Remembering The Passed

Remembering Dr. Henry Heimlich, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Rose Evansky, Cindy Stowell

Dr. Henry Heimlich was the thoracic surgeon who introduced a number of innovations to medicine. His most important was the Heimlich Maneuver, the technique of abdominal thrust in order to dislodge food caught in the trachea of a choking victim. Zsa Zsa Gabor. Miss Hungary of 1936, was a beautiful blonde who became an American celebrity, known for her frequent marriages, her witty comments, and her general demeanor. Rose Evansky was the Mayfair hair stylist, called the best by Vidal Sassoon. She revolutionized the trade by introducing blow-drying to hair styling. Cindy Stowell was the four-time Jeopardy champion who died of cancer before her episodes could air. She donated all her winnings to charity.

Remembering Dr. Thomas Schelling

Dr. Thomas Schelling, from the University of Maryland, won half the 2005 Nobel Prize for Economics (along with Robert Aumann) for his work on game theory. His work had practical applications in a number of areas, but it was particularly applicable to nuclear strategy during the Cold War. He was called on by the Government to help devise an approach to minimizing the chances of nuclear war. His efforts attracted the attention of film director Stanley Kubrick, and together they developed the screenplay for the classic black comedy, Dr. Strangelove.

Remembering Greg Lake, Alan Thicke, Rashaan Salaam, Van Williams

Greg Lake was the talented British guitarist who was a member of King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer. He often used classical melodies for his rock compositions. Alan Thicke was the Canadian actor, talk-show host, and songwriter, who is best-known in the United States as the father in the 1980’s television series, Growing Pains (1985-1992). Rashaan Salaam was the greatest running back ever to come out of the University of Colorado, and he was the winner of the Heisman Trophy in 1994. Van Williams was the handsome actor who starred in the 1966 ABC action series, The Green Hornet.

Remembering Grant Tinker, Sammy Lee, Andrew Sachs, Milt Moss, Jim Delligatti and the Big Mac

Grant Tinker was the American television executive who, along with his then-wife Mary Tyler Moore, founded MTM Enterprises. Their company created many of the best-known shows of the 1970’s and early 1980’s including The Mary Tyler Moore Show, The Bob Newhart Show and Rhoda. Tinker later went on to become the CEO of NBC and rescued the network with shows such as The Cosby Show and Cheers. Sammy Lee was the first Asian-American to win gold medals at the Olympics, winning in both 1948 and 1952 as a diver. He was the Sullivan Award winner in 1953. Andrew Sachs was the British actor who played the iconic role of Manuel the waiter in the legendary British television series, Fawlty Towers. Milt Moss was the actor who starred in a famous commercial that featured the line “I can’t believe I ate that whole thing.” Jim Delligatti was the Pittsburgh McDonald’s franchisee who invented the Big Mac.

Remembering Col. John Glenn

John Glenn was one of the great Americans of the 20th Century. As one of the seven original Mercury astronauts, he was the first American to orbit the Earth. In his Friendship 7 capsule, he circled the Earth three times in February 1962. Before his time as an astronaut he was a fighter pilot in World War II and Korea, and afterwards he went on to become a four-term senator from Ohio. At the age of 77, he became the oldest person to go into space when he was aboard the space shuttle Discovery in October 1998. He was married to his wife Annie for 73 years, and his portrayal in the 1983 movie The Right Stuff by Ed Harris is one of the most memorable in American cinema.

Remembering Florence Henderson, Al Caiola, Ron Glass, Fritz Weaver, Loren Courtney

When she played Carol Brady in The Brady Bunch (1969-1974), Florence Henderson was “America’s Mom”. A talented actress with a great voice and sense of humor to match, she was one of television’s most popular stars. Al Caiola was a top guitarist in the 1950’s and 1960’s, best known for his versions of the themes from “The Magnificent Seven” and “Bonanza”. Ron Glass was the African-American television actor who became familiar to the public as Detective Harris in the police ensemble sitcom Barney Miller (1975-1982). Fritz Weaver was the versatile actor who did two stirring performances on episodes of The Twilight Zone (1959-1964). Loren Courtney was a devoted husband and father, a devout man of God, a dutiful servant to his country, a successful business owner and a man of deep integrity, love and service.

Remembering Dr. Denton Cooley, Ralph Branca

Dr. Denton Cooley was one of the greatest heart surgeons of the 20th Century. After the first generation of heart surgeons performed primarily closed heart operations, Cooley pioneered open-heart surgery. He did the first heart transplant in America, inserted the first artificial heart in a patient (which caused years of friction with his colleague, Michael DeBakey) and his team in Texas performed at least 120,000 operations. Ralph Branca was the Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher who surrendered one of the most famous home runs in baseball history, the ninth-inning “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” by Bobby Thomson that won the 1951 National League pennant for the New York Giants.

Remembering Fidel Castro

Fidel Castro took over control of the Cuban government on January 1, 1959, and held power longer than any ruler other than Queen Elizabeth. As part of his Communist program, he nationalized industries, took control of the media, aligned himself with the Soviet Union, and distanced himself from the United States. His early years were remarkably turbulent, from the 1961 American Bay of Pigs invasion, which his troops repelled, to the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. A mass exodus of Cubans to the United States occurred several times during his tenure, notably in 1965, 1980, and 1994. His long reign was controversial, hailed as a model of socialism and an enemy to democracy and capitalism.

Newscaster

Remembering Gwen Ifill, Mose Allison, Gardnar Mulloy, Phil Georgeff, The No Vacancy Sign

Gwen Ifill was one of the nation’s most prominent political journalists. She was the first African-American woman to host a nationally televised political television program, Washington Week in Review. Mose Allison was the Mississippi-born jazz pianist and singer. He is best known for his witty and self-deprecating lyrics. Gardnar Mulloy was one of America’s greatest tennis players. He played top-level tennis for over 50 years and was a doubles winner with Budge Patty at Wimbledon in 1957. Phil Georgeff was the dean of Chicago racetrack announcers. He was often called “The Voice of Chicago Racing”. The “No Vacancy” sign was a fixture at American hotels and motels for decades.

Remembering Robert Vaughn, Leon Russell

Robert Vaughn’s suave good looks and charming manner made him the perfect television secret agent during the spy craze of the 1960’s. He starred as secret agent Napoleon Solo in The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (1964-1968). At the height of the series, he and his co-star David McCallum were two of the most popular figures in the world. Among his other roles, Robert Vaughn was also one of the seven gunfighters in the classic Western, The Magnificent Seven (1960). Leon Russell began as a supersession man but his musical abilities and composing skills brought him great acclaim. He worked as a solo artist, and with a wide variety of artists. He wrote hits for The Carpenters, Joe Cocker and George Benson. He returned to his Southwestern roots and often played with Willie Nelson. He was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.