inaugural Grand National Teams, which they won. This was Roelof's last national title. Warm and gentle with libertarian views, he was a key member of the Sydney Push movement, a left wing intellectual subculture that was formed in the late 1940s.

In his late 20s, Roleof lived with Germaine Greer.

Lisa Frank

Lisa was a strong woman who played an important role at the head of her family. Age made no difference to her. You could tell by her engaging look and her quick smile that she was living life to the full, right until the end.

We celebrated her 100th birthday here at Grand Slam, the same day when it was Frank Sinatra's 100th birthday. After 110 people sang happy birthday, Lisa rose to her feet, grabbed the microphone, and in a firm clear voice thanked everyone most sincerely for their joyful, exuberant good wishes and wished them an equally long and healthy life in return. Indeed, well might we all aspire to such a life.
Click here to watch a short video that we filmed on the day.

In the last week of her life, she did all the normal things. She played bridge, had her hair and nails done, and she met up with her usual afternoon group. On her last day, she asked daughter Dorit to come around. While the two of them sat in a chair holding hands, Lisa said I don’t feel well, whereupon she turned her head and died.

Oscar Weil

Very calm by nature, Oscar was a respected member of our bridge community, with several well-established partnerships.

But things changed when we moved to our current premises. He had mobility difficulties. One day, shortly after we moved, with no session in play, Paul found Oscar struggling on the stairs with a woman by his side. He introduced Paul to his wife and she explained that Oscar was seeing if he could manage the stairs. He couldn’t. So, it was with great sadness that Paul shook his hand and wished him the best. They both knew what it meant ...

Madeline Lester

Madeline was a member with us since 2005, playing regularly when she was in town.

Madeline was an international star in the field of interior design. She was president of the International Federation of Interior Architects/ Designers from 2005-2007, the only Australian to ever hold this position. She was inducted into the Design Institute of Australia’s Hall of Fame in 2006 and she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2011.

Peter Goldman

Peter was a very regular player here until we left New South Head Rd. Very sadly, he could not manage the stairs. A GP by profession, he continued to see patients until the end. During his early days he specialised in sport’s medicine. He was larger than life in every way. He was 6’6” tall and very engaging and generous in his manner. As you can imagine, this made him a very popular partner. Pete’s girls became legend - every day he would have a different fabulous looking girl sitting opposite him at the bridge table and they stayed loyal to him right until the end.

He is survived by his wonderful wife Milly and four children. The youngest, Zel, was born with cerebral palsy and that had a profound effect on Peter's life.

He used his sports contacts to start a small fund-raising committee, called Sportsmen in Action. He ran rugby league games and cricket matches with all the big-named stars – the likes of the Chappell brothers, Jeff Thomson, Dennis Lillee, Rod Marsh, Doug Walters, Tony Greig, Freddie Truman, Barry Richards, Mike Proctor, Keith Boyce – and so on. They raised significant money for the then named Spastic Centre. They also ran a Telethon on Chanel 10 that raised a record amount of money.

John Furedy

We first met John through his father, Bela Furedy, a very regular player here in the late 80s and early 90s. Bela was the first to play at Grand Slam with a professional, who was Dinu Radacanu. Dinu went on to work with us for 10 years. Bela’s son John would come and play with his father when he was in town. John studied here, completing a PhD in 1965, before spending the rest of his career as a Professor of Psychology in Toronto.

He retired back here in 2005 when he joined Grand Slam himself. He was eccentric and colourful. He would always wear a Hawaiian shirt topped with a hat and a scarf of some sort to keep him warm on his push bike, which he would ride come hail or shine. He played here for two years but then he dropped away, unhappy with what he saw as rudeness from some of his colleagues. He continued to play a bit online, mostly with his old mates in Toronto. He last played here four years ago.

Still he was an enigmatic character. Despite holding strict conservative views about individual expression in bridge, he held extremely liberal views about individual expression outside of bridge.

