Remembering The Passed

Remembering Mickey Wright, A.E. Hotchner, Joseph Shabalala

Mickey Wright was the leader on the women’s golf tour for over a decade in the 1950’s and 1960’s. She won more than 80 tournaments and Ben Hogan said she had the best swing of any golfer, man or woman, he had ever seen. A.E. Hotchner was the writer and bon vivant who served as a companion to Ernest Hemingway in Hemingway’s later years. Hotchner also went on to found a successful charity food company with his Connecticut neighbor, Paul Newman. Joseph Shabalala was the South African musician and singer who founded and led the group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Remembering Orson Bean, Robert Conrad, Roger Kahn

Orson Bean was the quick-witted actor who starred on Broadway opposite Jayne Mansfield and Phyllis Newman and in the 1960 movie Anatomy of a Murder. He is best known for his television appearances on the Tonight Show and most notably on the game show To Tell the Truth (1956-1968). Robert Conrad was the handsome television actor who starred in three shows: Hawaiian Eye (1959-1963), Black Sheep Squadron (1976-1978), and his signature role The Wild, Wild West (1965-1969). Roger Kahn was the Brooklyn-born writer who penned one of the best books on baseball, The Summer Game (1972).

Remembering Stanley Cohen

Stanley Cohen was awarded one half of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, along with Rita Levi-Montalcini, for the discovery of nerve growth factor. Dr. Cohen eventually went on to discover epidermal growth factor (EGF). By understanding the mechanism of how EGF works, he was in part responsible for the tyrosine kinase inhibitor revolution (tyrosine kinase being an enzyme involved in the mechanism), which brought a host of whole new pharmacologic treatments to diseases from cancer to autoimmune conditions.

Remembering Bob Shane, Fred Silverman, The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture

Bob Shane was the last surviving member of the Kingston Trio, the most popular folk group of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. Fred Silverman was the television executive and producer, who worked at the three major networks and helped engineer turnarounds at CBS and ABC. He was responsible for putting on some of the most memorable television shows of the 1970’s and 1980’s. The Frank Lloyd Wright School of Architecture in Arizona taught students architecture and carried on the tradition of the namesake architect for more than 80 years.

Remembering Willie Wood, Jack Burns, Mary Higgins Clark, Peter Serkin

Willie Wood was the Hall of Fame safety for the legendary Green Bay Packer teams of the 1960’s. His interception and long return in Super Bowl I remains one of the most memorable plays in Super Bowl history. Jack Burns was the comedian and writer who was part of two great comedy duos – first with George Carlin and later with Avery Schreiber. Mary Higgins Clark was the novelist who specialized in suspense stories. She wrote over 50 best sellers in her career. Peter Serkin was the classical pianist who carried on in the family tradition of his father, Rudolf Serkin.

Remembering Kirk Douglas

For seven decades, Kirk Douglas was a Hollywood fixture, and for the first half of that era, he was one of the motion picture industry’s biggest stars. He worked for some of Hollywood’s greatest directors including Stanley Kubrick, Billy Wilder, Vicente Minnelli and Lewis Milestone. His costars included Burt Lancaster in seven movies, Tony Curtis, Lana Turner, Barbara Stanwyck .His son, Michael Douglas, carried on his legacy and became one of the most important actors in Hollywood. Kirk Douglas was one of the last links to the earlier Hollywood of the star system.

Remembering Morgan Wootten, Jim Lehrer, Mr. Peanut

Morgan Wootten was the basketball coach at DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland for 46 years. He won five national championships and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the first high school coach to earn that honor. Jim Lehrer was the outstanding journalist and news anchor for the PBS NewsHour (1983-2011). His work with Robert MacNeil became a standard for television journalism. He was also a respected novelist and playwright. With his familiar monocle and top hat, Mr. Peanut was the familiar mascot for Planters for over a century.

Remembering Kobe Bryant, Gianni Bryant, Egil “Bud” Krogh

Kobe Bryant was one of the greatest basketball players of this generation. A shooting guard, Bryant came out of high school to become the youngest player in NBA history. He joined the Los Angeles Lakers and guided them to five NBA championships, while amassing most of the Laker scoring records. Gianna “Gigi” Bryant was Kobe’s 13-year-old daughter who died alongside him and seven others in a helicopter crash. She was an emerging basketball star in her own right. Egil “Bud” Krogh was one of Richard Nixon’s operatives, who organized the plumbers and planned clandestine break-ins including at the Watergate Hotel and Dr. Daniel Ellsberg’s office. Krogh was also the man who invited Elvis Presley to meet Nixon in the White House for a famous photograph.

Remembering Terry Jones, Sir Roger Scruton, Barry Tuckwell, Norma Tanega

Terry Jones was a member of the British comedy troupe, Monty Pythons Flying Circus. When the Pythons broke up, Jones went on to become a respected British historian. Sir Roger Scruton was a philosopher and leading conservative intellectual, who authored over 50 books on a variety of subjects. Barry Tuckwell was an Australian French horn player and is generally considered one of the world’s top horn players. Norma Tanega was a folk singer and songwriter out of California, best known for her 1966 hit “Walkin” My Cat Named Dog.”

Remembering Neil Peart, Gary Starkweather, Ken Fuson

Neil Peart was the Canadian drummer for the rock band Rush. Besides being the drummer he was the primary lyricist and spiritual heart of the band. He was considered one of the top drummers of the rock era. Gary Starkweather was the Michigan engineer who moved to Northern California where he developed the laser printer. He was an early part of the Silicon Valley tech revolution. Ken Fuson was the journalist who worked for The Baltimore Sun and Des Moines Register. He wrote a memorable obituary for himself.