Milestones for Two - by P.Samuels & D.Wicentowski

    Two of Unit 102's beloved members recently reached very different stages of their bridge careers. Bette Cohen recently became a Diamond Life Master, and decided to give up the reins of her Thursday duplicate game. Gurna Quinn, on the other hand, is celebrating her new status as Life Master.

    Bette Cohn: played an enormous role in the establishment of Unit 102 and served on its first Board of Directors. She is one of the Unit's Representatives to District 9. She has done an extraordinary job of handling "hospitality" (food) for most of our tournaments. She continues her career as a tax accountant and visits often with her family. She still plays bridge at a high level. Her Thursday's Best Club / Game is now run by Carol Cutforth. Bette's memoirs could fill volumes. Here are some of her most cherished stories.
    In 1963, when sbe was Bette Fouriezos, she was on a Caribbean cruise which included a bridge seminar conducted by Sidney Silodor. On a whim, sbe wound up playing a two session event with one of the entertainers. After they won, Mr. Silodor asked for their ACBL numbers and total points. Her partner proudly announced that he had three points. Bette asked, "What points?"
    Bette remembers Bill and Marietta Passell, Jane and Dave Mason, Martha Fingerle and many others. Once Bill and Dave suggested that she play with their wives in women's pairs. Bill gently informed her that the League runs these games so that women will have something to do while the man play bridge. In 1970, at the Fall Nationals in Houston, she won 100 gold points playing in the Life Masters Women's Fairs with Marietta.
    Marietta and Bette qualified for the 1974 World Bridge Olympiad in Venice (Italy, that is). Their teammates were Emma Jean Hawes, Dorothy Truscott, Betty Ann Kennedy and Carol Sanders. Winning the first ever Venice Cup was their proudest moment. They walked into the Royal Danieli Hotel with everyone toasting them as the band played the Star Spangled Banner!
    Nick Fouriezos, Bette's first husband, passed away in 1963 leaving her with three beautiful children. Several years later she maried Martin J. Cobn. He was a fabulous but controversial bridge player. Bette acknowledges that much has been written about his antics, but that if she were playing for her life he would be her partner. Through Marty, she met Garner McDaniels, who became a friend and" bridge partner for life.
   Later on, Susie Katz Ross and Mickey Rosenthal also became long time friends and partners. Bette would prefer not to mention local players for fear of leaving someone out. She says that bridge has made the difference in her life. … and she hopes that when she's too old and creaky to get to the club, you'll still play with her on the internet.

    Gurna Quinn - Life Master at 94:
    "She hasn't lost one marble, not even a fraction of a marble. She remembers everything," said Alex Wagner, one of the many favorite partners of ACBL's newest life master, diminutive 94-year old Gurna Quinn. Wine, fruit, cards and 18 red roses filled her hotel room at the Fourth of July regional in Coral Springs after she won the top flight opening knock-outs, with the team of Bette
Cohn, Gen Geiger, Carol and Jim Hamilton. "We didn't carry her," said Geiger, her partner in the event. "Gurna never missed a game and played the entire final match." After beating the Zeke Zabbour team in the semi-finals, Gurna exclaimed, "I can't believe how gracious he is. He was so sincere in his congratulations. I'm going to start reading all his articles now." At the celebration party, Gurna had her usual one scotch on the rocks. The 4'11", 85 pound, healthy, fashionably-dressed woman said, "At my weight I can't handle more than one."
    Although Gurna started playing social bridge when she and her late husband, Ed, moved to Sarasota, in 1956, with a son and daughter still in high school, she did not take the game too seriously. Widowed in 1979, she returned to work as an administrative assistant to a local attorney and worked full time until she was 80. After retiring she volunteered, driving the sick or elderly who
could not drive or afford cabs. Gurna has six granddaughters and 13 great grandchildren. Some of her happiest moments were traveling to welcome a new granddaughter into the family. All six were born in different areas, as far away as Bermuda. "I've known her 30 years, traveled to 10 tournaments with her and she's such a dear, a delight. She's one of the most remarkable people I've ever met," said Dottie Zweig. Another partner Marsha Klanke said, "She's so even tempered, doesn't yell if I make a boo boo." Gurna's goals now: "Just to hang in there" and, of course, she'll be busy planning her life master party as she waits for all of the team to return to town from summer vacations.