May 2018 - 72

In Memoriam
Canada

Jackie A. Boesger, Jacksonville Beach FL
* Shirley A. Deas, New Smyrna FL
Victor A. Demarines, Bonita Springs FL
* Lois A. Detenbeck, Lake Wales FL
Richard E. Dillon, Vero Beach FL
Ann Driscoll, Vero Beach FL
Ely Drogin, Boca Raton FL
Gunter Guckel, Bonita Springs FL
* Rev. A. Hollis, West Palm Beach FL
Marsha W. Johnson, Sarasota FL
* Alan I. Kravetz, Boynton Beach FL
Pamela C. Lane, Vero Beach FL
Betty Levins, Boca Raton FL
* Betty E. Malin, Panama City FL
Guinnette K. McKnight, Milton FL
Nancy S. Miller, Largo FL
United States
Terry Newell, Key Largo FL
Veronica T. Wurtz, Chugiak AK
Dennis D. Payne, North Palm Beach FL
Constance Albert, Hot Springs AR
William F. Reed, Orange Park FL
Sue Dell Black, England AR
Marvin S. Rockley, Wellington FL
Doloros R. Whitt, Holiday Island AR
Evelyn Rodriguez, Miami FL
Leroy V. Anderson, Prescott AZ
*
James E. Treston, Indian Shores FL
Richard L. Mullins, Phoenix AZ
Lawrence A. Warner, Boca Grande FL
* Patricia A. Bailey, San Juan Capo CA
*
Mona G. Watson, Ocala FL
John D. Baird, Placentia CA
Lynn D. Berberian, Palos Verdes Peninsula CA Antoinette P. Harding, Fayetteville GA
Eugene Horne Jr., Blue Ridge GA
George Berris, Oceanside CA
Ellen Flaherty, Fort Dodge IA
* Rochelle W. Blank, Beverly Hills CA
Dorothy Jackson, Des Moines IA
* Harvey D. Brody, Windsor CA
*
Carl F. Brueckner Jr., Champaign IL
Joel C. Clifton, Upland CA
*
William Carley, Peoria IL
Maria Coulson, Ventura CA
* Gunther Polak, Chicago IL
Richard M. D'Arezzo, Martinez CA
Tom Taube, Skokie IL
Frances A. Dillingham, San Francisco CA
Dean S. Wolfson, Oak Park IL
Barbara Gifford, Sausalito CA
Edgar W. Day, Indianapolis IN
Paul Hashfield, Los Altos CA
*
Penny J. Few, Bloomington IN
* Julius Hertz, San Diego CA
Wini Morsches, Columbia City IN
* Jan B. Hope, Ojai CA
*
Joan R. Smyrnis, Indianapolis IN
Marti Jefferson, San Jose CA
*
Arleen N. Browning, Salina KS
* James V. Kenyon, Salida CA
Geraldine G. Davidson, Louisville KY
* Shawnee C. Kostal, Indio CA
William Latham, Villa Hills KY
* Franklin Lowenthal, Pleasanton CA
Larry E. Ledbetter, Louisville KY
Frances M. McCloskey, La Jolla CA
* Milton Binder, Needham MA
* Joanne Minken-Levy, Los Angeles CA
Virginia Footer, Wellesley MA
David H. Nicol, Springville CA
*
Herbert L. Larsen, Stoughton MA
* Kunio Okui, Castro Valley CA
*
Larry M. Levine, Swampscott MA
Jack Ransom, Palm Springs CA
Patricia B. Palmer, Weston MA
Ruth H. Reynolds, Fresno CA
* Helen A. Parker, Boston MA
Rolland J. Richenberg, Big Bear Lake CA
Victor L. Quattrini, Merrimac MA
* Victor B. Rivkin, San Jose CA
Donald B. Rosenfield, Lexington MA
* Hansford H. Rowe, Newhall CA
Ruth Werksman, Brookline MA
Alberta Sandberg, Laguna Woods CA
Barbara Blitz, Owings Mills MD
John H. Saxton, Los Angeles CA
P. James Doyle, Salisbury MD
Joan E. Skaggs, Petaluma CA
Monroe Hudson, Chestertown MD
Mrs. P.T. Sturges, Chico CA
Josue Simpson, Easton MD
Hana Totah, Los Altos CA
* Marvin P. Bookstein, Bloomfield MI
* Jean K. Wooden, Manhattan Beach CA
Jeanne Learman, Saline MI
* Cheryl Ann Wyland, Tustin CA
Patricia Swedlow, East Lansing MI
* Morris Feinson, Danbury CT
John E. Ferguson, Vadnais Heights MN
James A. Mayhart Jr., Wilmington DE
Jane S. Shapleigh, St. Louis MO
Arthur Albert, Wellington FL
Ray L. Campbell, Southport NC
* Yara Barretta, Celebration FL
James R. Connor, Morehead City NC
Louise Barton, Naples FL
* Jiti Bhatia, Edmonton AB
Larry Barker, North Vancouver BC
Shirley E. Buckler, Salmon Arm BC
* Doug Lyons, Kamloops BC
* Donald L. Olderness, Kimberley BC
Wilma Peltier, Kamloops BC
Michael Cobden, Halifax NS
Michael N. Davies, Etobicoke ON
Berthe Bellefeuille, Pierrefonds QC
Jacqueline Bergeron, Chicoutimi QC
Glenn Hall, Verdun QC
* Louis MacNeil, Dorval QC
Regina Tsakas, Regina SK