This is from his obituary in the National Observer:

He was influenced by libertarian thought and took a resolute stand on freedom of speech. (In spite of his Jewish heritage and avoiding Nazi deportation from Budapest in 1944, he opposed hate speech laws). He was a founding member and then president of the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship (www.safs.ca). He warned against 'velvet totalitarianism' and the 'culture of comfort' and sought to protect the merit principle in hiring, and educational standards in general. He believed that truth was reached through the conflict of ideas and vigorously opposed postmodern trends undermining freedom of expression and individuality.

Fella Lieberman

Fella died at the age of 91. She used to play regularly with Mary Lang. Her last game with us was on 23rd of October 2014 when she played with her daughter Anne Levien.

They came first with 58%!

Michael Sweeney

Michael took up bridge in 2004, after a celebrated career in law, first as a barrister, then as a judge on the Industrial Court of NSW. He was a sought-after partner, his regular partners being Rob Gillespie, Irwin Venclovas and Frances Martin.

He died from head and chest injuries from a fall, caused by hypoglycemia, an indirect consequence of a bout with cancer about eight years ago.

John Bennett

John Bennett, member number 810, played a lot of bridge here in the 1990s and 2000s. He was quite reserved socially and he always kept a fairly straight face, much like in this photo, but behind it all was a colourful and daring businessman who was generous by nature.

In the 90s he became very rich through his finance company, which operated at the big end of town. He once told Paul about a deal he did to lease a fleet of 747s and major computer systems were also his thing, at a time when they cost an arm and a leg. But his life as a flamboyant businessman came to an abrupt end with the collapse of Ansett Airlines in 2001, where he had been a major shareholder.

For the next few years he worked for the French Finance company, Societe Generale. Around this time, he formed a very happy relationship with Prem Brown, his bridge partner here. But things took a turn for the worse when he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in the mid 2000s. His condition slowly deteriorated but in the end he succumbed to cancer. He continued to play bridge until the end, playing at clubs on the North side, near where he lived. He last played here in January 2014.

He is survived by three daughters and three grandchildren.

Ron Belz

Ron died from complications of the flu. This was completely unexpected. Only five days earlier, on the Saturday, he was seen hand in hand with his wife, walking the dog in Double Bay, as fit and strong as ever. And later that day he played bridge here. They had two children.

Ron had a happy disposition and an inquiring mind. Not surprisingly, this made him a popular partner and a respected opponent. An accountant by profession, he was very thorough in his dealings with the club about bridge. In April Paul and Ron had a lengthy exchange of emails about the month winner algorithm. It didn’t matter to Ron who was right or wrong, he was looking for understanding. And he would routinely approach us for an opinion about a hand, again looking for understanding.

Felicity Beale

Felicity Beale passed away after a short battle with cancer. She was one of this country’s most successful female bridge players. In 1975 she formed a partnership with Di Smart that would dominate women’s events to this day. She also won the Gold Coast Open Teams in 1998.

She was always good company, with self-deprecating humour being her modus operandi. But she also lived life to the full. She was a founding director of the Production Company in Melbourne and she was a patron of the ballet and the opera. Canadian by birth, she met and married an Australian who was studying on the same MBA course in the US. They settled in Melbourne. Julian Beale became a successful businessman and following his father’s footsteps, from 1984 – 1996, he served as a liberal federal politician. Felicity had a short and successful career as a computer programmer.

This is what her partner Di said about Felicity’s strengths. “Felicity was a wonderful defender. Whenever she stopped to think about a position, I knew she would get it right.” Di also mentioned that Felicity had courage at the bridge table. She was onto the modern style of gambling on three notrumps long before most of her peers. Felicity was also very loyal to her partners and teammates.

Felicity is survived by husband Julian, two daughters and two grandchildren. The elder of the daughters was married to Bill Shorten, the leader of the Labour Party.

Dealer:South EW Vul QJ87 85 J9764 Q4 9 Q9743 Q2 A9862 K65 KJT2 T3 KJ75 AT432 A6 AK85 T3

Felicity played this hand in China in 2014. Unlike her opponent, she found a way to get to dummy to take the trump finesse and land her game. West North East South 1S Pass 2S Pass 4S Pass Pass Pass West led the four of hearts. Felicity’s opponent could see no way to reach dummy for the spade finesse so she laid down the ace of spades in the wishful hope that the king would drop. But it didn’t so she was down. Felicity came up with a better plan. She won the ace of hearts and cashed the ace and king of diamonds before exiting with a heart. The opponents could take two club tricks but then, with their diamonds extracted, they had no choice but to give Felicity the all-important access to dummy.

