Richmond Bridge Association

MacCleave, Robert Campbell, 82, passed away peacefully at home in Moseley, Virginia, on March 21, 2021. Thanks to all the family and friends who have reached out with help, comfort, and condolences. Bob was born in Newton, Massachusetts, on May 23, 1938. He was preceded in death by his father, Milford MacCleave and his mother Isabel Sanderson MacCleave. He is survived by his wife of 36 years, Linda Bates MacCleave, and several cousins, in-laws, nieces, nephews, great nieces, and a great nephew.

Bob spent much of his youth on Long Island, New York. He had fond memories of taking a bus to the Museum of Natural History or spending the day at Coney Island. As a youngster, he was interested in scouting. He attained the rank of Eagle Scout in 1954. He graduated from Hempstead High School in 1956. Bob was one of the top students in math and science and was recruited by Virginia Tech. He and 3 others drove down from New York. He told the story of finding this super-highway on the map that might shorten the trip. They had found Skyline Drive. Bob attended Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, which Bob always referred to as B-burg University and graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering in 1962. He held several engineering positions after graduating, but he spent the longest time in his career at Allied-Signal at the Chesterfield plant where he excelled in processing of nylon production and introduced computers to the process. His innovation and expertise were well known. He enjoyed the work so much that he turned down several opportunities for promotions. He wanted to manage production, not people. He retired in 1997 after having been promised a lucrative retirement package if he would stay on for another year.

Bob was an avid golfer and bridge player. He played and managed leagues for Allied-Signal. He continued to play golf after retirement as long as he was physically capable. He stopped playing, but he never gave up his clubs. He started playing duplicate bridge in the early 1980s and eventually achieved the rank of Silver Life Master. His main contribution to Richmond bridge was being part of the team of people who started the program called Friendly Bridge. It was through Friendly Bridge that lessons and games for beginners caused bridge in Richmond to flourish. He was also known for his expertise and fairness as a director, as well as a magician with the ever-evolving computer-assisted scoring that made its way into duplicate bridge in the early 2000s. Bob is a member of the Hall of Fame for the Richmond Bridge Association and the Goodwill Committee for District 6.

Bob was known for his sense of humor, his large laugh, and his ever-present unlit cigar. He loved science fiction movies, especially Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Lord of the Rings. He loved audible books, primarily detective mysteries. He also loved his cats and is survived by Sunny and Ali MacCleave, who will miss him very much.

Bob’s life will be celebrated at a reception on Friday, September 17 at The Place where we can gather safely to share stories and memories. Friends and family will be invited as soon. Please give to a charity of your choice in Bob’s memory. His favorite charities were the Richmond Animal League and Feedmore.

Unit 109 is proud of the steps we have taken to help our bridge players to continue to grow in their knowledge of bridge.

Mondays at 4:45–Linda MacCleave and Bob Pustilnik present on Zoom an overview of the hands that players played on Sunday afternoon at 1:15. Players are sent a copy of the pdf of the hands prior to the class and are encouraged to choose the numbers of the hands they want to talk about. (Cost: free)

Tuesdays at 3:00 pm–Chris D’Ambra and Linda MacCleave work together to run a virtual game on BBO that is designed for learning. Participants check in at 3:00 on Zoom and then register on BBO for the game, which starts at 3:30. They play 10 hands and take notes on questions or problems the hands presented for them. The players then return to Zoom. The hands that the players choose to analyze are then presented again to demonstrate suggested bidding and play. Players are encouraged to make comments and ask questions about the hands. (Cost: Game $5, Lesson free)

Thursdays at 6:35 pm: M&M Game (Mentor-Mentee). Beginners are paired with Life Masters for a game and are encouraged to schedule the game two times per month. Mentors take notes on specific areas that the mentees need to have reinforced and schedule a meeting some time after the game to talk to the mentees about specific problems. Mentees pay for their Mentors’ game fee two times a month. Mentees have the fees that they paid for the Mentors reimbursed at the end of the month by the Unit. This game is invitational, so only those who have signed up can play. This game is managed by Chris D’Ambra and is directed by Anne Atwood or Linda MacCleave. We currently have a waiting list of mentees wanting mentors. Let us know if you are available to mentor. (Cost: Game $5 per person)

Saturdays at 1:15: Linda MacCleave presents lessons on topics chosen by the class members each week. The topics are presented clearly using Powerpoint slides. Participants are encouraged to ask questions during the presentation and will receive the complete presentation after the lesson on request. (Cost: free)

Sundays at 8:50 pm: Ed Kinlaw presents on Zoom an overview of the hands that players played on Sunday evening. Players are send a copy of the pdf of the hands prior to the class. (Cost: free)

Any time: Past videos of Ed Kinlaw’s Green Book Lessons can be found in a link on this website under Lessons: Ed Talks.

Any time: View the articles written by Bob Pustilnik, as entertaining as they are informative. You can find them all on this site–Bob’s Articles.

For more information about these learning opportunities, contact Linda MacCleave.