VALE: JOHN LEHANE

 

CENTRAL COAST LEAGUES CLUB BRIDGE CLUB

NEWSLETTER October 2016

VALE: JOHN LEHANE

John first came to bridge in 1988 when he was 54. Before that his addiction was Chess and he used to play A Reserve Inter-Club Chess for Sydney University. John and his wife Joan had a friend who was a keen bridge player and soon chess dropped out of the picture.

Joan took lessons with John Newman and later Derek Brown (who now runs “Trumps Bridge Centre” in Mosman). John read Joan’s lesson notes and expanded his knowledge by buying and reading lots of bridge books. John and Joan started playing competitive bridge at John Newman’s Club in Neutral Bay and later at Trumps BC when Richard Brightling first opened it.

John also had a friend with whom he played table tennis. When he found out that he was also a bridge player they started to play at the NSW Bridge Association on Monday nights and went to Canberra every year. While they did not do so well at the Association the experience held them in good stead when they played weekly at the Trumps Club where they often won.

John was a member of the academic staff of the Plasma Physics Department (founded at Sydney University in 1960) and was involved in developing plasma diagnostics and study of waves in plasma. They developed a linear plasma device known as a SUPPER machine. The first device (SUPPER1) was opened in 1961. You can read about this device and see photo of John, taken about 50 years ago, at http://www.physics.usyd.edu.au/-CROSS/PLASMA%20DEPARTMENT/PLASMADept

Joan and John rented a house in Ettalong for about 18 months before moving permanently to the Central Coast in 1997. During that time John and Joan played at Brisbane Water BC when the sessions were held at the Surf Life Saving Club.

In mid 1997 John became actively involved with CCLCBC. His first “job” was Masterpoint Secretary, which he did from 1998 until 2001. He was a Committee member from 1999 and President from Aug 2001 to Aug 2004 and also from Aug 2006 to Aug 2007 i.e. served 5 years on the committee. John gave bridge lessons for beginners for a few years as well as Directing from 1990 until 2012.

John won many CCLCBC Trophies over the years mostly with Joan. They usually played at least twice a week for the past 20 years. On the occasions they were not at bridge, they were wandering around the outback in their specially equipped van.

A quiet unassuming person John did not reveal a lot about his life outside of bridge. However his integrity and ethical treatment of the game was always evident.

John died on Monday 24 October 2016 after a short illness. John was so much part of our Club it will be hard to not to expect him to just walk in to play.