Monday June 16th is the official Longest Day charity game. Tuesday through Friday will be Club Championship games.  There is no additional cost for any game.  

The silent auction will be held all week.  We are raising funds on behalf of the Alzheimer's association & will be holding a fundraiser to benefit Alzheimer's research.  Please come and donate for this worthy cause.

BEYOND BRIDGE

Featuring

PAUL VILMOS

Born in a small community in Hungary in 1930, Paul Vilmos lived through some very difficult historical times. At the age of 14, he was deported to Austria for forced labor and ended up in Mauthausen Concentration Camp. His arrival at the camp occurred in 1944, near the end of the war and the camp was liberated by the American army on May 8, 1945.

Upon his return home, Paul restarted his academic studies and was an excellent student. His hard work earned him a place at the medical school in Budapest, where he graduated with high honors. His standing at the University should have earned him a position at Budapest’s leading hospital. However, Paul was not a member of the Communist Party and had to settle for a residency away from Budapest.

Paul was in Hungary when the short-lived Hungarian Revolution occurred in 1956. The uprising against Communist rule lasted for only 15 days before it was crushed by the Soviet Union. During the aftermath of the failed revolution, over 200,000 Hungarians sought political refuge in other countries. Paul was able to escape Hungary to England, where he worked as a resident in a hospital at the University of Leeds.

In 1959, Paul obtained a visa allowing him to work in the United States. He undertook a five-year residency at a hospital in New York. At 35 years old, Paul finished his residency and set up a private practice in Manhattan. He became an attending surgeon in Beth Israel Medical Center and served as the chairman of their surgery committee.

During his residency, Paul met his wife, Madeleine, in the hospital cafeteria. Madeleine was working as a speech therapist at the hospital. At first Madeleine was reluctant to go on a date with him, but he obtained a pair of opera tickets to Verdi’s Nabucco and was able to convince her to come with him. Their love blossomed quickly, and they were married six months after they met. Sixty-four years later, they are living happily in their Baldwin Park home and enjoying frequent visits with their two children and four grandchildren.

After retiring at age 64, Paul began to seek out hobbies to keep his mind sharp. He took up photography, art and music appreciation, and Bridge. Paul and Madeleine have traveled extensively. They have visited more than 100 countries and have been to every continent except Antarctica (they do not like cold weather). Paul finished his lifelong travel “bucket list” in 2020 with a trip to the Golden Triangle in India.

Paul has been playing bridge at our Club for the past 17 years and frequently partners with Patty Estes, Linda Scheible and Elliot Raphaelson. Next time you see Paul at the table, be sure and ask him about his many travel adventures!

The Orlando Bridge Club in alliance with the Alzheimer's Association presents the Longest Day on June 16, 2025.

The Orlando Bridge Club is committed to raising funds on behalf of the Alzheimer's association & will be holding a fundraiser to benefit Alzheimer's research.  We are looking for cash donations, gift cards for the silent auction & any in-kind items that can be used in the silent auction or a raffle.  Auction items will be on display during the week for bidding

Playing bridge regularly can offer cognitive benefits that might help with Alzheimer's disease or dementia prevention or delay. Studies show that bridge, along with other mentally stimulating activities like board games, musical instruments, crossword puzzles, and dancing, may reduce the risk of developing these conditions. Bridge specifically involves strategic thinking, memory, and social interaction, all of which can help keep the brain active and healthy.

Please help us in raising funds for this worthy cause.

Week of June 16-20
5151 Lake Howell Road
Winter Park, FL 32792

Click here for flyer:  Longest Day 2025.pdf

The Orlando Bridge Club is embarking on a new project called BEYOND BRIDGE.  Beyond Bridge consists of a series of articles focusing on one of our club players, highlighting their life, family, career, hobbies and special talents. We all know the bridge stories of our friends, and now we want to focus on other aspects of their lives.

