September 2022 - 77

Rita Seamon | 1924-2022
Rita Seamon, a previous NABC champion and matriarch
of the star-studded Seamon bridge family, died July
14. She was 97.
Seamon, a longtime bridge instructor of Hollywood FL,
won the Freeman Mixed Board-a-Match Teams in 1974,
and was second in three NABC contests: the Whitehead
Women's Pairs in 1961 and 1989, and the Wagar Women's
KO Teams in 1996.
Rita married William " Billy " Seamon in 1953. Billy
belonged to extended bridge family, including his parents,
Ed and Rose Seamon, who were top rubber bridge players
in New York City, and his sisters, experts Anne Burnstein
and Edith Kemp Freilich. Billy would win five NABC
titles over the course of his career, Burnstein nine, and
Freilich 29. Freilich was inducted into the Hall of Fame
in 1997.
Rita won her NABC title playing with husband Billy,
sister-in-law Edith, and Jerome Yavitz.
Billy and Rita had three children: Janice, Rick and Michael.
Janice is a Grand Life Master with 18 NABC titles.
Rick did not play professionally. Michael, who won 17
NABC events, died in 2017 and was inducted into the Hall
of Fame later that year.
The Seamon bridge empire expanded when Janice married
Canadian expert Markland " Mark " Molson in the
late '90s. Molson, a seven-time NABC champion who died
in 2006, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2018.
According to Janice, the Seamon household was saturated
with bridge as she was growing up.
" My mom and dad were constantly talking about bridge
hands, " she said.
Billy actively discouraged his children from becoming
too interested in bridge, but after youngest son Michael
caught the bridge bug, Janice decided to dive in, too.
Arlyne Shockman | 1928-2021
Dr. Arlyne Taub Shockman, a Gold Life Master from
Philadelphia PA and an emeritus associate professor of
radiology in the Perelman School of Medicine, died Dec.
28, 2021. She was 93.
Shockman received a bachelor's degree from Cornell
University in 1949, then received an MD from the Women's
Medical College of Pennsylvania in 1953. She was a
fellow of the American College of Physicians and of the
Philippine College of Physicians. She joined University of
Pennsylvania's faculty in 1973 as an associate professor
of radiology - her area of expertise. In this capacity, she
performed clinical teaching duties. In 1998, she retired
and took emeritus status.
Dr. Shockman was fondly remembered by her colleagues.
" She had a huge beautiful smile and never
The family members often played
together, even after Billy's death in 1992.
For example, Rita and Janice finished
second in the Whitehead Women's Pairs
in 1989.
When Janice's husband, Mark, died
unexpectedly in 2006, she was forced
to turn to full-time play to support herself and her young
daughter, Jennifer. Rita took over childcare duties so that
Janice could travel for work.
" She [Rita] was a parent to Jennifer. I am grateful and
fortunate that she was available and willing to do it, " said
Janice.
One of Janice's favorite stories about her mother also
involves Janice's late husband, Mark.
" Mom and Mark went to the local club together, and
they each had a date with a client. After several rounds,
Rita and her partner had to play Mark and his partner.
Mark opened 1NT, Rita's partner passed, and Mark's partner
bid 2', Stayman. Rita, holding lK Q J x and a side
ace, decided to bid 2l. Mark bid 2k, and was raised by his
partner to 4k.
" Mom's partner, tipped off by the overcall, led a diamond
from three small, which turned out to be the killing
lead, defeating the contract. When Mark saw his motherin-law's
hand, he was incensed.
'How can you bid like that?!' Mark said.
'I felt like it!' retorted Rita.
'I'm not taking you home from the club!' said Mark.
'But we're in my car!' said Mom. "
Rita is survived by daughter Janice, son Rick, daughterin-law
Lisa, six grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren,
as well as her older sister, Lois Sheketoff - also an
ACBL member.
shirked hard work, " said Ann Costello, director of the
department of radiology.
Kevin O'Brien said, " I met Arlyne at a partnership desk
at the Hunt Valley Regional in 2014, and was a frequent
partner of hers at many District 4 regionals between then
and the pandemic, plus the Spring 2018 NABC. She was
well-known and universally liked by just about everyone,
and organized a charity game every year for lupus. "
Arlyne was the wife of the late Dr. Gerald D. Shockman,
and mother of Deborah J. Kaplan, the late Dr. Judith A.
Shockman and the late Dr. Joel D. Shockman. She was
the sister of Suzanne Berger. She is also survived by four
grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Contributions may be made to the Lupus Foundation or
the Alzheimer's Association.
September 2022 | Bridge Bulletin |
77
September 2022

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