Henry Bethe of Ithaca, NY, a renowned bridge player, passed away on Sunday, June 7 at the age of 71.
The cause of death was cardiac arrest as a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
After working for many years in New York City as an investment banker, Henry retired to Ithaca, NY to help care for his parents and focus on his lifelong passion for bridge.
Henry was a prominent player in the bridge community, having won North American Bridge Championship events in 1968, 1987 and 1991, as well as numerous high finishes over five decades of high-level competition.
He obtained the status of American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master in 2006.
In the last few years of his life, as his diminishing health limited his travel, he continued to be a tireless contributor to several competition committees of the United States Bridge Federation, providing thoughtful internet commentary and writing numerous articles on bridge.
Chief among his many contributions to the game of bridge, Henry developed a new way to calculate scoring for round-robin bridge matches, which was adopted both by the United States Bridge Federation and the World Bridge Federation.
Henry was an avid reader, gourmet cook, and lifelong stamp collector.
Family and friends enjoyed and admired his quick mind and phenomenal memory.
Henry is survived by his mother Rose, Sister Monica, and son Paul as well as numerous family members from all over the world.
To honor Henry's passion for bringing bridge to the next generation, contributions may
be made to The United States Bridge Federation Junior Program, a 501(c)(3) organization.
A memorial service will be held in the coming weeks.
An obituary was published in the Ithaca Journal on June 12, 2015
Ithaca High School Class of 1960
Attended University of Wisconsin, Madison
___________________________________
Bridge Winners and the bridge community lost an important member on Sunday night (June 7th), when Henry Bethe passed away. Henry was a renowned player having won 3 NABC events (1968, 1987, and 1991) and obtained the status of ACBL Grand Life Master. He unfortunately suffered from a variety of health problems in his later years, and eventually succumbed in the end to cardiac arrest from pulmonary complications. Henry was the son of Physics Nobel Laureate Hans Bethe (one of the creators of the Atom Bomb), and is survived by his son Paul and mother Rose.
As a Bridge Winners member Henry Bethe tirelessly contributed to the site. He was there from the site's early days 6 years ago, regularly posting interesting hands, articles, and comments. Moreover, Henry loved to generate lively discussions about various aspects of our game. Here are a few of his more popular articles: Real Bridge, Another Beauty from BBO, Anti-Dumping Methods, From the Old Days, Most Influential Bridge Players, and Long Ago and Far Away.
Henry could be seen frequently providing expert commentary on Vugraph matches. I was also fortunate enough to have him as a coach and captain of our Junior team in Mangaratiba, Brazil in 2001. As a captain Henry was there for whatever we needed, whether it be technical guidance, getting us refocused, or offering a humorous anecdote to put things in perspective.
--Extracted from RIP Henry Bethe 1944-2015, posted on bridgewinners.com June 8, 2015
___________________________________
Fame is a funny thing. Two decades ago a middle-aged man checked into a hotel and the clerk seemed excited when he read the name.
''Bethe?'' he inquired. ''Are you by any chance related to the Henry Bethe who has just won the Life Master Men's Pairs?''
''He's my son,'' admitted Hans Bethe, who helped construct the first atomic bomb and won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the origin of solar and stellar energy.
For several months past, and for more to come, the younger Bethe has been laying claim to a different title: the world's longest commute. Almost every weekend, since the Chase Manhattan brought him back from a top job in England, he has flown from New York to London and back. The problem will probably end later this year: the Bethe family plans to give up its London home and become American residents again….
North American Title
Henry and Kitty Bethe won the North American Swiss Team title in Anaheim, Calif., last November. Mrs. Bethe has been the family's most active member in bridge: she played for the British Women's Team in the 1987 European Championships and just missed earning a trip to Jamaica to try for a world championship.
On the diagramed deal, she demonstrated the truth of a principle that her banker husband would endorse: limiting a loss can be just as important as making a profit....