If you would like to nominate yourself or a friend to be featured, please see Charlie Miner.  He will interview you, write your story and include pictures.

Our first featured player is the incomparable FAYE CONTI.  Enjoy!

FAYE CONTI

 BRIDGE PLAYER AND IKEBANA ENTHUSIAST

Faye Conti has three passions in life – her family, Ikebana (a Japanese art form of flower arranging) and duplicate bridge.  Her interest in Ikebana began in Hawaii in 1969, while her husband, Al, was serving in the United States Air Force and flying missions to Vietnam.

Faye attended her first Ikebana class with a girlfriend. Although her friend never attended another class, Faye continued and is still perfecting the art 56 years later. One of her favorite memories is when she brought her first Ikebana arrangement home, her husband complimented her and said: “now our house is a home”.  Faye was married to Al for more than 65 years and has two children and two granddaughters.

Recently, Faye participated in the annual Ikebana Art Show at Leu Gardens. She arranged a display and demonstrated the art of Ikebana to a packed room.  Ikebana is a method of flower arranging where three separate elements – the flower bloom, the stems, and the greenery - are placed in overlapping triangular formations in ceramic containers to create beautiful floral arrangements.  Several members of OBC attended the show, Charlie Miner, Georgette Lynch and Ann Farrell.  Georgette and Ann were so enthralled they are considering taking classes.

Faye has taught many people the art of Ikebana. She is a past President of Ikebana International Chapter 132, which is based in Orlando. One of her students, Irene Gomulkay, currently runs an Ikebana school in Orlando. Irene is the daughter of long-time member of our bridge community, Dena Axelrod. Past OBC President, Bob Buhrmann’s wife Louise also displayed one of her beautiful creations at the Leu Gardens’ Ikebana show.  Madeleine Sweeney, one of OBC’s newer players, has been a student of Faye for over 8 years.

Faye is still active in bridge as well as Ikebana. You will see her at our club every Wednesday playing with Lorraine Harris, her partner of 25+ years. Faye has been enjoying both bridge and Ikebana for over 55 years.  When asked which endeavor she enjoys more, she said that both are difficult to do well, but that she found Ikebana to be more peaceful, while bridge could be frustrating at times!

Keep up the great work Faye.  We can’t wait to see your new creations!

WELCOME OUR NEW DIRECTOR, DON GRACE!

OBC is excited to welcome Don Grace as the director of our Friday afternoon game.  Many of our players already know Don, as he played at OMBC for many years, with his son Francis Grace.  Don brings a wealth of experience with him. He has directed numerous games at the club, sectional, regional and national levels. He is also an accredited ACBL teacher. We invite everybody to play in his first game on Friday, March 7!

THE OBC/DARYL DREW INAUGURAL SECTIONAL TOURNAMENT WAS A RESOUNDING SUCCESS!

OCB hosted its first sectional tournament and welcomed players from Canada, Oklahoma, Maine, Illinois, and Floridians from all over the state.

Thanks to all our volunteers, donors, food angels and players who made our Sectional such a huge success! 

Special kudos to the following people:

            Charlie Miner – Tournament Chair

            Gloria McCain – Treasurer

            Jeff Ritchie – Liaison with ACBL Director

            Judy Newcomb and Georgette Lynch – Gracious Hosts

            David Kellogg – Church Liaison

            Nick Tallyn – ACBL Director in Charge

Congratulations to all our club members who earned silver points! Geoff Jones earned 18.7 points, along with impressive showings by Eileen Easterling, Lynn McKinney, Linda Schofield, Linda Scheible and Paul Vilmos.

Hilary Fischer, Ruthanne Brown and Ellen Victorica were thrilled to earn their first silver.

OBC appreciates your enthusiasm for bridge, however, if you are not feeling well, please stay home!

Effective immediately, if a player is showing signs of illness, a director, at his/her discretion may ask the player to leave or wear a mask.  This policy is enacted for the wellness of our bridge community.