[blml] Friend in distress. [SEC=UNOFFICIAL]

[richard.hills at immi.gov.au]

>+=+ I have received word that Richard
>Hills is unwell and in hospital. I do not
>have any details.
>                        ~ Grattan ~   +=+

Richard Hills:

The details are that I am an ambulatory
part-time patient in hospital, now with
full and free access to email and the
bridge laws mailing list.  I have 91
blml emails banked up in my emailbox, so
it will take me some time to deliver my
usual "chiding good humour" to nigellic
blml suggestions to which even he "could
not help laughing".

:-)

Meanwhile, I suggest that blml should
remember another Friend to the Laws of
Bridge.


Best wishes

Richard James Hills, mentor
National Training Branch
(02) 6225 6285

Your Rights at Work
worth voting for

*     *     *

REMEMBRANCES OF RALPH

Chip Martel
It was always an honor and a pleasure to
work and spend time with Ralph. In my time
on the WBF Laws Committee and the ACBL
Laws Commission, I was impressed by his
knowledge, good sense, and a great ability
to argue his points forcefully (and
sensibly) but always with civility. He was
great to work with, committed, and
effective but also fun to spend time with
(and he often had great stories). Ralph
had an encyclopedic knowledge not only of
the current laws, but of past versions. He
could always give us a historical context,
and often tell us when we were considering
changing back to an old version. We will
miss him greatly in many ways. With his
and Edgar's death we have now lost the two
people most responsible for our current
laws, and I have lost a great friend.

Allan Falk
I had the privilege of playing as Ralph's
partner only once, and of course as his
opponent many times. Ralph was always a
model of the ideal bridge player
envisioned by the Proprieties, as well as
constantly in good humor, whether things
were going well or badly for him. He was a
very tough competitor, who permitted
himself no liberties in his conduct and
who tolerated none from others he
considered his peers, but he was
avuncularly lenient towards weaker
players, eager to help them learn to
pursue the right path. As a member of the
Laws Commission, Ralph's knowledge of both
the text of the Laws and their
developmental history was encyclopedic,
and as co-chair during my tenure Ralph
demonstrated a remarkable ability to keep
the meetings focused and the discussion
rational, without even slightly
restricting the free flow of ideas. Ralph
was one of those rare individuals who
developed an opinion on a subject only
after profound deliberation, yet he
remained open to be convinced that another
solution might be superior. Away from the
table, Ralph was not only always at the
center of a maelstrom of activity, but a
constant source of sincere bonhomie and
cheer, and no doubt the obvious benefit of
being married to Joan put him so far ahead
of the game it was substantially less
difficult to be happy. Despite his serious
health problems and undoubted knowledge
his condition had become terminal, Ralph
was so convincing when he reassured those
of us who inquired with genuine concern
"Really, I'm fine" that I was shocked to
learn he had finally succumbed. If we all
could emulate Ralph's gritty determination
and refusal to complain as life deals its
ups and downs, the world would be a far
better place. He will be sorely missed.

Jim Kirkham
The bridge world has lost a real
ambassador, administrator, and expert
player. He was a great teammate and very
dear friend. Ralph Cohen's contributions
to bridge at all levels will never be
forgotten. I wish to express my admiration
for Ralph's accomplishments and my
appreciation of serving on the Laws
Commission with him.

Ron Gerard
I remember Richie Oshlag telling me of the
first time he ever played with Ralph, at
the local duplicate in Memphis. "I saw
things I didn't even know were possible at
bridge. I wasn't aware anyone could play
that well with such seeming lack of
effort." I think this captures what I
remember about Ralph, the ease with which
he navigated all of the different paths of
his bridge career. At the table Ralph was
a natural, almost always coming to the
right conclusion with a combination of
judgment and flair that is far too rare in
today's game. On the Laws Drafting
Commission, he gained the confidence of
strong-minded personalities through his
patient and practical approach to the
difficult task of rewriting the Laws. In
the ACBL Laws Commission, Ralph's wisdom
and guidance had a comforting effect that
steered us in the right direction without
ever seeming to intrude. We will miss his
reassuring presence, enthusiasm and
friendship whether exercising our official
duties or just competing on the field of
battle.

Robb Gordon
At the Laws Commission meeting in Chicago
you asked us to share our memories of
Ralph. I first met Ralph by phone in the
mid-70’s when he was national coordinator
for the GNT. Some influential people from
my District were trying to change the
qualification rules in mid-contest to
benefit their friends. Of course, it took
Ralph about 30 seconds to fix that! Later
on we became friendly at tournaments,
eventually becoming occasional partners.
Ralph had a keen competitive drive that
was belied by his easy-going manner. He
taught me much about the game, the laws,
and how to get the most out of people!

Dan Morse
I knew Ralph in many ways. As a good
friend, a Captain of my team, as an
expert on the ACBL laws, and as someone
who never gave up, he was a fighter I
thought he was a goner more than once
over the last few years. He & Joan made
many trips to Houston to see his cancer
Doctors and he was always in a good humor
never complaining and always up for a
Bridge game. He was so lucky to have such
a wonderful family his wife, children, and
brothers etc always showed him so much
love. Ralph will be missed but never
forgotten by the Bridge community.

Jeff Polisner
Ralph was one of the most dedicated people
I have ever known. His love and pride for
his family was unparalleled. He was
exceptionally capable in his chosen work
(bridge) which was second in his life
other than family. He will be sorely
missed by all who knew him.

Ray Raskin
When I first came on to the ACBL Laws
Commission there had already been a
significant amount of work done by the WBF
on the updated laws. Ralph took the time
to update me on where things stood so that
my job was a lot easier. I will always
respect how much he wanted everything
concerning the laws to be as good as
possible.

Roger Stern
It was my privilege to know Ralph for five
decades. How well I recall his welcoming
smile when we chanced to meet at a
tournament, his ever-warm expressions of
interest! First and foremost, Ralph was a
gentle soul. In the early nineties, Ralph
joined the Laws Drafting Committee. Often,
he would present a situation I had
encountered, but not reflected upon.
Sometimes, he would suggest a resolution,
without ever disparaging an opposing point
of view or seeking to impose his answer.
Although I regret Sandy and I did not get
to spend more time socially, I cherish the
moments we shared.

Adam Wildavsky
Before I joined the LC I knew Ralph for
years as an opponent, partner, and
teammate. When Bobby Wolff suggested that
our trials team would benefit from having
a captain Ralph sprang to mind
immediately. He was kind enough to take
the job though I knew he'd rather be
playing himself. Ralph and Joan were
wonderful hosts in Memphis and Ralph had a
number of sensible suggestions for helping
the team to run smoothly. He led us to a
win in the trials and fought a few medical
battles of his own in order to join us in
Monaco. Once there he guided us through
the maze of WBF regulations and customs
and helped our unheralded team to a third
place finish. One crucial moment in the
round robin was a deal where a ruling went
against one of our teammates. None of us
thought the ruling was correct, but Ralph
convinced us not to appeal. In retrospect
I'm confident that was the right decision,
and sure enough we qualified. The LC won't
be the same without Ralph, and neither
will any tournament.

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