Back to Mike Wise

From: Fern Lindzon <lindzon@home.com>
Date: Sun, 02 Aug 1998 17:50:05 -0400
Subject: Re: Mike Wise, in memoriam
Message-id: <35C4DF0D.F161644C@home.com>
References: <199808010543.BAA18789@coxeter.math.toronto.edu>

I started playing at the Toronto club in 1995. Until recently, I think I can count Mike's absences from the club on one hand. He was totally devoted to scrabble and was an enthusiastic and passionate director. His attention to detail and sense of fairness made the Toronto club a great place to be. Mike was a meticulous tourney organiser, much to the chagrin of people like me who can't commit until the last second. I remember the first time Mike invited me to play at the annual Toronto/Montreal slug-fest. He mentioned it to me in May and was hoping I'd commit by June for a tourney which is held in October!!

I feel very lucky to have known Mike. He taught me so much about the game. He once told me that he is most proud of his contributions to the rules of the game which deal with the 'spirit of the game'- fairness, decency, ethics. This had nothing to do with the outrageous phonies he tried (often successfully) against me.

Mike always cared about helping people less fortunate, and made a contribution to one or more charities with some of the money the club made every year in the club's name. He also directed the very challenging "Tournament with the Stars" for several years which was a fundraising for literacy in which the general public would play 4-person scrabble with some Canadian celebrity at their table. It was at this event that I first met Mike and decided to check out the club.

We will all deeply miss Mike. I can't imagine being at the club in the fall with him not making up the pairings and saying "...I'll join you"

Fernplant