IN MEMORIUM

Jacques Ribeyre

April 26, 1924 to January 10, 2001

Jacques Ribeyre was born in Issoine, France into a family with a history of long life. Many of his relatives lived well into there nineties, some over one hundred. After a tour in the French-Vietnam war he moved to Canada in 1952. During this voyage, he met his first wife Lucrecia (deceased). Shortly after arriving in Canada he moved to Port Alberni where he spent most of his working life employed by Macmillan Bloedel. He is survived by his second wife, Anne-Marie, three sons (from his first marriage), Edward (Ted), Alexander (Sandy), Richard (Dick), and several grandchildren as well as many relatives overseas.

Although most of you may only know Jacques through bridge, he was a fascinating person to know, and to talk to, with many varied loves and interests, of which bridge was only one. His wife Anne-Marie, a wonderful woman, was the light of his life. Together they built many houses (Jacques built eight houses in all) including two in Royston. Jacques' and Anne-Marie's yard, garden, fruit trees, flower beds, plants, shrubs, fish pond, waterfalls and landscaping are outstanding and a reflection of his (and her) love for growing things. He also kept several honey beehives to assist with pollination. I looked forward every year to receiving some of Jacques' honey.

Jacques loved his sons, their families and was very proud of each of their successes in their chosen careers. He was also an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting, fishing, crabbing, prawning, boating, swimming and camping. He liked to go hiking, picking mushrooms and for walks. He was a well-traveled man with a keen interest in history and current events (a formidable trivial pursuit player). There was very little Jacques was not interested in and he loved to get involved.

Jacques passionately loved life, was quick to crack a joke or stop to smell the roses and would always see the beauty in nature and people. He was a proud man, with strong political views, a strong sense of right and wrong and one that highly valued relationships and his family. He was a person you could trust. His word, once given, was a good as gold and he was unwaveringly loyal to his friends. He was compassionate. On many an occasion he cut, split and delivered firewood to relative strangers simply because they were needy.

As I'm sure you are beginning to see, to Jacques, quality of life was as important as life itself. It was this belief that ultimately led to his somewhat premature death. He had suffered with a bad heart since contracting rheumatic fever a boy. The ordeal left him with a damaged heart. He underwent several heart operations throughout his life and in spite of these, his commitment to healthy living, and his strict adherence to medications his heart was giving out.

The choices Jacques faced were do nothing and continue to slowly have his quality of life deteriorate until it became intolerable or to have another operation, which, if successful, would potentially extend his life, as he knew it, another ten to twenty years based on his family's history of longevity. To Jacques, there was only one choice. If there was a chance, he was going to have it.

Jacques went into the operation well aware of the risks, full of optimism and in very good spirits (even cracking a couple of jokes). During the operation Jacques' heart stopped, and, in spite of the surgeon's best efforts, it could not be restarted. I never once heard Jacques complain about his continual bad luck with his heart.

He imagination and creativity at the table were amazing. At a Christmas party one night many years ago in Parskville Jacques and I sat down to play against his old friend George Schick. Jacques was declaring 4S holding the AK9xxx of spades. George led the 10S and the dummy hit with the Qx of spades. Without batting an eye, Jacques called for the Q, winning the trick. He immediately called for a low spade and when RHO played low he smoothly played the Ace, of clubs!! The only thing that prevented George from exposing his card, already three quarters of the way to the table, was me, almost falling out of my chair laughing.

I am proud to say Jacques was my friend and fortunate to have been one of his favourite partners. He has left me, and others who knew him well, with the memories of a person that loved life and everything about it, living every day to its fullest. He has also set the bar for future bridge players with his outstanding flair for the game and it will likely be quite some time before there is another like him. Good-bye my friend. I will miss you.

Ken Bibby