| Jim e Corinne KIRKHAM | |
|
|
|
|
Nato il 16 novembre del 1936 a Springfield nel Missouri, James Herlan Kirkham entrò nella Marina degli Stati Uniti dopo essersi laureato in scienza dei computer all'Università del Missouri e partecipò alla guerra in Vietnam.
Si pensionò dai marines nel 1978 con il grado di Luogotenente Colonnello e lavorò ancora 12 come nel campo dello sviluppo affari informatico.
Jim che ha avuto tre figli, si sposò con Corinne, anche lei valente bridgista, che ne aveva a sua volta altri tre.
Amante del baseball ebbe una sua squadra chiamata American Legion, giocatore professionista, conquistò tre NABC's sempre giocando in coppia con la moglie.
Come teorico ha dato i suoi contributi nella modernizzazione della Drury e del 2SA Jacoby, mentre, la Suction era inizialmente nata come Kobb (Kirkham Over Big Bids).
Per oltre 20 anni fece parte del Consiglio di Amministrazione del Distretto del Sud California e per 15 anni è stato il Direttore della Western Board Conference. Ha anche fatto parte per 12 anni del Consiglio ACBL di cui fu Presidente nel 2001 e per sei del Consiglio Esecutivo della WBF.
Morì il 15 Ottobre del 2011 a Leawood in Kansas dopo una battaglia con il cancro.
Corinne, originaria di Birmingham, ha imparato a giocare quando aveva 11 anni dai suoi genitori che erano entrambi ACBL Life Master, oggi vive a San Bernardino in California ed è stata una valente ACBL District Director che ha giocato sempre in coppia con il marito vincendo 4 NABC's tra cui il Whitehead nel 1994.
Sua figlia Adair Gellman, è stata reginetta del Bridge nel 1985 ed è un'ottima giocatrice. Laureata all'Università del Maryland nel 1990, lavora in campo informatico ed ha vinto il Rockwell Mixed Pairs del 1990.
Jim Harlen Kirkham (1936 - 2011), former member of
the World Bridge Federation Executive Council and a former President of the
American Contract Bridge League, died at St. Luke’s Hospital South in Overland
Park, Kansas.
Kirkham joined the U.S. Marine Corps upon graduation from the University of Missouri and was a combat Marine artillery battery commander and infantry battalion commander during the Vietnam War. He retired from the Marines in 1978 as a Lieutenant Colonel.
With a master of science in computer science, Kirkham spent the first 12 years after his Marine Corps career in senior management and later in management consulting with systems development businesses.
From 1990 to 2008, he taught and played bridge professionally.
A three-time North American champion, he won the Silver Ribbon Pairs and the Senior Swiss Teams (1999) and the Mixed Pairs (2003) — all with his wife, Corinne. As a bridge theorist, Kirkham developed a threeway Drury (to immediately show four-card support with any range); a modification to Jacoby 2NT to show keycards with minimum balanced hands, and Suction (nee Kirkham Over Big Bids, or KOBB), a very versatile and effective defense to 1NT and 2NT openings and strong 1} and 2} openings.
A bridge volunteer with more than 20 years of service on the District 22 (Southern California) Board of Directors, he spent 15 years on the Western Conference Board of Directors, 12 years on the ACBL Board of Directors (ACBL President in 2001), and six years on the WBF Executive Council.
Kirkham was site coordinator and negotiator for many Southern California regional tournaments: he was also an innovative tournament manager who ran the first four- session one-day “play ‘til you drop” KO regional events (San Bernardino) and ran the first onsite computer-based regional events (San Diego). He negotiated and started the very successful regional in Palm Springs, where he succeeded in establishing the presidential gavel turnover.
Jim loved baseball and organized his own American Legion team as teen, playing all over the Springfield area. An avid Cardinals fan, he even watched them from his hospital bed.
Corinne native of Birmingham, learned to play when he was 11 from his parents who were both ACBL Life Master, now she lives in San Bernardino, California and has been a talented ACBL District Director who played paired with her husband winning three NABC's including the Whitehead in 1994.
The Corrine's daughter Adair Gellman, has been Queen of Bridge in 1985 and she is a good bridge player. Graduated from the University of Maryland in 1990, she worked in the computer field and how player she won the Rockwell Mixed Pairs of 1990.
| Precedente / Previous | Successivo / Next |
