September 2022 - 30

CLUB News
Bridge director dons costume
By Pieter VanBennekom
The Island Country Club's float,
cheered on by big crowds, finished
second in the judged contest in the
" walking " category, in part because
of the participating ladies' winning
smiles, observers said.
Gerstell is no stranger to stunts.
Mimi Gerstell, right, in Queen of Clubs
costume at the Fourth of July parade.
In these days of dwindling attendance
at in-person bridge events, we
may have to resort to some unusual
tactics to promote our games.
Marguerite " Mimi " Gerstell, a
snowbird who directs bridge games
in the summer at the Deer Isle MA
Country Club, and in the winter at
the Vero Beach FL Duplicate Bridge
Club, marched with a bunch of pink
flamingo balloons in the Deer Isle
Fourth of July parade to advertise the
club's bridge games.
Mimi's costume consisted of a giant
picture of the queen of clubs in the
front and the queen of diamonds in
the back. She marched with the club's
float, called The Pink Flamingos.
Bridge for life!
By Marcia Cornell | Cypress Duplicate,
Hilton Head SC
How many lifelong bridge players
are able to still enjoy the game at the
age of 100? It's a rare centenarian
who has the stamina
to sit through an afternoon of
duplicate bridge. The Cypress
Duplicate in Hilton Head SC
is proud to boast that one of
its residents, Susie Page, who
just turned 100 in June, is an
active member of the Cypress
bridge group, which comprises
between 10 and 12 tables
every Tuesday.
Susie was born June 12,
1922, in Boston. She lived in
Long Island and Cleveland
30 | Bridge Bulletin | September 2022
In 1963, at age 17, she became the
first underage girl to stow away on
the Queen Mary on a trans-Atlantic
voyage from New York City to Southampton,
England. Upon her return
to what was then Idlewild Airport
(now JFK) by airplane, she had her
picture taken by the New York Times.
The luxury liner was taken out of
service not long thereafter and is now
moored in Long Beach CA.
Actually, the trans-Atlantic voyage
was important to Mimi's development
as a bridge player. Three Indian
gentlemen who needed a fourth
taught her the finer points of the
game during the trip.
Mimi later obtained a doctorate in
planetary science from CalTech and
worked on the NASA space program.
She now runs a mortgage-lending
business in several states in addition
to being an avid bridge player and
director.
Susie Page at her
birthday celebration,
holding a photo
of herself and her
three-wheeled bike.
and raised four children. She has
lived at the Cypress for the past 25
years. She rides to the club room on
her three-wheeled bike. Her humor
and energy are infectious, and she is
loved by all. At her birthday
celebration she emphatically
declared, " I LOVE to play
bridge! " Club administrator
and director Ricki Rogers
said, " Susie has a great sense
of humor. She fills in at the
last minute any time we
need her - riding her bike to
the game. She's a hoot! "
Susie is living proof that
bridge keeps our minds
sharp. May we all take a
" Page " from her lifelong
passion!
Partnership agreements
Sandy Belfer of Paradise Valley
AZ and Garrison Singer of Phoenix
AZ play regularly at Bridge on Shea
in Scottsdale. " Garrison and I love
bridge and play most days, " said
Sandy. " We decided it would be fun
to dress so we look like partners. We
both love fashion. Every Friday I look
for outfits for us and the bridge players
love it. They look forward to the
next Friday and I am always looking
for new outfits for us. Bridge is such
a big part of our lives and now so is
dressing for the occasion. "
September 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of September 2022
