‘She is inspiring’: Palatine woman shares passion for Mah Jongg by teaching others

After retiring about 30 years ago, Randy Thrasher asked herself: What should I do now?

She wanted to find a way to keep her mind sharp, so a friend suggested Mah Jongg. Despite not knowing much about the game, Thrasher decided to learn.

“People will say, you’ll either hate the game or you’ll love it to the point of it being addictive — and that’s me,” she said. “I’ll play at the drop of a hat.”

Thrasher, 87, is a retired teacher from Palatine. She has been teaching Mah Jongg for around 20 years, and has taught more than 600 people in the Northwest suburbs.

She volunteers at the Palatine Township Senior Center twice a week to coordinate Mah Jongg drop-in groups. Thrasher also teaches classes twice a year at the senior center and has taught at other park districts, private developments and libraries.

“Teaching (Mah Jongg) is really what I enjoy because I love seeing people’s eyes light up when they do get something right that we’ve been talking about,” she said. “Every game is still a challenge and still can be new.”

Mah Jongg originated in China in the 1800s and uses colorful tile pieces with unique Chinese characters and symbols. The game, similar to the card game rummy, involves strategy and consists of players drawing and discarding tiles to complete a winning 14-tile hand.

There are different types of Mah Jongg. Thrasher teaches the American version, which uses a playing card with specific winning combinations of tiles that players must match.

“It’s fun,” Thrasher said. “It stimulates the mind. I’m real big on that at my age — I want to keep my mind moving.”

Ann Vatch of Palatine met Thrasher through a mutual friend. Both former teachers, they have grown close and bonded over their common love of teaching and learning.

“A friend till the end — that’s how it feels with Randy,” Vatch said. “She’s just a very trustworthy, kind and compassionate friend.”

Vatch intends to learn Mah Jongg and is interested in taking classes.

“To be an onlooker, it seems intimidating,” she said. “But I have talked to some of Randy’s students that have taken the class from her, and (heard) just how much they’ve learned and how much they really enjoy this game.”

Thrasher said she has noticed an increase in the popularity of Mah Jongg since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The popularity has really risen, particularly since COVID, because many people could still play it in their individual homes,” she said. “You can also play online. So a lot of us who didn’t want to be with others during that time could sit at our computer and play.”

Kate Johnson, the development associate at the Palatine Township Senior Center, agreed that the popularity of the game has grown.

“Mah Jongg is taking off like wildfire now, but it’s a really old game and it’s been played here in the states for many years,” she said. “It’s kind of a craze right now.”

Thrasher and Johnson have worked together to host and organize the Palatine Senior Center’s annual Mah Jongg Tournament for the last several years. This year’s tournament, one of the center’s annual fundraisers, will take place Friday, July 31, with 92 players. Thrasher hopes to inspire interest in the game.

Johnson said Thrasher helps build community and always wants to do what’s best for everybody.

“I can’t imagine the center without her,” Johnson said. “She is just a staple here. She’s someone that people know they can go to. She’s reliable. She’s knowledgeable, and she’s had a huge impact.”

Thrasher said Mah Jongg, which has cognitive benefits, is a way to socialize, meet new people and connect with the community.

“She imparts this tremendous expertise for Mah Jongg, and she has been asked to teach in many different places around suburbia,” Vatch said. “The word has gotten out at how good she is.”

Vatch described Thrasher as younger than her years, tenacious, generous and someone with a lot of grit and perseverance.

“She is inspiring to get up and keep going,” Vatch said. “There’s an excitement and exuberance for life that she has. And it’s been a bit contagious.”