--Extracted from "Bridge: Son of Nobel Prize Winner Is Famed in His Own Right", published in The New York Times on February 24, 1988
___________________________________
Dear Mrs. Feynman,
We have not met, I believe, frequently enough for either of us to have taken root in the other's conscious memory. So please forgive any impertinence, but I could not let Richard's death pass unnoticed, or to take the opportunity to add my own sense of loss to yours.
Dick was the best and favorite of several uncles who encircled my childhood. During his time at Cornell he was a frequent and always welcome visitor at our house, one who could be counted on to take time out from conversations with my parents and other adults to lavish attention on the children. He was at once a great player of games with us and a teacher even then who opened our eyes to the world around us.
My favorite memory of all is of sitting as an eight- or nine-year-old between Dick and my mother, waiting for the distinguished naturalist Konrad Lorenz to give a lecture. I was itchy and impatient, as all young are when asked to sit still, when Dick turned to me and said, Did you know that there are twice as many numbers as numbers? No, there are not! I was defensive as all young of my knowledge.
Yes there are; I'll show you. Name a number. One million. A big number to start. Two million. Twenty-seven. Fifty-four. I named about ten more numbers and each time Dick named the number twice as big. Light dawned. I see; so there are three times as many numbers as numbers. Prove it, said Uncle Dick. He named a number. I named one three times as big. He tried another. I did it again. Again. He named a number too complicated for me to multiply in my head. Three times that, I said. So, is there a biggest number? he asked. No, I replied. Because for every number, there is one twice as big, one three times as big. There is even one a million times as big. Right, and that concept of increase without limit, of no biggest number, is called infinity. At that point Lorenz arrived, so we stopped to listen to him.
I did not see Dick often after he left Cornell. But he left me with bright memories, infinity, and new ways of learning about the world. I loved him dearly.
Sincerely Yours,
Henry Bethe "
July 7, 2015
Letter from Henry Bethe to Gweneth Feynman on Richard's passing.
___________________________________
Former husband of Kitty Munson Cooper
___________________________________
Biographical materials contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
The cause of death was cardiac arrest as a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
After working for many years in New York City as an investment banker, Henry retired to Ithaca, NY to help care for his parents and focus on his lifelong passion for bridge.
Henry was a prominent player in the bridge community, having won North American Bridge Championship events in 1968, 1987 and 1991, as well as numerous high finishes over five decades of high-level competition.
He obtained the status of American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master in 2006.
In the last few years of his life, as his diminishing health limited his travel, he continued to be a tireless contributor to several competition committees of the United States Bridge Federation, providing thoughtful internet commentary and writing numerous articles on bridge.
Chief among his many contributions to the game of bridge, Henry developed a new way to calculate scoring for round-robin bridge matches, which was adopted both by the United States Bridge Federation and the World Bridge Federation.
Henry was an avid reader, gourmet cook, and lifelong stamp collector.
Family and friends enjoyed and admired his quick mind and phenomenal memory.
Henry is survived by his mother Rose, Sister Monica, and son Paul as well as numerous family members from all over the world.
To honor Henry's passion for bringing bridge to the next generation, contributions may
be made to The United States Bridge Federation Junior Program, a 501(c)(3) organization.
A memorial service will be held in the coming weeks.
An obituary was published in the Ithaca Journal on June 12, 2015
Ithaca High School Class of 1960
Attended University of Wisconsin, Madison
___________________________________
Bridge Winners and the bridge community lost an important member on Sunday night (June 7th), when Henry Bethe passed away. Henry was a renowned player having won 3 NABC events (1968, 1987, and 1991) and obtained the status of ACBL Grand Life Master. He unfortunately suffered from a variety of health problems in his later years, and eventually succumbed in the end to cardiac arrest from pulmonary complications. Henry was the son of Physics Nobel Laureate Hans Bethe (one of the creators of the Atom Bomb), and is survived by his son Paul and mother Rose.
