Ethel Birnbach | 1927–2024

By DeWitt Montgomery

The bridge world lost one of its great personalities on Thursday January 4, 2024, when Ethel Birnbach passed away. Ethel lived independently in her condo. She drove herself to the stores, hair appointments, gym, doctors, and sometimes bridge. She was 96.75 years old. 

Ethel was born in Bridgeport CT on April 5, 1927. At age 19, she graduated with distinction from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, earning her degree in civil engineering. She was one of the only women in the university. She worked on projects at NACA, a precursor to NASA. She helped in designing elements of the DEW (Distant Early Warning Line) in Alaska for the defense department, and in building the McNary Dam for The Bonneville Power Administration. She was the first female licensed engineer in Oregon. 

Jack, her elder son, and Ethel spoke every night. On Wednesday evening when Jack couldn’t reach her, he went to her condo and found that she was too weak to get around. Jack spent the night with her and got her into an ambulance Thursday morning. 

Jack and Ethel spent the day in a cubicle in the emergency room waiting for a private room to become available. At 5:30 pm, after Jack had left to care for his sick wife, I joined Ethel in her cubicle. That evening, I was playing a team match on BBO with Junior players. Ethel and I played the match with my laptop balanced on her hospital bed. Ethel was helping to mentor a young man 84 years her junior. On her last hand after an aggressive bid and lead she was minus 230 – a 10 IMP pickup. 

While we were playing, she told me she hadn’t eaten all day. I got the nurse, and they told her they could get her some ice cream. They asked what flavor she wanted. Ethel told them, “Any flavor is fine with me, (pause) so long as it is chocolate!” Our match was over at 8:30 which was just when the orderlies came to take her to her private room. When they got her to her room, she was nonresponsive. She was playing bridge and eating chocolate ice cream at 8:30 and died before 9. What a way to go. A long and full life and a short death. 

Some of Ethel’s many friends contributed stories and thoughts about her. 

Dr. Bob Johnson wrote: Ethel admired excellence, both in herself and in others. She took great pleasure in her pleasures, and one could not help but feel good when something tickled her funny bone, resulting in a peal of infectious laughter. She was always up front. She spoke her mind without ever being mean. She did not understand laziness, and she worked hard at doing her very best in all things, including bridge … She was a winner, both in bridge and life, until the very end, and I will miss her dearly. 

Roger McNay wrote that Ethel was one of his favorites and that she told colorful stories from her early years. When they saw the movie Hidden Figures together, Ethel spoke about the struggles of both Blacks and females of that time. Roger remembered that Ethel won the Harrison Holmes Trophy for the most points won by a D20 player at the Portland Regional at the age of 90. She still had that strong desire to be the best she could be, and triumph. She was driving the boat in her mid-eighties.

Mike Eyer wrote: I loved having the opportunity to drive her from her home to the club. 15–20 minutes of one-on-one about life, bridge people, her family, politics; a STEM pioneer when the term wasn’t around. Women “didn’t do” “men’s work” – unfortunately still the attitude of so many – and Ethel had a strong opinion of that. She overcame many obstacles and was successful throughout her life. To echo Mr. Sinatra, “She did it her way.”