April 2021 - 13

becoming eligible for the von Zedtwitz award.
Their clear statement: She's waited long enough.
Born in Boston, Palmer spent part of her childhood in London and Greece, through her father's
work as a diplomat, before settling in Washington
DC. She graduated from Bryn Mawr and then the
University of Maryland law school. During law
school, she decided to check out a local bridge
club game and won on her first try. Her first job
was in the law practice of Washington attorney
and Platinum Life Master Lyle Poe. When Palmer
died, Poe told the Bridge Bulletin, " Beth was universally liked and admired by those in my office,
as well as those with whom she came in contact in
the legal profession. "

Fellow
Washington
expert and Hall
of Famer Peter
Boyd describes
Palmer as
" fearless, calm,
meticulous,
friendly, warm,
accurate, loyal,
smart and
generous. "
" John taught a
lot of us what
the true meaning of integrity
is, " said Mike
Passell.

Unlike most top players, Palmer continued to
work full time, serving as a chief administrative
judge for the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission. She also volunteered as chair of
conduct and ethics for her unit, the Washington Bridge
League, as well as serving on the ACBL Ethical Oversight
Committee and the U.S. Bridge Federation board of directors. She chaired the Women's International Team Trial
Committee for 25 years.

In addition to working full time, volunteering in multiple
levels of bridge organizations and raising a daughter with
husband Bill Pettis, Palmer continued to pile up NABC and
world titles year after year.
Fellow Washington expert and Hall of Famer Peter Boyd
describes Palmer as " fearless, calm, meticulous, friendly,
warm, accurate, loyal, smart and generous. " In 2019, when
he was elected to the Hall of Fame, he indicated he'd like to
see Palmer join him, commenting, " I believe that several of
the women players on the ballot deserve to be elected, and I
think they will be in the coming years. "
Boyd was impressed by Palmer's ability to have it all. " Beth's
world-class bridge record in national and international
tournaments was achieved even while working in a highresponsibility job as administrative judge for the EEOC, and
raising her wonderful daughter, Julie, " he said.

John Sutherlin
John Sutherlin arrived on the bridge scene in 1962 with a
second-place finish in the Rockwell Mixed Pairs, playing
with his future wife, Peggy. They met at the bridge table in
1960 and married in 1967.
He won 13 North American titles, including two
Vanderbilts and a Spingold. He won the World Senior

Team Championship in 2000, and two silver
medals, one of them in the 1982 World Mixed
Pairs with Peggy.
During the last 14 years of his life, he was unable
to play more than one session of bridge a day, as
a battle with cancer drained him. But that didn't
stop him from winning championships, taking the
Truscott/USPC Senior Swiss Teams in 2013 and
the Baze Senior KO in 2015.
Born in Mishawka IN in 1936, Sutherlin moved
to California as a child and went to the University
of California at Berkeley on a track scholarship,
which he lost after breaking an ankle. He worked
as vice president of a bank that later merged with
Wells Fargo.

Sutherlin served as an ACBL national recorder
from 1986 to 1996 and continued to volunteer as
an analyst in misconduct investigations. In 2008,
he and Peggy were named Honorary Members of the Year
for contributions to bridge that included serving on appeals
committees and the Ethical Oversight Committee.
Peggy was pleased to see John receive the recognition from
the Hall of Fame.
" He certainly deserved it, " she said. " John was quiet, a gentleman, sorta the opposite of me - I did all the talking. We
were married 50 years. All our friends were bridge players. "
She noted that he was able to continue playing through his
illness thanks to accommodations made by partners and
teammates, including Bob Hamman, Mike Passell and Dan
Morse, all of whom spoke at his funeral and were quoted in
his obituary.
" John taught a lot of us what the true meaning of integrity
is, " Passell told the Bridge Bulletin then. Morse described
him as universally liked.
The Sutherlins' bridge travels included an annual January
trip to the Hawaii Regional, where John developed a lifelong
friendship with local expert Godfrey Chang.
" What a joy and honor to have partnered with John for over
50 years during his annual trek to the Hawaii Regional, "
Chang said. " His success in the bridge world is well
documented. What impressed me the most about John
was his table presence: great integrity, thoughtfulness and
compassion. "
Hamman called Sutherlin a great player, partner and
teammate, and a tough and ethical opponent. " You may have
been ahead of him when the boards ran out, but it never felt
like you beat him, " he said. " In life and in bridge, John played
the game as all should aspire to do. "
April 2021 | Bridge Bulletin | 13

April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of April 2021