As a Bridge Winners member Henry Bethe tirelessly contributed to the site. He was there from the site's early days 6 years ago, regularly posting interesting hands, articles, and comments. Moreover, Henry loved to generate lively discussions about various aspects of our game. Here are a few of his more popular articles: Real Bridge, Another Beauty from BBO, Anti-Dumping Methods, From the Old Days, Most Influential Bridge Players, and Long Ago and Far Away.
Henry could be seen frequently providing expert commentary on Vugraph matches. I was also fortunate enough to have him as a coach and captain of our Junior team in Mangaratiba, Brazil in 2001. As a captain Henry was there for whatever we needed, whether it be technical guidance, getting us refocused, or offering a humorous anecdote to put things in perspective.
--Extracted from RIP Henry Bethe 1944-2015, posted on bridgewinners.com June 8, 2015
___________________________________
Fame is a funny thing. Two decades ago a middle-aged man checked into a hotel and the clerk seemed excited when he read the name.
''Bethe?'' he inquired. ''Are you by any chance related to the Henry Bethe who has just won the Life Master Men's Pairs?''
''He's my son,'' admitted Hans Bethe, who helped construct the first atomic bomb and won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the origin of solar and stellar energy.
For several months past, and for more to come, the younger Bethe has been laying claim to a different title: the world's longest commute. Almost every weekend, since the Chase Manhattan brought him back from a top job in England, he has flown from New York to London and back. The problem will probably end later this year: the Bethe family plans to give up its London home and become American residents again….
North American Title
Henry and Kitty Bethe won the North American Swiss Team title in Anaheim, Calif., last November. Mrs. Bethe has been the family's most active member in bridge: she played for the British Women's Team in the 1987 European Championships and just missed earning a trip to Jamaica to try for a world championship.
On the diagramed deal, she demonstrated the truth of a principle that her banker husband would endorse: limiting a loss can be just as important as making a profit....
--Extracted from "Bridge: Son of Nobel Prize Winner Is Famed in His Own Right", published in The New York Times on February 24, 1988
___________________________________
Dear Mrs. Feynman,
We have not met, I believe, frequently enough for either of us to have taken root in the other's conscious memory. So please forgive any impertinence, but I could not let Richard's death pass unnoticed, or to take the opportunity to add my own sense of loss to yours.
Dick was the best and favorite of several uncles who encircled my childhood. During his time at Cornell he was a frequent and always welcome visitor at our house, one who could be counted on to take time out from conversations with my parents and other adults to lavish attention on the children. He was at once a great player of games with us and a teacher even then who opened our eyes to the world around us.
My favorite memory of all is of sitting as an eight- or nine-year-old between Dick and my mother, waiting for the distinguished naturalist Konrad Lorenz to give a lecture. I was itchy and impatient, as all young are when asked to sit still, when Dick turned to me and said, Did you know that there are twice as many numbers as numbers? No, there are not! I was defensive as all young of my knowledge.
Yes there are; I'll show you. Name a number. One million. A big number to start. Two million. Twenty-seven. Fifty-four. I named about ten more numbers and each time Dick named the number twice as big. Light dawned. I see; so there are three times as many numbers as numbers. Prove it, said Uncle Dick. He named a number. I named one three times as big. He tried another. I did it again. Again. He named a number too complicated for me to multiply in my head. Three times that, I said. So, is there a biggest number? he asked. No, I replied. Because for every number, there is one twice as big, one three times as big. There is even one a million times as big. Right, and that concept of increase without limit, of no biggest number, is called infinity. At that point Lorenz arrived, so we stopped to listen to him.
I did not see Dick often after he left Cornell. But he left me with bright memories, infinity, and new ways of learning about the world. I loved him dearly.
Sincerely Yours,
Henry Bethe "
July 7, 2015
Letter from Henry Bethe to Gweneth Feynman on Richard's passing.
___________________________________
Former husband of Kitty Munson Cooper
___________________________________
Biographical materials contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
Henry Bethe of Ithaca, NY, a renowned bridge player, passed away on Sunday, June 7 at the age of 71.
