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| Dear Fellow Chess Players, It is with the greatest sadness that I bring this news to you. Our beloved President Emeritus, Arkadijs Strazdins has died. Mr. Strazdins or “Straz†as he was called by everyone who loved him was suffering from a number of serious conditions for some time. I first met Mr. Strazdins in 1972 at the General Haller Post in New Britian, the former meeting hall for the New Britain Chess Club. From the first moment I was greeted with warmth and felt a sense of belonging to the club. Straz was responsible for that. Anyone who came to the club, be they a long time member, a prospective new member, a spouse or friend of a member, or someone who was just curious about chess was treated with a warmth and old world gentility that sadly has nearly vanished in our age. For a half of a century Mr Arkadijs Strazdins worked tirelessly for the members of the New Britain Chess Club as our president, as a tournament director, and as an unflagging booster of chess in Connecticut. For all of his work Mr. Strazdins also had a lighter side and could be and often was boyishly funny and charming. Mr. Strazdins has a very impressive chess past. As a very young man he became of master strength. He was a champion of solving chess problems and in his best years he played a contender to the world chess championship to a draw. Mr. Strazdins cannot be replaced. Arkadijs Strazdins is being waked at the A.W. Carlson Funeral home located at 45 Franklin Square in New Britain on Wednesday April 25th. Calling hours are from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. His funeral is scheduled for the morning of Thursday April 26th. Unfortunately I do not have further details on the funeral, but the funeral home telephone is 860 225 6361. With Deepest Respect, Joseph Mansigian President New Britain Chess Club |
