
February 1, 2010Donald GoerkeDonald Edward Goerke, the "Daddy-O of SpaghettiOs," died on Jan. 10 of heart failure. He was 83. Born in Waukesha, Wis., Goerke served in the Army Air Force during World War II, then earned a bachelor's degree from Carroll College and a master's degree from the University of Wisconsin. He started his career in marketing as a researcher for the Blatz Brewery before landing a marketing analyst job at the Campbell Soup Company. During his 35-year career with Campbell's, Goerke introduced more than 100 products, including Chunky Soup, a hearty ready-to-serve soup that "eats like a meal." This product was a radical departure from the company's traditional line of condensed soups, which require the addition of either milk or water. The product was an instant hit with American families when it launched in 1965 with the catchy commercial jingle, "Uh-oh, SpaghettiOs." Parents and children both liked the fact that the food was "spoonable," easy to make and fun to eat. Today, more than 150 million cans of SpaghettiOs are sold each year. SpaghettiOs now come in five variations (original, pasta with meatballs, pasta fortified with extra calcium, RavioliOs and pasta with sliced franks) and two other shapes (A to Zs and fun shapes). Although he left the company in 1990, Goerke came out of retirement five years later to help promote the 30th anniversary of SpaghettiOs on "The Today Show" and "What's My Line?" Goerke was described by friends and family as kind, even-tempered, outgoing and loyal. He was active in community affairs and served as the former president of the Merchantville, N.J., school board. The husband, father, grandfather and avid golf player was also an active member of the Riverton Country Club in Cinnaminson, N.J. Posted at 8:12 AM
| Tributes (0)
January 13, 2010Tsutomu YamaguchiTsutomu Yamaguchi, the only person who was ever officially recognized as a survivor of both the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombings at the end of World War II, died on Jan. 4 of stomach cancer. He was 93. Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima on a business trip for his employer, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, on Aug. 6, 1945. The 29-year-old oil tanker designer was stepping off a tram when the U.S. B-29 bomber Enola Gay dropped a 13-kiloton uranium atomic bomb on the city. The massive explosion destroyed Yamaguchi's left eardrum, temporarily blinded and balded him and left serious burns on his upper body. Others were not so fortunate; at least 70,000 people died as a result of the initial blast. After spending the night in a bomb shelter, Yamaguchi returned to his home in Nagasaki. He spent two days recuperating from his injuries, then covered his body in gauze and went to work. As Yamaguchi was explaining what had happened in Hiroshima to his boss, the U.S. B-29 bomber Bock's Car released its destructive payload, this time on Nagasaki. According to the Nagasaki City Atomic Bomb Records Preservation Committee, the explosion killed more than 73,800 people. Yamaguchi survived again. Twelve years after the war ended, Yamaguchi was recognized as a hibakusha, an explosion-affected person, of the Nagasaki bombing. Certification as an atomic bomb survivor qualified him for government compensation, including a monthly stipend, free medical checkups and funeral costs. It would take another 52 years until the Japanese government officially recognized his presence in Hiroshima. About 260,000 people survived the atomic bomb attacks on Japan, and many of them suffered the effects from radiation exposure. Yamaguchi's wife suffered radiation poisoning from the black rain that fell after the Nagasaki explosion; she died in 2008 of kidney and liver cancer. All three of Yamaguchi's children also suffered from health problems. After Japan surrendered, Yamaguchi worked as a ship engineer in the local port, a translator for the occupying American forces and a schoolmaster. In the final years of his life, he wrote a memoir and appeared in the 2006 documentary "Twice Bombed, Twice Survived: The Doubly Atomic Bombed of Hiroshima and Nagasaki." When the film was screened at the United Nations, Yamaguchi spoke to the delegates and called for the abolition of all nuclear weapons. Posted at 11:16 AM
| Tributes (1)
January 6, 2010Ruth LillyAs an heiress, Ruth E. Lilly could have lived a very comfortable life doing anything she wanted or absolutely nothing at all. Instead, she decided to fund a wide variety of causes and help those in need. And over the course of her nine decades on this planet, she gave away more than half a billion dollars to educational and cultural organizations. Born in Indianapolis, Lilly was the last surviving great-grandchild of Col. Eli Lilly, who founded the pharmaceutical empire Eli Lilly and Company in 1876. Last year, the company employed over 40,000 workers, earned $21 billion in sales and was ranked #570 on the Forbes 2000 List. Lilly was still in her teens when she began writing poetry, but it took her nearly 50 years to submit her work, under a pseudonym, to Poetry magazine. Although the influential literary journal