The last couple of weeks have been a time of loss for our bridge community. Larry Oakey gave a beautiful remembrance of Lorraine Schweitzer, his partner and good friend. Now, we learn that our community must say goodbye to lost Pat Fleming, Scott Nobles and Miriam Frost Featherston.
Miriam's friend Marsha Brouillet offers a lifetime of memories of their friendship and bridge exploits below.
Miriam Frost Featherston
1941 - 2009
Miriam died of cancer on New Year's Day. Almost 50 years ago, we roomed together at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. Our friendship resumed in the middle 60's in San Francisco. Miriam was a graduate student in drama at the University of SF, and my husband, Philip and I were studying at the Art Institute. Poverty was occasionally staved off by Philip staying home with our babies while Miriam and I took absurd temporary jobs; punching holes comes to mind! This was an exciting time to live in San Francisco and we enjoyed it immensely.
We moved back to the Midwest. Miriam was an editor and started a company that specialized in values programs for young people. We enjoyed activities, adventures and vacations together.
We were fledgling bridge players and loved everything about it: the competition, the players, the fights and the laughter. Our bridge excursions are some of my most fun memories. Miriam would read the book aloud that we had chosen for our trip as I drove. Since Miriam didn't turn left (!), I was always the driver.
Miriam moved to Seattle to work for the Wright Publishing Group as Vice President in charge of new product development. There, she met and married Norm Featherston, an engineer at Boeing and a professional bridge player. When Norm died last year, Miriam continued to play bridge and often won club games.
Miriam was unique: very intelligent and amazingly witty. I loved her wild side. She was a flaming liberal with deep interest in politics and human rights. She was an avid reader and film viewer, a music and art aficionado, sports fan and cat lover. Miriam was loyal and generous. She was incapable of telling a lie - which led to some quite unexpected pronouncements. Her sense of humor was irreverent, clever and always stimulating.
Conversations with Miriam were the best; I will miss our friend.
Marsha Brouillet
Comments