The cause of death was cardiac arrest as a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
After working for many years in New York City as an investment banker, Henry retired to Ithaca, NY to help care for his parents and focus on his lifelong passion for bridge.
Henry was a prominent player in the bridge community, having won North American Bridge Championship events in 1968, 1987 and 1991, as well as numerous high finishes over five decades of high-level competition.
He obtained the status of American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master in 2006.
In the last few years of his life, as his diminishing health limited his travel, he continued to be a tireless contributor to several competition committees of the United States Bridge Federation, providing thoughtful internet commentary and writing numerous articles on bridge.
Chief among his many contributions to the game of bridge, Henry developed a new way to calculate scoring for round-robin bridge matches, which was adopted both by the United States Bridge Federation and the World Bridge Federation.
Henry was an avid reader, gourmet cook, and lifelong stamp collector.
Family and friends enjoyed and admired his quick mind and phenomenal memory.
Henry is survived by his mother Rose, Sister Monica, and son Paul as well as numerous family members from all over the world.
To honor Henry's passion for bringing bridge to the next generation, contributions may
be made to The United States Bridge Federation Junior Program, a 501(c)(3) organization.
A memorial service will be held in the coming weeks.
An obituary was published in the Ithaca Journal on June 12, 2015
Ithaca High School Class of 1960
Attended University of Wisconsin, Madison
___________________________________
Bridge Winners and the bridge community lost an important member on Sunday night (June 7th), when Henry Bethe passed away. Henry was a renowned player having won 3 NABC events (1968, 1987, and 1991) and obtained the status of ACBL Grand Life Master. He unfortunately suffered from a variety of health problems in his later years, and eventually succumbed in the end to cardiac arrest from pulmonary complications. Henry was the son of Physics Nobel Laureate Hans Bethe (one of the creators of the Atom Bomb), and is survived by his son Paul and mother Rose.
As a Bridge Winners member Henry Bethe tirelessly contributed to the site. He was there from the site's early days 6 years ago, regularly posting interesting hands, articles, and comments. Moreover, Henry loved to generate lively discussions about various aspects of our game. Here are a few of his more popular articles: Real Bridge, Another Beauty from BBO, Anti-Dumping Methods, From the Old Days, Most Influential Bridge Players, and Long Ago and Far Away.
Henry could be seen frequently providing expert commentary on Vugraph matches. I was also fortunate enough to have him as a coach and captain of our Junior team in Mangaratiba, Brazil in 2001. As a captain Henry was there for whatever we needed, whether it be technical guidance, getting us refocused, or offering a humorous anecdote to put things in perspective.
--Extracted from RIP Henry Bethe 1944-2015, posted on bridgewinners.com June 8, 2015
___________________________________
Fame is a funny thing. Two decades ago a middle-aged man checked into a hotel and the clerk seemed excited when he read the name.
''Bethe?'' he inquired. ''Are you by any chance related to the Henry Bethe who has just won the Life Master Men's Pairs?''
''He's my son,'' admitted Hans Bethe, who helped construct the first atomic bomb and won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the origin of solar and stellar energy.
For several months past, and for more to come, the younger Bethe has been laying claim to a different title: the world's longest commute. Almost every weekend, since the Chase Manhattan brought him back from a top job in England, he has flown from New York to London and back. The problem will probably end later this year: the Bethe family plans to give up its London home and become American residents again….
North American Title
Henry and Kitty Bethe won the North American Swiss Team title in Anaheim, Calif., last November. Mrs. Bethe has been the family's most active member in bridge: she played for the British Women's Team in the 1987 European Championships and just missed earning a trip to Jamaica to try for a world championship.
On the diagramed deal, she demonstrated the truth of a principle that her banker husband would endorse: limiting a loss can be just as important as making a profit....