rejected her poems, the editors also sent handwritten notes offering critiques of her writing. This left quite an impression on Lilly, and in 1986, she bequeathed $100 million to the magazine. The gift ensured that Poetry would continue publishing in perpetuity. In response, Poetry became a non-profit organization known as the Poetry Foundation, launched the annual Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize, which gives $100,000 to a contemporary poet in honor of a lifetime of a achievement, and created five Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships for aspiring poets. "Poetry has no greater friend than Ruth Lilly," said Poetry Foundation President John Barr. "Her historic gift is notable not only for its size -- that part of her largesse is known to every corner of the poetry world -- but also because it was made with no conditions or restrictions of any kind as to how it should be used for the benefit of poetry. In that, it was the purest expression of her love for the art that meant so much to her as poet herself, and as benefactor." Lilly's quiet generosity also extended to many Indiana-based institutions. She bequeathed a major gift to the Lilly Endowment, the family's main charitable organization. In 1966, Lilly and her brother, J.K. Lilly III, donated the site of their parents' estate to the Indianapolis Museum of Art, and provided a trust income to maintain it. A health education center, a learning center, a fitness center, a law library and a science library all exist and bear the Ruth Lilly name, thanks to her monetary contributions. Lilly rarely attended ceremonial events, though, preferring instead to have her chauffeur drive her past the institutions she had aided. In private, Lilly struggled with day to day life. Depression plagued her for decades, and she spent much of her 40-year marriage to writer Guernsey Van Riper in a hospital. The couple divorced in 1981; they had no children. That same year, Lilly's brother went to court and had her declared incompetent. From that point on, all of her donations had to be signed by an attorney. Lilly finally found some relief from her illness in 1988, thanks to the invention of Prozac, which was made and distributed by Eli Lilly and Co. The anti-depressant allowed her to live the final years of her life in relative peace. For her many years of philanthropy, Lilly was awarded a doctor of humane letters degree from Wabash College in 1991, from Franklin College in 2003 and from Marian University and Indiana University in 2004. Lilly died on Dec. 30 of heart failure. She was 94. January 2, 2010Peter Moore
Town criers have a long history of serving the English citizenry with vocal proclamations. The first known broadcast occurred in 1066, when town criers shared news about the Battle of Hastings. Since literacy rates amongst the majority of the populace was low well into the late 19th century, town criers served as "talking newspapers" for the public, announcing the king's edicts, advertising market days and generally spreading the news of the realm. Although Moore was raised in central England, he ran away to London as a young man with dreams of becoming an actor. Bit parts came his way, including the role of the undertaker Mr. Sowerberry in the original stage production of the musical "Oliver!" in 1960, but steady acting work eluded him until 1978 when he was asked to serve as a town crier for an event. He took the job and found his niche. Moore was a familiar sight on the streets of London, where he promoted the city's attractions to tourists and residents alike. Clad in red and gold robes, white breeches, black boots and a feathered tricorn hat, he was easily recognizable in any crowd. Those who were too busy or distracted to see Moore certainly heard him for he would heartily begin every announcement with a boisterous "Oyez, Oyez" (roughly translated as "hark" or "listen") and a ring of his bell, which was cast by the Whitechapel Bell Foundry, the company that made Big Ben and the Liberty Bell. Among his many titles, Moore was town crier to the mayor of London, the Greater London Authority, the city of Westminster and the London borough of Merton. He was also a freeman and liveryman of the city of London, deputy macebearer and town crier for the London borough of Southwark and tipstaff and town crier to the Royal Borough of Kingston Upon Thames. Moore's motto was: "Have Bell, Will Travel," and he took it to heart. In his role as the official town crier of London, Moore appeared at hundreds of public events, charity balls, openings and ceremonies in the United Kingdom and in countries all over the world. Friends described him as "larger than life," "a workaholic" and a "people person," attributes that served him well as the most recognized town crier in England. When asked about his proudest moment on the job, Moore said it was when he announced the 1982 birth of Prince William of Wales outside the gates of Buckingham Palace. Although his later years were spent in poor health, Moore had no interest in retiring. He performed his last official engagement on Dec. 19 at a Christmas reception given by the mayor of Southwark. Moore was due to receive a lifetime achievement award during the New Year's Day Parade in London, which he lead every year since 1987. With Moore gone, parade organizers decided to posthumously honor him with the award. --Photo by Tony Clarke. December 31, 2009A Look Back
