Empty Chairs

A Memorial tribute to some of the members and loved ones we have lost. 
https://youtu.be/MY3zarLoXP8

Irene Churchill
1949 – 2024

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Irene Mary Churchill (Buelow) on April 15, 2024, just days before her 75th birthday at the Arnprior District Hospital.

A devoted wife of 54 years to Gary. A loving mother to Janna, Jennifer (Robert), and John (Rebecca). A beloved grandmother to Eric, Jared, Lochlan and Beckett. Irene was predeceased by her parents Clifford and Lillian Buelow and brother Laurie Buelow. Left to mourn are her brothers Ted (Kate) Buelow and John (Lise) Buelow. She will also be missed by many other aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews.

Born and raised in Eganville, she was baptised, confirmed and married in 1969 at Grace Lutheran Church. After some time moving and having children Irene and Gary settled back in Eganville. No matter where they lived Irene would have a sewing machine to either make clothing or do alterations for all the neighbors during the day and a couple nights a week would be at the local bridge club. She so graciously and patiently gave countless hours to teach and mentor those in the area who wanted to become better duplicate bridge players.

Irene spent many years with the Girl Guides of Canada as the kids grew up and as a child and young adult herself. She could always be found serving on different committees at all levels of the Lutheran church, from president of ELW, on the board of WICC and within the church at Grace. For the last 20 years Irene has been a part of the Renfrew County and Ontario Senior games. With all this volunteering it’s hard to believe Irene also found time to watch curling and, more recently, baseball.

Cremation has taken place and a Memorial Service will be held on Monday April 22, 2024 at 1pm at Grace Lutheran Church in Eganville. All are welcome to attend as this will also be followed by a celebration of life in the basement of the church. Donations in memory of Irene, to either the Heart & Stroke Foundation or the Canadian Cancer Society can be made online at www.zohrfuneralhome.com

From the Arnprior Bridge Club

She was a Gold Life Master who played every trick, every round, every session with focus and concentration. She was a fierce opponent and a supportive partner. She was generous and willing to share her knowledge and experience with anyone wanting to improve their game. She managed Bridge Clubs and served on the Executive of Unit 192. She devoted countless hours to the administration and promotion of the Renfrew County Senior Games. She was an absolute force in the bridge community. She will be missed.

Carl Hendrickson
1943 – 2023

 
We woke up this morning to find that Carl Hendrickson has died. Carl was a good and decent decent man. Over the many many years he played with our club, he sharpened a bazillion pencils, shuffled a gazillion cards, ran a quadrillion messages, and was always, always available to play whenever, as recently as just a few weeks ago, anyone needed a partner. We will miss you.

 

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Carl Walter Hendrickson, a distinguished former member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (R.C.M.P.), residing in Arnprior, Ontario.

Carl Hendrickson passed away on Sunday, December 3, 2023, at the age of 80. A devoted father to Cindy Hendrickson, Sandy Clemens and Bill Hendrickson and proud grandfather of his five grandsons, Sgt. Hendrickson cherished the time he had with them all.

Born in Vancouver, he was the son of the late Morris and Millie Hendrickson. Having served the R.C.M.P. with honour for over 25 years and an additional 10 plus years in the justice realm, Sgt. Hendrickson’s dedication to duty has left an enduring impact on both the community and the force.

 

Eleanor Sandberg
1932 – 2023

We lost Eleanor Sandberg this week.
She passed away on October 15. 
The last few years have been difficult for both Eleanor and her beloved Walter.
No one made a better strawberry shortcake. Or cheesecake for that matter.
No one pickled more jars of…oh gosh…chutney, dills, relish…you name it.
No one took more joy out of an auction sale or an antique show or the racetrack or the casino.
She always had a twinkle in her eye.
She was generous and thoughtful, and curious and supportive.
She was a damn good bridge player and she loved the game.
She was little but mighty.
She was 91.
 

Saunders, Joyce
1931 – 2023

There is a big hole in our lives today. Joyce Saunders passed away on Wednesday evening.
 
We are grateful for the memories and we will think of Joyce always with affection, respect, and happiness.  
 
Joyce Saunders was amazing. She was feisty, fearless and amazing! She would drive through truly awful weather if it was a Bridge day.
 
She had opinions and was not shy to express them.
She never complained—at least not about herself.
 
She made us laugh.
She never quit. 
She was 92. 
She will be missed.
 
