Sadly, Ryszard – universally known as Jedi – passed away on 14^th August 2025. He had been in poor health for some time.

Jedi was very much a man of the world! He was born in Łódź, Poland, in 1954 and learned bridge while at university there. George Bilski, now also a “dinkum” Aussie, reports that he quickly became a tough opponent.

Ryszard completed his PhD in Toxicology in 1985 and in 1991-92, he was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship in Medical Science at the University of California, Davis. The Fulbright is the most widely recognized and prestigious international exchange program in the world, supported for more than half a century by the American people through an annual appropriation from the U.S. Congress and by the people of partner nations.

He moved to New Zealand in 1992, and to Australia ten years later. There, in Sydney, he met his partner Mary Anne Brifman. He was very much the proud father when his son, Daniel, also moved to Sydney in 2008 to finish his university studies.

Among his bridge highlights, in 2004, Jedi won the Cavendish Invitational Teams in Las Vegas playing with Michael Cornell. The Cavendish is one of, if not the, leading invitational bridge events in the world.

He represented New Zealand (twice) and Australia at the World Championships (the Bermuda Bowl) and other international championships. He also had successes playing with “Pepsi”, Jacek Pszczoła, another great Polish player.

I had the great fortune to play with him often. My personal favourite was the 2007 Bermuda Bowl in Shanghai, where we made the quarterfinals – a good result! He and I also won the Australian Open Butler in 2008, and the “double”, pairs and teams, at the 2013 Victor Champion Cup.

Jedi was a keen rubber bridge player, often dropping in to the Double Bay Bridge Centre in Sydney for a few hands, until his poor health stopped him playing. In 2016, the International Bridge Press Association gave him the Keri Klinger Memorial Declarer Play of the Year Award for a hand he played there!  Pete Hollands has a great description of his brilliancy here.

Vale, Ryszard. You will be missed!

Bruce Neill.

Posted in Latest News on September 5, 2025