John Black

John took up bridge in 2001 after a career in Qantas administration. In 2003 he won the Double Bay heat of the Australia-Wide Novice Pairs in partnership with Anthea Drescher. In his retirement, his main hobbies were bridge and tennis, though he did a regular stint for meals on wheels.

He was a man of unbreakable loyalty. When he was invited to play at another club on a night we have nothing, he said no. There is only one club that I will ever play at. He was equally loyal to his bridge partners, who he valued very highly in his life. But he had long suffered from depression and that eventually got the better of him.

He last played with us in November 2015. This is what Paul says about the last conversation he had with John in early May 2016 when he invited him to our Gold Members lunch: "He returned my call and we chatted but he said he was not sure if he would be well enough to come along. I regret that I did not work out the extent of his problem."

Omar Sharif

Bridge lost a good friend with the death of Omar Sharif, the star of Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago. As he said, "Acting may be my profession but bridge is my passion". He learned bridge at age 21 and at age 32 he captained the United Arab Republic team at the World Bridge Olympiad. He would later represent both France and Egypt in international bridge events.

In his late 30s he formed the Omar Sharif Bridge Circus with six of the world’s best players. They barnstormed their way through England, Europe, Canada and the United States playing exhibition matches against the best of the locals, usually for quite large stakes. The Lancia division of Fiat sponsored the team in four American cities, offering a car to anyone who beat them. The Circus won in Chicago but lost in New York, Los Angeles and Miami, leaving the local bridge pros to travel in unaccustomed style.

Robbie Carmichael

This is what Holly had to say about Robbie. Guy and I just loved Robbie's company. We had been playing in teams events with her and Craig and whilst we limited ourselves to restricted events we managed to have ourselves a lot of fun and a couple of successes. The best part of it all was just having the privilege of playing with them. We loved our "team" and laughed and shared a common love of bridge. Once we were playing in the Brisbane Waters teams on the Central Coast and she failed to get her GPS working and ended up in Morriset 45 minutes away just as the first board was being dealt! You have to love a Paddo woman who rocks up looking glamorous and apologetically as hell and then eats the club out of all their home made sweets that afternoon!

It was evidently unfair when she became the next club Vale. In our recollection, Robbie was the epitome of style, fitness and fun. In bridge parlance, it's not fair that the Queen drops against all probability.

Alex Moore

Not many of you would know Alex but he opened the Grand Slam Bridge Centre in Auckland in the early 1990s, in partnership with Paul. They knew each other from early Christchurch days. In fact, at the age of 19, Paul played his first ever duplicate with Alex. They came last with 39%!

The centre, which was modelled on Grand Slam here, was quite successful but Paul sold out after about five years, the distance being too problematical. Alex continued for a while but it started going downhill. Alex sometimes had a direct, John Cleese-like, manner of handling his members. A woman once told Paul that when she made a terrible mistake, she said to Alex who was watching, “I am sorry, I just lost the plot.” He replied, “You didn’t lose the plot, you have never had it.”

Alex eventually sold the club to Angela Royle who has done a great job, maintaining the original Grand Slam style. Royle Bridge Club has become the success story of NZ bridge – check it out if you are over there. That is something that Alex would be very proud of.

Jenny Harris

Jenny played bridge at Grand Slam about twice a week for 25 years. When she died we all lost a good friend. We have also lost a great character. She would often grump about this or that but it was always in good fun. Paul used to get it every Easter when she would scold him for not closing the club on Good Friday.

Her funeral service was at her regular church, St Marks in Darling Point. It was a suitably grand affair with two priests, a six person choir and organist. Her brother, radio host John Laws (one year younger) spoke about their early days in PNG before they came to Australia as young children. And Jenny’s children and grandchildren told us about the many good times they had with her. The stories might have been different but it was the same sparkling Jenny shining through each time.