--Extracted from "Bridge: Son of Nobel Prize Winner Is Famed in His Own Right", published in The New York Times on February 24, 1988
___________________________________
Dear Mrs. Feynman,
We have not met, I believe, frequently enough for either of us to have taken root in the other's conscious memory. So please forgive any impertinence, but I could not let Richard's death pass unnoticed, or to take the opportunity to add my own sense of loss to yours.
Dick was the best and favorite of several uncles who encircled my childhood. During his time at Cornell he was a frequent and always welcome visitor at our house, one who could be counted on to take time out from conversations with my parents and other adults to lavish attention on the children. He was at once a great player of games with us and a teacher even then who opened our eyes to the world around us.
My favorite memory of all is of sitting as an eight- or nine-year-old between Dick and my mother, waiting for the distinguished naturalist Konrad Lorenz to give a lecture. I was itchy and impatient, as all young are when asked to sit still, when Dick turned to me and said, Did you know that there are twice as many numbers as numbers? No, there are not! I was defensive as all young of my knowledge.
Yes there are; I'll show you. Name a number. One million. A big number to start. Two million. Twenty-seven. Fifty-four. I named about ten more numbers and each time Dick named the number twice as big. Light dawned. I see; so there are three times as many numbers as numbers. Prove it, said Uncle Dick. He named a number. I named one three times as big. He tried another. I did it again. Again. He named a number too complicated for me to multiply in my head. Three times that, I said. So, is there a biggest number? he asked. No, I replied. Because for every number, there is one twice as big, one three times as big. There is even one a million times as big. Right, and that concept of increase without limit, of no biggest number, is called infinity. At that point Lorenz arrived, so we stopped to listen to him.
I did not see Dick often after he left Cornell. But he left me with bright memories, infinity, and new ways of learning about the world. I loved him dearly.
Sincerely Yours,
Henry Bethe "
July 7, 2015
Letter from Henry Bethe to Gweneth Feynman on Richard's passing.
___________________________________
Former husband of Kitty Munson Cooper
___________________________________
Biographical materials contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
The cause of death was cardiac arrest as a result of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
After working for many years in New York City as an investment banker, Henry retired to Ithaca, NY to help care for his parents and focus on his lifelong passion for bridge.
Henry was a prominent player in the bridge community, having won North American Bridge Championship events in 1968, 1987 and 1991, as well as numerous high finishes over five decades of high-level competition.
He obtained the status of American Contract Bridge League Grand Life Master in 2006.
In the last few years of his life, as his diminishing health limited his travel, he continued to be a tireless contributor to several competition committees of the United States Bridge Federation, providing thoughtful internet commentary and writing numerous articles on bridge.
Chief among his many contributions to the game of bridge, Henry developed a new way to calculate scoring for round-robin bridge matches, which was adopted both by the United States Bridge Federation and the World Bridge Federation.
Henry was an avid reader, gourmet cook, and lifelong stamp collector.
Family and friends enjoyed and admired his quick mind and phenomenal memory.
Henry is survived by his mother Rose, Sister Monica, and son Paul as well as numerous family members from all over the world.
To honor Henry's passion for bringing bridge to the next generation, contributions may
be made to The United States Bridge Federation Junior Program, a 501(c)(3) organization.
A memorial service will be held in the coming weeks.
An obituary was published in the Ithaca Journal on June 12, 2015
Ithaca High School Class of 1960
Attended University of Wisconsin, Madison
___________________________________
Bridge Winners and the bridge community lost an important member on Sunday night (June 7th), when Henry Bethe passed away. Henry was a renowned player having won 3 NABC events (1968, 1987, and 1991) and obtained the status of ACBL Grand Life Master. He unfortunately suffered from a variety of health problems in his later years, and eventually succumbed in the end to cardiac arrest from pulmonary complications. Henry was the son of Physics Nobel Laureate Hans Bethe (one of the creators of the Atom Bomb), and is survived by his son Paul and mother Rose.
