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On presentation of Life Membership to NZ Bridge at the 2018 National Congress with the then Mayor of Hamilton, Andrew King and NZ Bridge Chairman, Allan Morris.

A tribute to a gentleman: Robin Young.

As we stated last week, Robin Young passed away peacefully recently. Robin was a Life Member of New Zealand Bridge and a long time member of the Marlborough Bridge Club.

Originally from Wanganui, he joined his local club back in 1963 and served on that club’s committee including a period as Treasurer from the mid 1960’s until 1972. He moved then to Blenheim and became the club’s inaugural President in 1977. In different periods, he served as President for a total 8 years and has for many years until quite recently been club Secretary.

He served on the Central Districts Centre from 1968 through to 1972 and from 1991 until 2008 was on the Canterbury Centre including 3 years as President. More recently, he was Top of the South Secretary from 2010 until 2018. He also acted for several years as Top of The South Regional Reporter for New Zealand Bridge Magazine.

Nationally, he was a member of the NZCBA Management Committee from 1995 until 2005 and was particularly involved in Directing and Regulations and Youth. He was NZ Bridge President in 1999-2000.

These are just the bare statistics but do not reflect the man. Initially, he farmed in Marton.  He met Cathie, a visiting American, at the 1970 Wellington Open. Her former husband was on sabbatical at the time. Cathie and Robin married and settled in Marlborough in 1975 for the drier air, good for Cathie’s health.

As well as his contributions to bridge at national level, in Centres and Regions and at his clubs, he was a strong player, a Silver Grand Master with 1750 A Points. He was a great enthusiast, always playing at his club or in tournaments.

Four players in particular knew Robin during his time at Blenheim, Marsha Woodbury, Kate Davies and John Patterson and Ginny Warren. Here, firstly, is Marsha:

"I knew Robin really well. He was a very non-committal man but when he did speak, it was always wise and often very amusing because he had a great sense of humour. I got to know him when Cathie Young and I were partners and she was preparing me for the women's trials “thousands” of years ago. 

 

My children were little at the time that we practiced and Robin liked them both. When I came back to New Zealand to live, he even had pictures of them to share with me. Like all of us he did his bit for the bridge club and was club President but served on the committee endlessly in one form or another.

 

Because of his long service he became our institutional memory. He had the Robert's rules of order( for running meetings) down pat.  He also knew our constitution and  was the go-to person for anything to do with the history of the club. That is to say he had a brilliant mind and could remember everything.

 

When I played with him or Cathie,  the whole trick was to get them to play no- trump hands which was their specialty. Robin could make 1NT when others could not. They always opened with two and a half quick tricks so they always defended brilliantly. Robin would open light and rebid no trumps to devastating effect.

 

One time I remember quite clearly about Robin was when he opened 1 with a four card suit and the bidding forced him to rebid 2 as his only possible bid. I queried him on it at the time and he just smiled impishly.

 

He always watched Ginny (Warren) and my  results wherever we were playing and then made devastating comments such as "too much red".

 

Another funny thing he did was when Ginny failed to pre-empt with a terrible hand and missed a slam, he played the board next after we did and so he saw what Ginny did and he wrote a little note that he passed to her and it said "coward". "

 

Kate Davies knew Robin and Cathie before she ever started playing bridge, through a local church.  

 In her own words: “Another bridge player, John Lawson, also went to the same church and through John, Robin and Cathie, I learnt the game. I gained my first A Point and tournament win playing with Robin. Robin was such a calm man and stayed that way no matter what silly things I did when learning the game. He was “Life’s true gentleman”. He was not just my bridge partner but one of my best friends in life. I just loved spending Christmases, Sundays and so much time playing bridge or canasta with him. I was even in contact with him shortly before he died. Robin, my gentle friend, you will always be in my heart.” John Patterson echoed Kate’s words referring to Robin as “a kind and considerate bridge player”.  

 

Finally, then to Ginny Warren.  "I was a friend and bridge partner to Robin, a man I loved and respected. Robin was a  patient and stoical person with a wicked sense of humour though sometimes it took a thought to realise how veracious his comments were.

Notes were something he sent regularly. Our dog Archie also got a personal note at Christmas.  It read : “Did you catch a rabbit today.?... No. Well,  bad luck,  try again tomorrow.”

His laconic responses to questions were priceless. We were scheduled to play bridge one night at my place. Marsha rang me and said Robin‘s brother died that day.  I said that he must come for dinner that night before bridge instead of being alone. I rang him and said how sorry I was and would he like to come and have a meal tonight with us. There was quite a long silence and then he said: “Hmmm, I suppose I could.”

We played bridge a lot and he taught me a great deal about the game. There’s no replacement for a person so special and important in your life. He will be so missed by me. Also, through Robin, I met at a wonderful woman, his daughter Jill. I’m so grateful to have had him in my life and Christmas will not be the same without him.  RIP  Robin.”

 

It would have been nice to have included a memorable deal involving Robin. Robin would see the funny side of the following.

Robin and Cathie had a sizeable win in the Golden Bay Open Pairs in early November 2005. They scored 68 and 67% in the 2 sessions and won the event by nearly 10%. With Robin North and Cathie South, the bidding went as follows on one board:

West              North             East                South

                        1NT ^15-17         2 ^majors          x
2                   3                   Pass                3NT
Pass                 4                   Pass                4NT
All Pass
4NT failed by one trick for a bottom score. Had they played and made 3NT, they would have recorded a complete top. According to Robin, “South was cross saying it did not matter what the double meant, should have meant, might have meant, could have meant, ought to have meant but there was no reason to have moved over 3NT.”

Robin commented further. “Tournaments are won by the pairs who make the fewest not the pair that makes no mistakes. Also, 35 years of partnership experience does not mean that every bidding sequence is fully understood by both players.”

 

Carolyn Wood and Robin. Carolyn was Robin’s main bridge partner after Cathie’s death in 2012 until her own passing. 

 

Quiet, polite, respectful, with a wicked sense of humour. A fine bridge player and a player who put so much back into the game as a bridge teacher and administrator. Robin was 89.

Richard Solomon

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