Absent Friends

One of the things that we learn in life is that nothing lasts forever. But the hardest thing is that this applies to friends also. In our college days, life streached out ahead of us, as far as we could see. And our gaming fellowship would only increase in numbers.

Alas, numbers can decrease as well as increase. People move away, some people find new hobbies and let old ones go, gamers marry and Heaven Above! some wives find gaming companions unsavory...

And then of course, some friends die.

ROBERT WHITFIELD Robert Whitfield, one of the founding members of the Jackson Gamers died suddenly on Tuesday April 21, 2009. "Whit" was a good friend and as one fellow gamer described him: "A ferocious opponent." He is survived by a wife, a daughter, two brothers, and numerous nieces and nephews. We will miss him at every game.

Ed Sansing pulled the photos below of Robert Whitfield from his archives. They show Whit as we remember him: Amused, Intelligent, Imposing.

Photo by Ed Sansing

Whit running a WWII naval game at Bayou Wars 2006 at the Battlefield Inn, Vicksburg MS. Whit loved naval warfare. He and Jay Stribling ran many a game on the carpet of Whit's apartment starting in 1973. We later progressed to tables. He and Jay wrote the "Club Rules" that we used with the 1/1200 ships.

Photo by Ed Sansing

At Hobbytown, before the start of a game. From left, Sean Pitts, Robert Whitfield, and John Stangel. John was the game-master of this Napoleonic naval game, at Hobbytown in north Jackson MS, around 2005.

The length of Whit's hair indicates that this photo probabaly was taken after he retired from the Mississippi State Highway Deptartment.

Photo by Ed Sansing

Fast friends from waayyy back. From left, Jay Stribling, Robert Whitfield, and Jim Pitts. This is a the start of a game at Hobbytown, probably around 2003. Whit's beard and moustage are still black here, and the length indicates that he probably was still working at the Mississippi State Highway Dept.

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