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Michael on his wedding day. 

 

It is very sad to have to report the sudden passing of Michael Sykes earlier this week. For many years in the 1980’s and 1990’s, he was one of this country’s most prominent players and administrators. This tribute to Michael comes from New Zealand Bridge Board member, John Skipper.

“Michael Sykes was born in Sierra Leone and moved to New Zealand during his childhood, coming to Christchurch to go to university to study maths. Michael started his career as a teacher, then worked for a long time at the University of Canterbury as academic registrar, responsible for collation of exam results, maintaining academic records and managing graduation ceremonies.

He first showed an interest in bridge in 1973 while at training college, starting a bridge session there as an extra-curricular activity. He joined the Christchurch Bridge Club in 1974, now in his 50^th year as a member.

Michael played a lot of bridge in those early days and showed great promise as a player. He won tournaments all over the country and won the Baden Wilson trophy, which is the trophy for the player who wins the most A points in a year, for five years in a row from 1983 to 1987.

Michael played with many partners but had significant longer-term partnerships with Kathie Boardman, Frank Lu and Bob Scott then more recently with Phil Dewar. He won the New Zealand Teams three times, New Zealand Pairs twice, The Inter-Provincial  Open Championship seven times and many other events. Michael achieved the rank of Gold Grandmaster in 2017 and despite playing very little bridge over the last 20 years, is still 44^th on the all-time masterpoints list.

 
  John Wignall and Michael enjoying a quiet moment. 

Michael never represented New Zealand as a player, but he acted as NPC for at least one Open team, four Women’s teams and four Youth teams in the 1980’s and early 1990’s. 

  
             Michael, npc of the NZ Youth Team, at the FEBF in Wellington in 1994. 
             The team finished 2nd. Pictured are Nigel Kearney, Charles Ker, Debs Moir (now Smith) 
             Michael, the late Damon Woodhead, David Ackerley and Scott Smith. The team, again 
             with Michael as npc, beat Australia in a Youth Test in the same year. 

His excellent organisational skills were used while on the club committee over the period 1982 to 1989, being President from 1987 to 1989. He was on the Canterbury Contract Bridge Centre for many years, being President from 1988 to 1990. Michael was on the NZCBA Management Committee from 1985 to 1995, being President in 1994. Michael was the chief organiser for the Zone 7 championships on at least two occasions. He was elected as a life member of the Christchurch Bridge Club in 1998.

 
   Michael at the World Championships in Chile in 1993 with our Women's team:
  Jan Alabaster, Jenny Wilkinson, Shirley Newton, Jane Skipper and Rose Don

In the early 1990’s Michael met the love of his life in Janet Crowley, at the bridge club and they married and were together until last year when Janet died.”
Michael was 71. In his final tournament a couple of months back, his team which included Fred Whitaker, Jenny Millington and Barry Jones finished second in the Teams at the Barrier Reef  Congress in Cairns. 

John Skipper

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