72 Bridge Bulletin May 2018

Gunther Polak 1933-2018

By L. James Phillips

Bridge lost one of its most colorful experts March 1 when Gunther Polak of Chicago passed.
Although mostly inactive since the
1980s, Gunther was at one time the leading masterpoint holder in the Midwest.
Among his favorite partners was a young
Barry Crane.
Though Gunther's only NABC title was
the 1961 Golder Pairs, he was second in the 1964 Blue Ribbon
Pairs, and he won dozens of regionals. Gunther served two
terms as president of the Chicago Contract Bridge League,
and won the CCBA's most prestigious award - the Harmon
Wilks Sportsmanship Award.
Gunther is most fondly remembered for his sense of humor.
In addition to headlining a troupe that performed at several
Chicago Regionals, he also produced many of the following
quips.
If an opponent doubled him, Gunther might jokingly ask him
or her, "Perhaps you don't realize who I am?"
To a new partner, Gunther would provide the following instruction on opening leads, "If I overcall or open one of a major,
you must lead my suit, and every time you regain the lead, you
must continue leading my suit. If, during the course of the hand,
you gain the lead and have no more cards in my suit to lead,
you must call the director. When he arrives, you must tell him,
'Director, this tournament cannot continue because I have no
more cards to play in my partner's suit.'"
To a partner who had taken a phantom save, Gunther would
remark, "Only Jesus saves!"
If you pulled Gunther's penalty double and you got doubled,
you might expect what he called a "vendetta redouble."
I was his most regular partner for about 10 years. He would
characterize our results in two-session pair events as "a pair of
230s," meaning 230 with 156 average in the qualifying round,
followed by 230 with 325 average in the final.
He will be missed.

* David S. Finch, Thomasville NC
Josiah L. Hughes, Cary NC
* Elizabeth C. Marion, High Point NC
Richard T. Smith, Rocky Mount NC
Ruth E. Barrack, Lawrenceville NJ
* Aaron Cohen, Manchester Township NJ
* Dr. Leonard J. Corwin, Livingston NJ
Joan F. Hall, Rumson NJ
Allen C. Hodapp, Summit NJ
Sosamma Idiculla, Paramus NJ
Ruth H. Mahon, Edison NJ
* Kenneth G. Powell, Livingston NJ
Richard A. Deam Jr., Santa Fe NM
Jared F. Howard, Carlsbad NM
Patricia H. Lieppe, Santa Fe NM
Richard D. Long, Placitas NM

*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*

Sidney Azriliant, New York NY
Richard C. Conrad, East Hampton NY
David K. Floyd, Orchard Park NY
Marc Himoff, New York NY
William R. Macleod, Cortland NY
Kenneth A. Miller, Clinton NY
Dian A. Petrillo, New York NY
William J. Schwarz, Poughkeepsie NY
Joyana L. Steinberg, Pelham NY
Alvin Tobias, Brooklyn NY
Eleanor W. Bowman, Hebron OH
Thomas R. Danford, Bellaire OH
Jean G. Keller, Shaker Heights OH
Dr. Gloria M. Kinnaird, Columbus OH
Virginia M. Moody, Avon OH
Bonnie J. Pruitt, Norton OH
Maxine Schinagle, Beachwood OH
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of May 2018
