August 2010 - 6

Viewpoint
By Brent Manley

A life is not important except in the
impact it has on other lives.
- Jackie Robinson

Letters to
the Editor

One of a kind
About 20 years ago, I went to my first NABC to work on the Daily Bulletin. It
wasn't long, of course, before I met Aileen Osofsky. She always ran the Goodwill meetings on the Monday after the tournament started. I was always there
to take photos or notes or both.
Once I got to know her, having a visit from Aileen in the Daily Bulletin office
was the highlight of each NABC for me. She always asked how I was doing,
and I knew that she really wanted to know - that she cared. She came by
without fail to give hugs before she left.
I never heard Aileen say a cross word or make an unkind remark about anyone. Her focus was other people and her mission in life - promoting goodwill.
I interviewed her during the 2005 Spring NABC in Pittsburgh on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of her appointment as Goodwill Committee chair.
Aileen would not have sought the attention on her own, but I think she viewed
the occasion as another opportunity to raise awareness of her favorite topic.
Aileen had the charming ability to laugh at herself. At the 2006 Fall NABC
in Honolulu, she wandered into the Daily Bulletin office just as someone was
wishing Tournament Director Rick Beye a happy birthday. "Oh," said Aileen,
"how old are you?" Rick, a young-looking 60, answered mischievously, "Seventy." When Aileen said, "That's nice," Rick blanched. "You think I look seventy?!"
Everyone, including Aileen, broke up.
Aileen always fretted over her preparations for the Goodwill meeting. She
wanted it to go well and felt responsible for everything.
My favorite Goodwill meeting took place during the 2009 Spring NABC in
Houston. That was where Aileen was taken completely by surprise when Steve
Robinson announced that she was the newest Blackwood Award winner and
soon to be a member of the ACBL Bridge Hall of Fame. I can't remember a
more enthusiastic response to such an announcement. The standing ovation
went on and on.
After the Spring NABC in Reno this year, I was surprised to learn that Aileen
had a serious health issue that had been going on for years. True to her character, she never complained about it or let on that she had any kind of problem.
She was always upbeat and positive.
I learned of her death the morning after it happened (see page 19), and I'm
sure the sense of loss I feel now will last for a long time. If there's a consolation, it's that I'm pretty sure she knew how much she was loved. Those of us
who could count her as a friend were blessed.
r
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6 Bridge Bulletin August 2010

Missing information
To the Editor:
In the sixth edition of The Official
Encyclopedia of Bridge, there are several holes in the biographies of older
players of considerable accomplishment. For example, Phil Abramsohn
won several major championships in
the Thirties and early Forties, but he
is mentioned only in the NABC results.
We became interested in
Abramsohn when we started to compile a list of all the New Hampshire
state champions dating back to 1936.
We discovered that he had actually
"won" the 1945 event. As a service
person stationed in New Hampshire,
he was eligible and was given special dispensation to play with Harry
Fishbein, who was not eligible. They
had the highest score by a huge margin, but the second-place pair were
determined to be the actual champions. Players thought it was a great
opportunity to meet the well-known
Fishbein.
Abramsohn then disappears entirely
as far as we can tell. Did he die in the
war or just quit bridge? Two authorities on bridge and bridge history have
no information. An older local player
thinks he remembers Abramsohn
from New York City before the war
but can recall nothing else.
In addition to requesting information for the encyclopedia from living
members, you might want to put out a
call for info on early achievers whose
lives are now unknown. This may be

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of August 2010