TO EDGAR (Part III)

Here you will find the third segment of tributes to the late Edgar Kaplan from people across the miles who could not be present at Honors in person to pay their last respects ……

WHEN I REMEMBER EDGAR, I WILL ALWAYS RECALL A PHONE CALL FROM MY PARENTS SEVERAL YEARS AGO.   THEY ARE NOT DUPLICATE BRIDGE PLAYERS, BUT THEY HEARD THAT I JUST HAD AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE BRIDGE WORLD.   BEING VERY EXCITED AND WANTING COPIES FOR SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY, THEY CALLED THE BRIDGE WORLD.   WHEN THEY TOLD ME OF THE CALL, THEY SAID THAT THEY HAD A VERY NICE CHAT WITH A MAN NAMED EDGAR WHO ARRANGED FOR THEM TO RECEIVE SEVERAL COPIES TO PASS AROUND THE FAMILY.   AT THE TIME I AM NOT SURE EDGAR EVEN KNEW ME, BUT THAT DIDN’T KEEP HIM FROM RESPONDING TO THEIR REQUEST.

I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT HE WAS WILLING TO TAKE THE TIME TO MAKE MY MOTHER AND FATHER VERY HAPPY.   /S/ STEVE BEATTY

WHEN I FIRST PLAYED ON A TEAM WITH EDGAR KAPLAN, I HAD TO GO THROUGH A REALITY CHECK, ‘AM I REALLY ON THE SAME TEAM WITH THE LEGEND OF BRIDGE?’   I WAS APPREHENSIVE AT FIRST, BUT EDGAR’S WARMTH AND HUMOR QUICKLY MADE ME FEEL COMFORTABLE.  AT THE TIME I HAD JUST LOST MY FATHER, AND EDGAR HELPED FILL THE  GAP AS HE BECAME A ROLE MODEL FOR ME.   AS A BRIDGE MENTOR EDGAR TAUGHT ME MANY THINGS;   ONE THAT STANDS OUT WAS HIS MENTAL APPROACH TO A BRIDGE MATCH.   ‘YOU DON’T HAVE TO WIN IT; YOU JUST HAVE TO NOT LOSE IT.’ /S/ RICHARD PAVLICEK

I MET EDGAR BEFORE I EVEN KNEW HOW TO PLAY BRIDGE.  HE WAS MORE THAN A GREAT MAN IN BRIDGE,   HE WAS A LEGEND AND AN ICON OF OUR TIME.   I AM SURE HIS NAME AND INFLUENCE WILL BE FOREVER WITH US.   

AFTER C.C.’ S DEATH, I OFTEN TELL MY FRIENDS THAT WHEN I OPEN MY HAND ONE CLUB, I WOULD SEE C. C.’ S  FACE SMILING AT ME.   IN EDGAR’S CASE, WHEN YOU PICK UP ANY BRIDGE HAND, YOU WILL SEE EDGAR’S FACE LOOKING AND GUIDING YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE MOST DIFFICULT TIMES IN YOUR BRIDGE LIFE.

I AM GRATEFUL TO HAVE KNOWN SUCH A GIANT OF A MAN.  BRIDGE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME WITHOUT EDGAR.   I DO HOPE THAT WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER WHAT HE TAUGHT US IN BRIDGE AND MAKE HIM PROUD OF WHAT WE CAN DO FOR BRIDGE IN THE EDGAR WAY!  /S/ KATHY WEI-SENDER

EDGAR KAPLAN WAS AN ICON TO SO MANY PEOPLE – I WAS ONE.   HIS SPARKLING WIT AND MAGNIFICENT COMMAND OF LANGUAGE WERE ONLY TWO OF THE MANY REASONS EDGAR WAS SO EXCITIG TO BE WITH.   HE WAS ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING AND INTERESTING PERSONS I HAVE EVER KNOWN – EDGAR JUST WASN’T HERE LONG ENOUGH! 

I SHALL MISS HIM TERRIBLY, BUT THESE MEMORIES WILL ALWAYS BE WITH ME  /S/ LOUISE FREEMAN

EDGAR CONTRIBUTED TO BRIDGE IN A GREAT MANY WAYS, AND DID THEM ALL WELL.  I’LL REMEMBER HIM AS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST COMPETITORS, AND AS THE VERY BEST VUGRAPH COMMENTATOR.  /S/  LEW STANSBY

ONE OF MY FONDEST MEMORIES OF THE BRIDGE WORLD WAS KNOWING EDGAR KAPLAN – A GENTLEMAN IN EVERY SENSE OF THE WORD AND A GREAT BRIDGE PLAYER WITH FEW EQUALS.  

I WILL MISS HIM.  /S/ EDITH KEMP FREILICH

EDGAR AND MY LATE HUSBAND, JIM, WERE GOOD FRIENDS.   THERE WAS ALWAYS SOME KIND OF BANTERING GOING ON BETWEEN THEM WHENEVER THEY SAW EACH OTHER AT TOURNAMENTS.  I NEVER KNEW WHEN THEY WERE SERIOUS OR JUST KIDDING.   HOWEVER, I ALWAYS KNEW THAT THEY HAD GREAT RESPECT AND AFFECTION FOR ONE ANOTHER.

