Fran Henry-Jansa of Portland, Oregon recently reached the coveted Life Master milestone. Below are her answers to interview questions about her journey.
How did you begin your bridge journey? “I grew up watching my parents play social bridge and one Christmas when my 5 siblings and I were in our late twenties, we decided we finally wanted to learn the game. Not that many years later, my husband Mark and I started playing social bridge with friends on a fairly regular basis. Fast forward 30+ years to retirement from teaching and we decided to up our game to duplicate. We’ve never looked back!”
When did you reach Life Master? “I became a life master at the Seaside tournament this past October, winning a knockout with my husband and our good friends, Ed Trachtenbarg and Kathleen Hart.” The featured photo is Fran, Mark, Ed, and Kathleen at the Puerta Vallarta Regional.
What do you love about the game? “My favorite part of bridge is that I keep learning, thinking and challenging my brain! There’s always a new and interesting hand to deal with (pardon the pun!).”
Any fun stories or anecdotes? “Funny story: early in our duplicate ‘career’, my dear husband bid 1 spade, and I made a 4 hearts splinter bid. Mark passed as he had 5 hearts and thought we had a big heart fit…missing my splinter! Fortunately for me, the opponents were also confused by this bidding and the wrong person led and the director was called. One of my options was letting my partner play this mess which of course, I chose! We have soldiered on and have learned to laugh at our mishaps…. Of course, they still happen!”
What else keeps you busy besides bridge? “When I’m not playing bridge, I’m hiking, biking, traveling, and most importantly, being with my family which includes 5 grandchildren ( all in Portland) and 2 more on the way! Come spring, we will have 7 grandchildren under 6!!!!”
“Bridge works my brain, grandkids work my body!!!”
Well said, Fran. Congratulations!
