Heather Booth (Life Member)
Heather Booth died in July at the age of 96. She would have preferred that her age was not known, having spent many of her years concealing it as much as possible! Many may not remember her and some may even do so with misgivings. As she aged, she grew very deaf and more and more imperious and overbearing. New players hated coming to her table. But she was not always like this. For years she was a major and generous contributor to this club.
Heather was English to her bootstraps – or perhaps, as a dancer trained at the Royal Ballet, to her points. She arrived in Perth with her engineer husband Edgar in the 1960s and soon after started bridge lessons with Hans Rosendorff. In 1968 she joined WABC. Social life at the club was as important to many members as the game. Before WABC had a liquor license members would organise drinks parties in private homes after bridge and Heather became a regular part of these.
Soon after joining Heather began helping with catering for club events. By the 1980s she was Chairman of the House Committee which organises the delicious food that is a highlight of special events. A Trumps Plus article reporting on the 1980 Christmas Party, says Heather “took complete charge of the catering and hardly left the club for the preceding six days. Everyone… lent a hand but the lionesses share of the credit is hers alone”. For years she organised lavish spreads for congresses, Melbourne Cup lunches, club tournaments and the Christmas party. Behind the scenes, she would take members baked custards, small delicacies, or a bunch of flowers when they were ill, visit them in hospital, take them shopping or to the library to exchange books and generally act as club Good Samaritan.
Heather played an excellent game of bridge too. She had frequent successes in Congresses, club events and in 1982 was a member of the State Women’s Team that competed in the Australian National Championships in Sydney. Long-time friend and partner Mary Davies remembers what fun they had playing and travelling together. In 1992 Heather was awarded a Life Membership for her outstanding service to the club and won the inaugural Patron’s Cup.
It has been difficult to verify stories about Heather. Her husband died many years ago and later she lost her only son in a car crash. Her three granddaughters live in England and seem to have been estranged. Recent years I suspect have been lonely ones. I like to remember her as bubbly, generous to a fault and with a decided twinkle in her eye. Farewell Heather.
Valerie Krantz
Published in September 2010 Edition of Trumps Plus
