American Contract Bridge League
Unit 484   District 20

Bob is one of the newer regulars at our clubs and tournaments. He is not only a friendly and competent competitor, but he lends his youth and brawn to setting up and taking down tables and chairs at the bridge sessions. In addition, he is an active member-at-large on our Unit Board. He is training with Bernadine Lacy and Bill Holt to become a substitute Director and aspires to office in the Regional ACBL hierarchy.

Born in New York City, Bob attended school and college in that state. His dad was a busy grocery chain vice president who worked his way up from a box boy. Bob’s father had a passion for acting in his spare time, and he still acts at the age of 91. Bob credits his excellent memory for bridge conventions to good genes; his father never misses a line in the plays in which he performs. Another influence on Bob was a grandmother who gave Bob a love of cards. She never let the kids win, but taught them all the intricacies of the game casino. She, too, had a wonderful memory and lived to the age of 99.

Bob graduated from New York State University, at Binghamton, with a degree in biology and chemistry. He did research in chemistry for three semesters. Later, he enrolled in Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York where he earned his MD. He completed his residency at the Los Angeles County University of Southern California Medical Center and started considering his options. He elected to make a difference in the world. He rejected lucrative offers to practice in Beverly Hills, California; he opened a Family Practice Clinic, in an impoverished area of Los Angeles, with his own funds. He worked at his clinic for seventeen years. He was on the staff and later Director and Chief of Staff of a local hospital at that time.

During his long years of public service, Bob indulged his newly acquired passion for deep sea diving. He became a dive specialist, completing over 4200 dives. Eventually he accepted a part time position as Scuba Diving and Dive Medicine Specialist for Club Med. He was able to travel the world in that capacity, devoting two months per year to this avocation. He met his future wife, Darby, at a Club Med, and the Foxes have been together for seven years. In 1997, Bob semi-retired to spend full time with Club Med. He spent two years traveling in Mexico, the Caribbean and Asia. Now he has the option of working for Club Med whenever he chooses. He says he may "take an assignment (and get a free vacation) for one or two months per year."

In 2003, Bob and Darby sold their home on Los Angeles, got into their car and decided to drive until they found the place where they wanted to live. They traveled six states until they found Oregon and decided to settle here. After renting for a year, they found their dream home in Evans Valley. Their ecologically friendly home is surrounded by densely forested land. The Foxes grow vegetables and tend their fruit orchard. Their "children" are Chewie, a German shepherd, and Freak and Squeak, the two cats.

Bob played a little bridge in medical school, but he was too busy to pursue it at that time. But, he got hooked on the game when he visited a friend, two-and-a-half years ago, in Montana, when she took him to a duplicate game. They won! Bob became an ACBL member and began lessons with Bill Holt and later Bernadine Lacey here in the Rogue Valley. Now Bob leads, in his strata, the Unit in the Mini McKinney competition. He has earned over 200 master points in the past two years.

One of Bob’s pet projects as a Board member is to memorialize our dearly departed bridge players in a meaningful way. He hopes to set up a permanent plaque with their names inscribed.

His passion is to keep bridge growing and vibrant. "We need to recruit young people," he says. He advocates teaching one’s children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews the exciting game of bridge. He is doing just that with any kids he can tempt. "Bridge is a great game. It keeps your mind active and activates your competitive spirit," he avers. Bob is a tremendous asset to our bridge community.