Hazel Frisby

It is October 1983 and Hazel Frisby has a regular private rubber bridge game with her friends, Elsa Vine-Hall, Minna Holding and Joan Moray. Hazel sees an ad in the Wentworth Courier for the new Grand Slam Bridge Centre that is about to open at 8 Cross Street. She suggested they give it a go so they became foundation members.

Hazel continued to be a key supporter of the club during these difficult times, bringing her many friends down and making them feel welcome in her lovely genteel way. They played duplicate and they kept their rubber bridge game going for a long time with Adam Beck becoming a regular. We always said she would become member number one if we ever had a membership system so when we did start up a membership system about five years later we saw through on our promise and made Hazel number one, an honour she always wore with great pride.

But her life changed in the early 90s when her son, a bright young doctor, was killed in a skiing accident in Canada. She withdrew from the bridge community that loved her very much, including her old mates, and lived a lonely life. We felt her pain but there was nothing we could do. The last time we saw Hazel was about 5 years ago when she visited the club to return her original number one membership badge, as she had long promised to do. It was a nice meeting but a little bit sad.

Elaine Lee

Elaine Lee, 75 Elaine Lee was best known as the flamboyant fashion designer Vera Collins in the long-running soap opera Number 96. Elaine suffered from a lung condition that kept her away from bridge for almost a year but the end came quickly after she fell and broke her hip. She played bridge with us for about 15 years, most often in partnership with Bell Deverich. The Sydney Morning Herald described her as a 1970s-era sex symbol. Her stage and film career spanned four decades. Besides 96, her other credits include A Country Practice, the high school drama Glenview High and the critically acclaimed miniseries Anzacs.

Kerrie Biddell

Robert Barnes

Robert Barnes passed away at the age of 66 after a long battle with cancer. A lawyer by profession, he had been a regular player with us for a long time, usually in partnership with Bev Beck. He was always good company with a wry sense of humour.

Stephen Laurence

Stephen passed away peacefully in his sleep at the age of 90. He played bridge throughout his adult life and joined Grand Slam around 1994, rising to the rank of Spade Master. An accountant by profession, bridge became all the more important to Stephen when he retired, providing him with good challenge and important friendships. He was a regular player on Thursday afternoons, usually in partnership with Michael Dunkel.

He was a gentle man of few words. From time to time he would come up to Paul with some aspect of the game on his mind. These would always be interesting points, never mundane.

He was taken to a labour camp in 1944, when the Germans invaded Hungary. After liberation, he returned home to discover that most of his family had been murdered in the gas chambers of Auschwitz. He travelled to Paris with a cousin and studied at the Sorbonne until they both migrated to Australia in 1949. He met his wife Susan on a blind date in 1951. She and her family were also Hungarian Holocaust survivors. They were together for 58 years until she died in 2010. They had two daughters and two grandchildren.

Erica Border

Long-time member (number 879) Erica passed away at the age of 80. You could see she loved playing cards by the way she gave it her complete attention and she reached the rank of Spade Master. Though purposeful, she had calm and regal manner about her.

She came to Grand Slam with husband John soon after he retired at the age of 55 and they were a happy item until he passed away in 2009. She continued to be a very regular presence here, most often in partnership with Sally Davis.

Bobby Richman

Bobby died on June 7 in his hotel room in Hong Kong, just before the start of the Asia Pacific Bridge Federation senior teams. He was one of the most successful bridge players this country has known and he was a great friend to many at Grand Slam.

In his last month he played 13 sessions with us, including 5 sessions with his partner in life, Deb Guthrie. You can read the obituary from the Australian Bridge magazine here.

May Regan

Alan Milston

Alan died on 16 June 2012. He was in his 90th year. He came to Grand Slam as an accomplished bridge player in about year 2000 and he soon won the prestigious title of GM. He was always competitive but, win or lose, he played the game as he lived his life, as a true gentleman. He always played in partnership with his son, John. Together they won the Club Championship in 2005 and the Invitation Pairs in 2007.

John said: "The first time we knew something was amiss with Dad was when I went to pick him up to play at Grand Slam on a Tuesday morning about 9 weeks ago, and he said he was not feeling up to playing". John knew how bad this was. He knew how much his father loved playing bridge. Alan's last game at Grand Slam was on 7 June.

