Wednesday 5 January 2011

Eric Pudsey (22.05.24 – 02.01.11)

Eric died peacefully at a Care Home in Hull after a long illness.

He was the Vice President of Yorkshire Contract Bridge Association from 1999 but was best known as Yorkshire Secretary from 1980 to 1999, a role which he combined with that of Treasurer for many of those years. He received a Dimmie Fleming Award in 1999 following his retirement, in recognition of his tremendous commitment to bridge administration.

He was also one of the leading Yorkshire bridge players particularly during the 1980s and was selected to represent the county at all levels on many occasions.

Eric left school at the age of 16 to work at a local Estate Agents, but in 1942 he was conscripted into the army and in 1946 was posted to Rangoon where he became editor of the forces newspaper, the Burma Star. After being demobbed in 1947 he obtained a science degree from Hull University and qualified as a teacher. He spent the rest of his career teaching at schools in Hull and never married.

Yorkshire bridge owes a great deal to Eric and he will be fondly remembered by the county as both a player of the highest quality and for his unstinting commitment to the county’s administration.

The funeral will take place at the Northern Cemetery, Hull on Monday 17 January 2011 at 11.00 a.m.