I lost my dearest friend today. I loved her as a Mother. We met at the bridge club and right away I knew her bark was worse than her bite :o) She didn't suffer fools gladly but willing to help all of us fledgelings.  Mentoring!  She mentored scores of us, played with us , held work shops for us even suffered through zone games with some of us :o) never worrying about her rating. She had all the masterpoints she wanted and zone ratings were of no concern.

 

She went to tournaments in the days that the women dressed in long gowns and the men were in black tie and she sat at the bridge tables with many of the great players in the bridge world.  Often during our lessons, she would pause and tell a cute story about an incident at one of the tables or tournaments.

 

She loved us all and we loved her and always will.  I will always hear her say to me " Why in the world did you do that?!!!," when I do something incorrectly.

 

I told her I did all these things before I met her, the only difference being that then I did them with such confidence. I can still hear her chuckle. And of course, I told you all the story of me putting her in 6nt and she went down, telling me afterwards not to do that to her that I wasn't good enough. I held the tears back until I got home and then cried my eyes out. Finally, went to the phone and said "Max, you don't have to play with me any more, I know I am not on your level." She said, "What in the world are you talking about?"  I said, " Today, when you said I wasn't good enough!"  "Thank goodness you called me," she said. " I meant your hand wasn't good enough! I never dreamed you were thinking I was talking about your bridge!"  We had many laughs over that little incident over the years we have been friends.

 

The most loyal, loving , trusting friend that a person would ever wish to have. One could tell her anything in confidence and be assured that it would go no further.

 

I wish you all could have known her the way that lajuly and I have. I will miss her so.

 

My heart goes out to her daughter, Lee Ann, son-in-law, Bobby, and grandson, Jason

 

I will miss you dear heart,      Joann/Sadie