Annabel Booth
Annabel Lewis was raised in western Queensland on the family farm. She completed her education at a boarding school in Southport where she realised her strong competitive instinct as a talented athlete, swimmer and tennis player.
John and I met Annabel in 1968 in Melbourne, and in 1969 John was best man at her wedding to John Booth in Brisbane. In 1971 Annabel and John settled in Perth and started a family. Annabel joined Peppermint Grove Tennis Club and began playing bridge at Nigel Rosendorff’s club in Nedlands.
Annabel represented WA in the State Women’s Teams 8 times and State Seniors’ twice. She was a member of the Women’s Team winning a National Title twice, and once winning the 2007 ANC in Perth and again in 2013 in South Australia. Annabel qualified for entry to the ACT Summer Festival in Women’s Teams 5 times. Added to this were victories in State Women’s Teams 6 times between 1989 and 2013. She won the State Mixed Teams twice, the Swiss Teams once, and the State Women’s Pairs 3 times. Her win in the 2001 State Swiss Teams with Lauren Shiels, and team members Kate Smith and Jill del Piccolo is the only time an all-women’s team has won the event.
She was also a member of the winning team in the very prestigious, and then national, Hans Rosendorff Women’s Teams in 2001 and 2010. In 2011 and 2013 she won the State Women’s Butler with her partner of 25 years, Lauren Shiels. The WABC Honour Boards are also filled with many club successes.
In addition to her brilliant career as a bridge player in WA, Annabel was completely devoted to her family - husband John, daughters Sarah and Joanna and 3 grandchildren, and enjoyed time with a wide circle of friends. A competent tennis player, she played pennant tennis for many years and was a popular ladies’ Captain at PGTC. She was a fanatical West Coast Eagles supporter and followed Australian cricket and international tennis closely. Annabel worked for 30 years as a Legal Secretary and for many years directed Supervised bridge at WABC. She is remembered at WABC with fondness and respect and by many of our players for her practical advice.
Vale to Annabel - a champion player and valued member at WABC.
Written by Alison Rigg, with thanks for help from John Rigg and Noeline Law
Published in January 2023 Edition of Trumps Plus
