August 2010 - 19

Aileen Osofsky
1926 - 2010
Aileen Osofsky, Goodwill Committee chair and one of ACBL's most
influential voices for promotion of
friendly behavior at the bridge table,
died at New York University Hospital
on June 22 of complications from leukemia. She was 84.
Osofsky was asked to chair the
ACBL Goodwill Committee in 1985,
even though she was not a member of
the committee. She had made a name
for herself with the Greater New York
Bridge Association and is one of only
three life members of that organization.
Last year, in recognition of her dedication and long service, the ACBL
Bridge Hall of Fame Committee selected her for the Blackwood Award,
thus making her a member of the Hall
of Fame. At the induction ceremony,
her son Alan noted, "Although she
isn't the best player, she has done as
much for the game as anyone."
A native of Brooklyn NY, the former
Aileen Bryant was the daughter of
a contractor who built barracks for
women during World War II.
After graduating from high school,
Osofsky lied about her age and went
to work for a five-and-dime store in
Harrisburg PA, later becoming a longdistance telephone operator.
She and her husband, Meyer, attended the same high school in
Brooklyn. They were married after he
was discharged from the military -
he was a tail gunner on a B-24 bomber
- and he started a women's clothing
business, Aileen Inc.
The business required a lot of
travel, and the company had private
aircraft that Meyer flew, sometimes
with the family. Aileen learned to
fly as a safety play - she wanted to
know what to do in case her husband
became incapacitated during a flight.
She picked up the flying part rela-

tively quickly. "Learning to
land," she recalled, "took
some time."
In her 25 years of service as Goodwill chair,
Osofsky never stopped
trying to convince
ACBL members that
friendly demeanor at
the bridge table is good
for everyone.
In a letter to the ACBL
dated June 18, 2010,
Osofsky reflected on her
long association with the
committee:
"When I got a call twentyfive years ago asking me to
become the chair of the National
Goodwill Committee, I had no idea
how profound and positive an impact
the organization and its members
would have on my life.
"As I transition now to a lessinvolved role in the activities of
the ACBL, I must acknowledge the
paramount part that the organization
has played in filling my life with joy,
passion, and meaning - and I must
thank you all from the bottom of my
heart for giving me the opportunity to
participate in the group's work, and
for doing that work with me."
Carol Sanders, vice chair of the
Goodwill Committee since the Eighties, described her friend's death as a
devastating loss for bridge. "Aileen
set the bar high for all of us," Sanders
said. "I hope her amazing concern
for each of us to put our best foot
forward at bridge tournaments and
her leadership by example will serve
to perpetuate the continuation of
the goodwill qualities she set for us.
Aileen's tenderness, warmth and
thoughtfulness will always be cherished in my heart."
Zeke Jabbour, Goodwill Committee

member, added, "We have lost one of
our dearest friends, and bridge has
lost a priceless treasure. Her legacy
of love and goodwill may, in the end,
be the salvation of bridge. I'm thankful we recognized this in time to place
her in the Hall of Fame of the game
she so loved while she could still
savor it. She was an angel long before
she got to heaven."
Another committee member, Judy
Kay-Wolff, added: "Aileen was grande
dame personified. She always looked
for the best in people, never said an
unkind word and went out of her way
to be upbeat - regardless of the situation. She was a unique human being,
and I am so sad for her family and
friends."
Osofsky is survived by her husband,
Meyer "Mike" Osofsky; son Alan and
daughter-in-law Deirdre; son Larry
and daughter-in-law Audrey; daughter
Randy and son-in-law Steve Kessler;
10 grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren.
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August 2010 Bridge Bulletin

19
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2010