In his professional life, Alan was an engineer. His company was responsible for the High Court in Canberra.

Sally Glick

Sally had a long association with Grand Slam starting in the early days at 8 Cross Street. (You can tell by her member number - 574 - anyone below 1000 was around in the first 10 years.) She was a sparkling and happy character. You would always know whether she was in the room without having to go and search. She remained this way even during the grim days of her battle with cancer.

In the last ten years she started playing more bridge with her husband Barry and you genuinely got the impression that both of them liked playing with the other. That is not common in a married couple. Usually one of them looks like they wish they were playing golf. She had several key goals towards the end of her life including a trip to Hawaii, her favourite holiday destination, and celebrating her 60th birthday. She made them all, the last one only just.

Pat was a stylish woman; you could even say glamorous. And she played a good game of bridge - she was a Spade Master. Yet she was intensely private, even with her bridge partners. Despite being a member here for more than six years, we really don't know much about her at all. She was like a character from one of those great old movies. Except the movie finished before we could find out what really happened.

Leah Lavigne

Leah died of virulent form of leukemia. She was an attractive and warm-natured person. Even if you didn't know her, you would get it from the photograph.

She last played with us on 5 September, so she just missed seeing the new venue. She was a Monday afternoon and Wednesday morning girl, usually in partnership with Leigh Levin and Carmen Mednick.

Seeing a beautiful woman like Leah go as fast as she did is an earnest reminder to the rest of us to enjoy it while we have it.

Lionel Jacobs

Lionel passed away at the age of 92. Lionel and wife Leslie were a very regular pair at Grand Slam from the 90s (member numbers 928 and 929) until Leslie dropped out from ill health in 2005.

Apart from a 6-month stint in 2008, we didn't see Lionel again until 2012 when he became a regular on Friday mornings, usually in partnership with Ruth Lilian.

In his career, Lionel was an acclaimed urologist. This amusing story says it all. Paul was standing at the desk on a Friday morning alongside Ian Kern, himself a retired pediatrician. Ian said: "When I was a student Lionel was one of my teachers. It seems a bit funny but when I greeted him just now and I still called him Sir".

Prue Allen

Ted Chadwick

Natalie Browarnik

Ray King

Jill Sayers

Ruth Heitner

Ruth Heitner, 55 Ruth, 55, succumbed to cancer, just three months from being diagnosed. She is survived by her two sons. Her passing was a particularly sad event for many of us at Grand Slam because she was a young vital woman who had truly made her mark here. And she was right in the middle of her life with many things going on. She learned bridge with us in the mid 1990s. She starting working with us as a director at 20 Cross Street in the early 2000s. She then moved to the Grand Slam club located at the Hakoah Club in Bondi. After Grand Slam left the Hakoah Club, Ruth continued to run a small bridge game at the Hakoah Club on her own account until the building was demolished.

Sam Krass

Sam was a member since 1992. Sam was unusual in that he came to us as an already accomplished bridge player. Most of our members at that time had come through our own ranks. But it was not just his knowledge and expertise that made him a much-loved character, it was the kind way he would share that information and that fact that he was always friendly and cheerful. The inevitable ups and downs of a bridge game made no difference to that. His most regular partner was Rick Lu. Their partnership dated back many years.

He never talked about himself but he had achieved much, including a PhD in mathematics.

Genia Solomon

Genia was a very special member to us, having been a regular here for about 20 years. Genia had a certain serenity and openness about her that drew you towards her. They say the every one of her many grandchildren thought they were number one and it is easy to see how they came to this view.

We also remember Genia as the wife of Udi, who was one of the great characters here. Udi was almost the opposite of Genia when it came to personality but they made a great team. She was one of the few people who could keep him in line.

Dora Grynberg

We had only come to know Dora in the last four or five years but even in that time she made a lasting impression. She was one of those remarkably strong women. While in her mid 90s she tripped up at Grand Slam and broke her hip. You would think it would take even a young fit person a long time to get over this but not Dora - she was back bounding up stairs within a few weeks. She had the mental toughness to be able to focus on her task at hand without being distracted by everything around her.

Ron Cohen

Alan Woods