As a Bridge Winners member Henry Bethe tirelessly contributed to the site. He was there from the site's early days 6 years ago, regularly posting interesting hands, articles, and comments. Moreover, Henry loved to generate lively discussions about various aspects of our game. Here are a few of his more popular articles: Real Bridge, Another Beauty from BBO, Anti-Dumping Methods, From the Old Days, Most Influential Bridge Players, and Long Ago and Far Away.
Henry could be seen frequently providing expert commentary on Vugraph matches. I was also fortunate enough to have him as a coach and captain of our Junior team in Mangaratiba, Brazil in 2001. As a captain Henry was there for whatever we needed, whether it be technical guidance, getting us refocused, or offering a humorous anecdote to put things in perspective.
--Extracted from RIP Henry Bethe 1944-2015, posted on bridgewinners.com June 8, 2015
___________________________________
Fame is a funny thing. Two decades ago a middle-aged man checked into a hotel and the clerk seemed excited when he read the name.
''Bethe?'' he inquired. ''Are you by any chance related to the Henry Bethe who has just won the Life Master Men's Pairs?''
''He's my son,'' admitted Hans Bethe, who helped construct the first atomic bomb and won the Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the origin of solar and stellar energy.
For several months past, and for more to come, the younger Bethe has been laying claim to a different title: the world's longest commute. Almost every weekend, since the Chase Manhattan brought him back from a top job in England, he has flown from New York to London and back. The problem will probably end later this year: the Bethe family plans to give up its London home and become American residents again….
North American Title
Henry and Kitty Bethe won the North American Swiss Team title in Anaheim, Calif., last November. Mrs. Bethe has been the family's most active member in bridge: she played for the British Women's Team in the 1987 European Championships and just missed earning a trip to Jamaica to try for a world championship.
On the diagramed deal, she demonstrated the truth of a principle that her banker husband would endorse: limiting a loss can be just as important as making a profit....
--Extracted from "Bridge: Son of Nobel Prize Winner Is Famed in His Own Right", published in The New York Times on February 24, 1988
___________________________________
Dear Mrs. Feynman,
We have not met, I believe, frequently enough for either of us to have taken root in the other's conscious memory. So please forgive any impertinence, but I could not let Richard's death pass unnoticed, or to take the opportunity to add my own sense of loss to yours.
Dick was the best and favorite of several uncles who encircled my childhood. During his time at Cornell he was a frequent and always welcome visitor at our house, one who could be counted on to take time out from conversations with my parents and other adults to lavish attention on the children. He was at once a great player of games with us and a teacher even then who opened our eyes to the world around us.
My favorite memory of all is of sitting as an eight- or nine-year-old between Dick and my mother, waiting for the distinguished naturalist Konrad Lorenz to give a lecture. I was itchy and impatient, as all young are when asked to sit still, when Dick turned to me and said, Did you know that there are twice as many numbers as numbers? No, there are not! I was defensive as all young of my knowledge.
Yes there are; I'll show you. Name a number. One million. A big number to start. Two million. Twenty-seven. Fifty-four. I named about ten more numbers and each time Dick named the number twice as big. Light dawned. I see; so there are three times as many numbers as numbers. Prove it, said Uncle Dick. He named a number. I named one three times as big. He tried another. I did it again. Again. He named a number too complicated for me to multiply in my head. Three times that, I said. So, is there a biggest number? he asked. No, I replied. Because for every number, there is one twice as big, one three times as big. There is even one a million times as big. Right, and that concept of increase without limit, of no biggest number, is called infinity. At that point Lorenz arrived, so we stopped to listen to him.
I did not see Dick often after he left Cornell. But he left me with bright memories, infinity, and new ways of learning about the world. I loved him dearly.
Sincerely Yours,
Henry Bethe "
July 7, 2015
Letter from Henry Bethe to Gweneth Feynman on Richard's passing.
___________________________________
Former husband of Kitty Munson Cooper
___________________________________
Biographical materials contributed by Starfishin [#48860385]
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
