Brian O’Hara

Vale Brian O’HARA (6th June 1927- 1 October 2008)

When Brian O'Hara died suddenly on October 1st 2008, he left a hole in the lives of many people in many different ways.

 Brian was an active member of the first Western Australian Bridge Association and later BAWA and was always in the running in state and interstate events. He was introduced to the game as a medical student at Adelaide University. As a resident at Royal Perth Hospital, he joined the Bridge Association, then in St. George's Terrace, remaining a playing member for the next 54 years. Over these years, he became a first-class player winning the Open and the Men's Pairs and Teams and captaining the WA bridge team a number of times.

 Whether as an official or a player, he attended many A.B.F. events and was appointed Recorder. His duty was to sort out problems and misunderstandings in a diplomatic way and Brian treated his appointment very seriously. He always said he liked to be the Vice President. never the President or the Captain of a Team. As such he was forced to adjudicate twice acting without fear or favour as he banned two BAWA members were Presidents then or later. Sadly, he had agreed to Captain the Open Team at the A.N.C. when he received the news of his last illness.

 Brian was a true renaissance man with many intellectual interests and skills. He was a philatelist of considerable authority, had a wide knowledge of antiques, a long-time interest in wine and for many years was an honorary lecturer for St John Ambulance and the Mercy Hospital. Not only was he a fine doctor but his patients became his friends. He kept his golf buddies, his local friends, his business and professional friends until he died. Jimmy O'Sullivan and Keith McNeill, two of the Bridge Greats, were mates and remember that he gave many brilliant parties that could still be going on at dawn the next day.

 Brian's many friends will miss him sadly. His wife Mary, their five children and seven grandchildren have lost a much-loved member of the family. The lines they chose from W.B. Yeats' in his memory seem particularly apt:

         'Think where a man's glory most begins and ends,
And say my glory was I had such friends'.

 Ailsa Smith

 Published in December 2008 Edition of Trumps Plus