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Bobby Goldman, Dallas world bridge champion, dies

By Joe Simnacher

The Dallas Morning News, May 19th, 1999

Dallas Morning News

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Gopher Editor's note:

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Robert "Bobby" Goldman, the Dallas world bridge champion who was to be inducted into the American Contract Bridge League Hall of Fame this year, has died.

Mr. Goldman was a charter member of the Dallas Aces, a professional bridge team formed here 30 years ago to help make Americans competitive in bridge. He died Sunday of a heart attack at Lewisville Memorial Hospital. He was 60 and lived in Highland Village.

Services were Tuesday in Dallas for Mr. Goldman. He was buried in Hillcrest Memorial Park.

Mr. Goldman was a physics major at Drexel University in Philadelphia when the late Ira Corn of Dallas recruited him in 1968 to win international bridge titles for the United States. Mr. Corn's mission was a success. From 1969 through 1974, Mr. Goldman was on the U.S. team that ended Italian domination of the game. The Aces won world championships in 1970, 1971 and 1979 and the mixed teams' title in 1972.

Mr. Goldman was a four-time world champion who won 19 North American titles. Bill Landow of Philadelphia, who had known Mr. Goldman since 1960, said his friend wasn't a charismatic leader but rather "the cement and the glue, the work hard and stay-up-all-night and figure-out-what-it-would-take-to-win guy."

"He was a grinder, the guy you wanted in the trench with you," Mr. Landow said. "He was the guy who would fight to the last and never take credit."

Mr. Goldman played cards with his family growing up and was introduced to bridge in college, said his wife, Bettianne Goldman.

"I think he'd like to be remembered as a great teacher," Mrs. Goldman said. Her husband loved bridge as a mental puzzle and believed the card game could keep the mind going into old age, Mrs. Goldman said. He was an early advocate of teaching and coaching bridge with computer programs. He created a mind game for his son, which the boy's junior high adopted for its computer lab. He supported teaching bridge on the Internet. Mr. Goldman was named the contract bridge association's Honorary Member of the Year in 1999 for "unselfish dedication to the causes of good conduct, worthy participation and ethical behavior."

With the brief exception of some consulting work for an Irving-based cable television venture, Mr. Goldman earned his living playing bridge in his adult life.

In addition to his wife, Mr. Goldman is survived by a son, Quinn Goldman of Highland Village; two stepdaughters, Cherri McKinstry of Grapevine, and Rennee DeSayeof Atlanta; and a stepson, Russel Taylor of Atlanta.

Memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association or a charity of choice.

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Gopher Editor's note:

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