EDGAR WILL BE TRULY MISSED.   /S/ JUDY JACOBY

TO EDGAR WITH LOVE ..

YOU KNOW EDGAR, WHEN A GUY LIKE YOU GOES, EVERYONE TRIES TO TELL OF YOUR MANY CONTRIBUTIONS AND YOUR CHARACTER.   THEY ALL FALL SHORT.

THE VACUUM YOUR PASSING HAS CREATED IN OUR CRAZY WORLD IS IMMENSE.   DESPITE THIS, I SELFISHLY WILL MOST MISS THE TIMES WE SPENT JUST CHATTING ABOUT ALMOST ANYTHING.   /S/ DANNY ROTMAN

EDGAR WAS THE GREAT GURU.   HE WAS MY COACH IN THE FIRST BERMUDA BOWL I PLAYED.  HE WAS MY CAPTAIN IN THE LAST ONE THAT I WON.   I NEVER HAD THE PLEASURE OF PLAYING WITH HIM AS A PARTNER, BUT AS MY OPPONENT, HE WAS BOTH A PLEASURE AND A NIGHTMARE.   HE LIFTED MY SCALP IN THE FINALS OF MORE  VANDERBILTS THAN I CARE TO REMEMBER.   SOME OF MY SWEETEST VICTORIES WERE WHEN I PREVAILED AGAINST EDGAR, AND MANY OF MY MOST PAINFUL DEFEATS WERE AT HIS HANDS.   EDGAR WAS A DRIVING FORCE BEHIND OUR SPORT.  HE KNEW HOW TO GET THINGS DONE.  IF ANYONE DESERVED THE TITLE “MR. BRIDGE.”  IT WAS EDGAR.  

A RESPECTED OPPONENT, A FRIEND AND FOE.  DAMN THAT MAN WORE MANY HATS.   HE IS GREATLY MISSED.   /S/  BOB HAMMAN

EDGAR WAS A GREAT BRIDGE PLAYER AND A TRUE GENTLEMAN.   HAVING NOT PLAYED WELL AS EDGAR’S TEAMMATE IN A PAST TEAM TRIALS, IT WAS ESPECIALLY GRATIFING TO WIN THE BERMUDA BOWL WITH EDGAR IN 1995.  HE WAS A GREAT  CAPTAIN.   I DOUBT WE WOULD HAVE WON WITHOUT HIM.   /S/ JEFF MECKSTROTH

IT DID NOT MATTER TO EDGAR WHETHER YOU WERE GREAT OR SMALL,  FAMOUS OR UNKNOWN.  HE ALWAYS TREATED YOU WITH THE SAME DEGREE OF FRIENDLINESS, KINDNESS AND RESPECT … NO MATTER WHO YOU WERE.   WE WILL MISS  HIM.    /S/ MIN AND HUGH ROSS

EDGAR WAS A KIND AND GENEROUS MAN.   HE UNDERSTOOD PEOPLE, BRIDGE, WINE AND FOOD.   ALL THE IMPORTANT THINGS.   I WILL MISS HIM MORE THAN I CAN EXPRESS.  /S/ GERRY CHARNEY

EDGAR PASSED AWAY ABOUT A WEEK AFTER THE CAR WRECK THAT KILLED PRINCESS DIANA.  EDGAR WASN’T AS PRETTY OR GLAMOROUS AS PRINCESS DIANA, BUT HE WAS JUST AS CHARMING.   LIKE THE PRINCESS, HE WAS LIGHT IN THIS WORLD.  ALTHOUGH I HADN’T SEEN HIM FOR OVER TWO YEARS, MY FEELINGS FOR HIM WERE AS STRONG AS EVER AND MY SORROW OVER HIS PASSING WILL NEVER GO AWAY.  /S/ PAMELA GRANOVETTER

I FIRST MET EDGAR WHEN I WAS 20 YEARS OLD.   HE INVITED ME TO HIS WEEKLY GAME AT HIS HOME ON WEST 94TH STREET.  THERE I WAS PRIVILEGED TO MEET HIS WIFE, BETTY, AND MANY LEGENDARY  PLAYERS.   THE MOST SIGNIFICANT LESSON I LEARNED FROM THESE MEETINGS WAS THAT TO BE A POPULAR AND SUCCESSFUL PLAYER, YOU HAD TO KEEP CALM AND BE POLITE.  MANNERS WERE AS IMPORTANT AS ABILITY.

EDGAR HAD NO CHILDREN AND BETTY PASSED AWAY YEARS AGO, BUT HE LEAVES BEHIND A VAST NUMBER OF WONDERFUL WRITINGS,  AND A LEGACY OF HOW TO BE A WINNER AND WARM HUMAN BEING AT THE SAME TIME.  /S/  MATTHEW GRANOVETTER

EDGAR WILL GO DOWN IN BRIDGE HISTORY AS THE PERSON WHO HAD THE MOST SIGNICANT IMPACT ON THE GAME.  HE INFLUENCED EVERY ASPECT OF BRIDGE.  THIS IS BECAUSE HE WAS INTERESTED IN CLUB LEVEL BRIDGE AND CHARITY PROGRAMS AS HE WAS IN TOURNAMENT REGULATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL EVENTS. 