Our hearts go out to her wonderful daughter Debbie Brennan and the entire family. You can reach Debbie at opiethedog2@gmail.com

 

LUNNEY, Mary Jerene “Jeri”
Sunday, December 17, 1944 – Tuesday, June 27, 2023

With deep sadness, the family of Jeri Lunney announce her passing at the Ottawa General Hospital on Tuesday, June 27, 2023 at age 78 after a courageous battle with cancer.

Jeri is survived by her loving husband of 57 years, Al Lunney. Jeri was the daughter of the late Lawrence “Larry” Doherty and Ellen “Nellie” Gibson and spent her formative years in Pakenham. She will be deeply missed by her three children, Michael, Carole (Andrew Hayes) and Stephen. Jeri was a proud and adored grandma to Conor and Julia Hayes. In addition, her passing leaves a void in the hearts of her brother Neil (Lianne), sister Kathy and many nieces and nephews who will cherish her memory. Her wonderful cousins, close friends, and those who supported her during her cancer journey, will fondly remember her.

Jeri enjoyed a fulfilling career in education, teaching mathematics at a number of Ottawa high schools until her retirement in 1998. Her contributions to the field were significant, and she received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Prime Minister’s Award for Teaching Excellence.

In her post-retirement years, Jeri dedicated herself to giving back to her community in Almonte. She volunteered her time with the Children’s Aid Society, the Almonte Hospital Board, the Senior Games, the Puppets Up! Festival and the St. Mary’s Euchre. Additionally, Jeri actively participated in duplicate bridge tournaments and genealogy research, sharing her love for these pursuits with friends and fellow enthusiasts near and far.

Jeri was the proud wife and partner of Al, who served as mayor of Mississippi Mills from 2003 to 2010. Together, they formed an unwavering team, supporting each other in all aspects of life, including their fight against cancer.

Jeri Lunney will forever be remembered for her indomitable spirit, her dedication to education, and her unwavering commitment to her community. 

Phyllis Brennan 
1925-2020

Phyllis Brennan completed her journey of almost 95 years with joy, gratitude, spunk, and a kind of fierceness that is to be admired and emulated.

At the bridge table, she was a powerful partner and a formidable opponent. She had a well-deserved reputation of bidding 3NT under almost any circumstance and she frequently found a way to make the contract.

She was kind, generous, caring, spontaneous, and indomitable. She was deeply loved by her remarkable family and an extraordinarily large circle of friends.

She was not a shrinking violet.

She would and could and did play bridge almost every day.

She was a player.

She was a force.

She is an inspiration.

She will be missed.

A few years ago, the club received a generous donation in her honour. The proceeds went to the Phyllis Brennan Memorial Trophy.

 

Bill Buttle
1941-2020

From Great Bridge Links:

Canadian cartoonist Bill Buttle passed January 19, 2020 at the age of 79. He leaves behind a wonderful legacy of bridge cartoons that will be enjoyed by bridge players for decades more to come.

But he didn’t start his career as a syndicated cartoonist until after retiring from his career as a dentist. An article published in the Ottawa Citizen in 2013 describes what Bill thought of his 26-year career as a dentist: He hated it. Bill happily traded his drill in favour of a pen in 1988.

Bill’s cartoons were soon accepted for syndication in Toronto and cartoons under the names of Two’s a Crowd and Double Bill were printed in weekly papers across Canada. When newspapers began to decline Bill switched to drawing for Out of Hand, a series of bridge-related cartoons that typically featured a middle-aged couple bickering over the bridge table. These were picked up by the ACBL’s monthly magazine, the Bridge Bulletin, in 2007, and have appeared monthly since that time. As well, Out of Hand appears in all the ACBL’s Daily Bulletins at their National Bridge Championships. In an obituary note in the Bridge Bulletin March 2020, the ACBL promises to continue running Buttle’s cartoons for some time to come.

Bill’s illustrations also became well known on the covers of bridge books, including the popular Bridge in the Menagerie series by Victor Mollo and If I Only Had A Heart series by Alex Adamson and Harry Smith.

It’s easy to recognize Bill’s cartooning and illustrative style full of chinless humans, bright colours and great attention to just the right amount of detail. We couldn’t find any information about his techniques and tools, but the look of the works imply traditional tools, colours and screens with a bit of digital help in later years.

During his life, Bill was also a musician playing guitar and banjo for Corduroy Road. It’s not often that anyone is able to combine a lifetime of bridge, art and music at the same time – but Bill was known for doing so with love and success.

His obituary from the Ottawa Valley News notes that he will be fondly remembered for his sense of humour, his cartoons, his love of music and his 1966 Volvo. 

Thank you Bill for a good laugh.