MARK MOLSON

from the Montreal Gazette

JOHN MARKLAND (MARK) MOLSON Of Montreal died in Miami, FL on January 19, 2006, at the age of fifty-six from complications during emergency heart surgery. He is survived by his wife Janice (nee Seamon) and cherished daughter Jennifer.

The eldest son of William Markland Molson (Gail) and the late Mary Lyall Hodgson (late David Y. Hodgson), he will be deeply mourned by his brothers William (Barbara), Ian (Verena), and Christopher (Nancy), and his sisters Natalie (Gabriel Zaurrini) and Claudine (Alex Sellers), daughters of Carole Labelle Molson, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Mark was a world class bridge player who competed internationally throughout his life. He was also an avid golfer and sports enthusiast. His family and many friends will greatly miss his playful sense of humor, his gregarious and curious nature and his warm personality. His love of people and his natural ability as a storyteller made him an entertaining and valued friend to all who knew him. Mark will always be remembered for his unique and loveable character. Notwithstanding his residency in Florida and international travels, Mark retained his deep roots and affection for his native province of Quebec. In addition to frequent trips to Montreal, Mark returned each summer to the Lower St. Lawrence and Metis Beach where he will be fondly remembered. Funeral services will be held at the Church of St. Andrew and St. Paul, 3415 Redpath at Sherbrooke St., Montreal, on Tuesday, January 24, at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation (514) 934-4846.

Published in the Montreal Gazette from 1/21/2006 - 1/23/2006.

MARK MOLSON, 56
Hollywood man was a `bridge superstar'

BY DIANA MOSKOVITZ: Miami Herald

Mark Molson's passion for bridge began with his grandparents in Montreal. Both played, and Molson would join in.

By his early 30s he was playing professionally and on his way to becoming the top player in Canada.

''He was a bridge superstar,'' bridge partner Boris Baran said. ``It takes about 10 years of dedicated play, and that's just to achieve the level of mediocrity. Mark had the ability, or the bridge ability, to achieve the level of expert in a far shorter time.''

Molson, of Hollywood, died from complications during emergency heart surgery on Thursday. He was 56. He was a descendant of the the Molson brewery founders, but was not involved in the business once he began playing professional bridge.

Molson was playing in a golf tournament and felt chest pains. Paramedics took him to Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, said his wife, Janice Seamon-Molson.

Molson was born in Montreal, the oldest son of William Markland Molson and Mary Lyall Hodgson. He spent most of his career in Canada, and moved to South Florida before he married Janice in 1999.

His awards list was lengthy. Molson won eight Canadian championships, and a silver and a bronze medal representing Canada in the world championships, Baran said.

Molson had more than 15,000 masterpoints, which bridge players collect during their careers, putting him in the upper echelon of North America, Seamon-Molson said.

Many came during his partnership with Baran. They met in the late 1970s, when a group of players went out after a tournament.

The partnership lasted close to 30 years.

Away from bridge, Molson played golf and entertained friends, his wife said. ''I could never get him through a room,'' she said. ``He had to stop and talk to every single person who walked by.''

Molson is survived by his wife and 7-year-old daughter, Jennifer Rose.