NO PERSON HAD WON THE RESPECT OF HIS PEERS MORE THAN EDGAR.   WE HAD THE RARE OCCURRENCE WHEN HE WAS ELECTED TO THE COMMITTEE OF HONOR, THE WORLD BRIDGE FEDERATION’S HIGHEST AWARD, THAT HE WAS A UNANIMOUS SELECTION FROM ELECTORS ALL OVER THE WORLD!  /S/ JIM ZIMMERMAN

IN THE WORLD OF BRIDGE EDGAR WAS A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS – AND HE MADE THE BEST BLOODY MARY’S.  /S/ SAMI KEHELA

EDGAR WAS A GIANT IN THE WORLD OF BRIDGE.   I WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HIS HUMOR, HIS KEEN MIND AND HIS PENETRATING ANALYSES OF THE MOST DIFFICULT HANDS.   EVERYONE WHO KNEW HIM HAS SUFFERED A UNIQUE LOSS.   /S/ BENITO GAROZZO

THERE WAS SO MUCH TO ADMIRE ABOUT EDGAR.   HIS BRILLIANT MIND, HIS IMMENSE TALENTS AS A BRIDGE PLAYER AND WRITER, THE COUNTLESS CONTRIBUTIONS HE HAS MADE TO OUR GAME.  ABOVE ALL, HE WAS A MAN OF GREAT CHARACTER, DEFINING INTEGRITY, KINDNESS AND CHARM.  /S/  SHERI WEINSTOCK and FRED GITELMAN

BRIDGE WAS AN ESSENTIAL PART OF MY LIFE FROM ABOUT 1957 TO 1980.  IT WAS A HOBBY OFFERING STIMULATION, COMPETITION AND FRIENDSHIPS WHICH LASTED A VIRTUAL LIFETIME.  AMONG THE LATTER, IT WAS MY GREAT FORTUNE TO BE FRIENDS WITH EDGAR.

EDGAR WAS EVERYTHING THAT I FOUND ATTRACTIVE ABOUT BRIDGE.  HE WAS MULTI-TALENTED, WITTY, ANALYTICAL AND EVER COURTEOUS.  BEYOND THESE QUALITIES HE WAS A GENTLEMAN.   THAT TERM HAS LOST A LOT OF ITS MEANING IN THE LAST THIRTY OR SO YEARS.  MORE IS THE PITY!   I WILL MISS EDGAR AND SO WILL BRIDGE.  /S/ ANDY GABRILOVITCH

I HAD THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING AND PLAYING AGAINST EDGAR OVER A SPAN OF FOUR DECADES:

  AS A YOUNG KID IN AN AIR FORCE UNIFORM IN THE LATE 60’s.

     AS A WILD LONG-HAIRED HIPPIE IN THE 70’s;

         AS A BRASH TERROR IN THE 80’s; AND

            AS A SEMI MATURE ADULT IN THE 90’s.

IN ALL THAT TIME, I NEVER SAW EDGAR LOSE HIS COOL OR POISE AT THE BRIDGE TABLE.  HE WAS ALWAYS COMPLIMENTARY TOWARD HIS PARTNER (EVEN BRIAN GLUBOK) AND ALWAYS PLEASANT AND NEVER CONDESCENDING TO HIS OPPONENTS.   THE GREATEST IMPACT EDGAR HAD ON ME PERSONALLY WAS HIS LEGENDARY PHILOSOPHY:   ‘ YOU DON’T HAVE TO WIN MATCHES – JUST SIT BACK AND LET THE OPPONENTS BEAT THEMSELVES.’  HE WAS TRULY AN EXCEPTIONAL HUMAN BEING AND WE WILL ALL MISS HIM. /S/ MIKE PASSELL

1967.   MY GENERATION DISCOVERED BRIDGE.   EDGAR AND HIS VERSION OF ‘THE BRIDGE WORLD’ ENTERED OUR LIVES SERENDIPITOUSLY.   WE WERE HOOKED FOREVER   EDGAR WAS THE GURU FOR THOUSANDS OF US – OUR ORACLE.  THE AMAZING THING THAT EDGAR HAD THIS EFFECT ON SO  MANY OF US WITHOUT PROSELYTIZING.   MY LOVE FOR THE GAME CAME FROM READING EDGAR’S WORDS.   TO LATER COUNT HIM AS A FRIEND WAS SOMETHING WORTH TREASURING.  /S/ ERIC KOKISH

The next group will close Reflections from Across the Miles – our tribute to the incredible Edgar Kaplan.  I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed laboring over the computer for hours on end. Part IV will conclude the remaining friends of Edgar who are still with us.   The remarks of the deceased were quoted under TO EDGAR WITH LOVE (Part I).