 Barbara Griffiths sadly died on Saturday 14th June shortly after her 90th birthday. She accomplished much in the world of bridge and contributed even more.
Born in Manchester, Barbara was the younger sister of Mary. Sadly, her father, Fred, died when she was only six months old. Her mother, Lena, eventually remarried and the family moved to Shirley and Barbara came to work at Eyre and Co, a firm of solicitors. On the floor below worked a young architect, Gordon Griffiths. Hearing Barbara’s heels click-clacking on the floor above, he became friendly with her and, in due course, asked her to marry him – a number of times! Eventually she agreed and they married in 1958.
Moving to a brand new house in Marlbrook, Barbara and Gordon had four children and then, as space became constrained, they moved to Redlands in Marlborough Avenue in Bromsgrove, where a fifth child and second daughter, Sally, was born. In 1977, the family moved to Uplands in Coopers Hill in Alvechurch, where Barbara and Gordon continued to live until they decided to “downsize” by converting the stables on the property to a house and moving in there.
Barbara was one on the very earliest members of Bromsgrove Bridge Club and, for nearly sixty years, Tuesday night was bridge night! That was far from her only contribution to the game, however. As well as holding nearly every committee role for the Bromsgrove Club, most recently as treasurer until 2022, she also served on the Worcestershire County Committee, becoming Chair in 2019 at the age of 83 when at least one other on the committee felt that he was too old for the job – despite being some years younger than Barbara! It was typical of Barbara that, when the pandemic and lockdown struck some months later, she expressed deep regret that it had prevented her from visiting the bridge clubs in the area as she had intended to do.
Barbara continued to play bridge competitively, most recently once again winning a café bridge event in September 2024. On this occasion it was held in Pershore and she happily walked from café to café. She continued to play very successfully online, on Bridge Club Live, until mid-May 2025.
Barbara was a remarkable woman whose positive thinking ensured that she never had an old person’s attitude. She was also a gracious bridge partner. As with everything she did, she played down her abilities. As was once expressed to me, Barbara was “a doer, not just a talker”. And she did a lot! Not many of us knew, for example, that she was awarded a degree in psychology in the mid-1990s!
Our condolences go to her husband, Gordon, her five children, Nick, Adrian, Julian, Alison and Sally as well as her ten grandchildren and two (so far) great-grandchildren. While we will miss Barbara, her standards and values will forever be carried on by the members of her family as well as by her many friends.
Barbara requested that her funeral should simply be attended by the family with all her many friends being invited to the wake afterwards in celebration of her life. This will be at 1.45 pm on Tuesday 22nd July at Coopers Hill Farm, Coopers Hill, Alvechurch, B48 7BX. The wake is at the tipi (or tepee) venue of the farm and it is recommended that sensible shoes be worn. In order to help with numbers for catering, the family have asked that you email Mike Willoughby (mike.willoughby@btinternet.com) if you would like to join them.
|