* Bea Arthur, a veteran actress and comedian who starred in the TV shows "Maude" and "The Golden Girls" * Norman Borlaug, an agronomist who won the Nobel Peace Prize for making advances in plant breeding that helped feed millions of people in Latin America and Asia * Walter Cronkite, a veteran journalist and former CBS anchor who covered such historic events as the coronation of Queen Elizabeth, the assassination of JFK and the first man on the moon * Dom Deluise, an actor, comedian and cookbook author who co-starred in the films "Blazing Saddles" and "Cannonball Run" * Dominick Dunne, a bestselling author and special correspondent for Vanity Fair who covered the trials of O. J. Simpson, the Menendez brothers, Michael Skakel, William Kennedy Smith and Phil Spector * Farrah Fawcett, an award-winning actress and pinup beauty who starred in the TV show "Charlie's Angels" * Don Hewitt, a veteran journalist and producer who created the "60 Minutes" news program * John Hughes, a producer, writer and director whose 1980s films ("Ferris Bueller's Day Off," "Sixteen Candles," "The Breakfast Club" and "Pretty in Pink") defined a generation * Michael Jackson, a singer and dancer -- known as the 'King of Pop' -- who sold more than half a billion albums * Edward M. Kennedy, a liberal Democrat who served as senator of Massachusetts for 46 years * Billy Mays, a late-night TV pitchman who promoted Orange Glo and OxiClean and starred in his own reality TV show * Ed McMahon, a legendary TV personality best known for his work on the "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson" and "Star Search" * Ricardo Montalban, a Mexican-born actor who starred in the TV show "Fantasy Island" and in the film "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" * Les Paul, a musician and songwriter who pioneered the development of the solid-body electric guitar * Natasha Richardson, a Tony Award-winning actress and wife to actor Liam Neeson * Soupy Sales, a veteran comedian who perfected the pie-throwing routine * Eunice Kennedy Shriver, the founder of the Special Olympics and sister of President John F. Kennedy and Sens. Robert F. Kennedy and Edward M. Kennedy * Patrick Swayze, an actor and classically trained dancer who was best known for his work in the films "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost" * George Tiller, one of only a few doctors in America who performed late-term abortions * Andrew Wyeth, an artist whose paintings provided some of the most popular images of 20th century America I also lost two unique people this year: my grandmother Terri Carlton and my high school sweetheart Chris Pine. May they rest in peace. Posted at 10:51 AM
| Tributes (0)
September 11, 2009Victims of the Sept. 11th Terrorist AttacksThe World Trade Center (A-M) A B C D E F G Posted at 12:19 AM
| Tributes (16)
Victims of the Sept. 11th Terrorist AttacksThe World Trade Center (N-Z) N Robert B. Nagel Takuya Nakamura Alexander J.R. Napier Frank Joseph Naples John Napolitano Catherine A. Nardella Mario Nardone Manika Narula Narender Nath Karen S. Navarro Joseph M. Navas Francis J. Nazario Glenroy Neblett Marcus R. Neblett Jerome O. Nedd Laurence Nedell Luke G. Nee Pete Negron Ann Nicole Nelson David William Nelson James Nelson Michele Ann Nelson Peter Allen Nelson Oscar Nesbitt Gerard Terence Nevins Nancy Yuen Ngo Jody Tepedino Nichilo Martin Niederer Alfonse J. Niedermeyer Frank John Niestadt Gloria Nieves Juan Nieves Troy Edward Nilsen Paul R. Nimbley John Ballantine Niven Curtis Terrence Noel Daniel R. Nolan Robert Walter Noonan Daniela R. Notaro Brian Novotny Soichi Numata Brian Felix Nunez Jose R. Nunez Jeffrey Nussbaum O P Q R Posted at 12:16 AM
| Tributes (14)
Victims of the Sept. 11th Terrorist AttacksThe Pentagon Craig Amundson Melissa Rose Barnes Max J. Beilke Kris Romeo Bishundat Carrie R. Blagburn Canfield D. Boone Diana Borrero de Padro Donna Bowen Allen P. Boyle Christopher Lee Burford Daniel Martin Caballero Jose Orlando Calderon-Olmedo Angelene C. Carter Sharon A. Carver John J. Chada Rosa Maria (Rosemary) Chapa Julian T. Cooper Eric A. Cranford Ada M. Davis Gerald Francis DeConto Jerry Don Dickerson Johnnie Doctor Robert Edward Dolan William Howard Donovan Patrick Dunn Edward Thomas Earhart Robert Randolph Elseth Jamie Lynn Fallon Amelia V. Fields Gerald P. Fisher Matthew Michael Flocco Sandra N. Foster Lawrence Daniel Getzfred Cortez Ghee Brenda C. Gibson Ron F. Golinski Diane M. Hale-McKinzy Carolyn B. Halmon Sheila M. S. Hein Ronald John Hemenway Wallace Cole Hogan Jimmie Ira Holley Angela M. Houtz Brady K. Howell Peggie M. Hurt Stephen Neil Hyland Robert J. Hymel Lacey B. Ivory Dennis M. Johnson Judith L. Jones Brenda Kegler Michael Scott Lamana David W. Laychak Samantha L. Lightbourn-Allen Stephen V. Long James T. Lynch Terence M. Lynch Nehamon Lyons Shelley A. Marshall Teresa M. Martin Ada L. Mason-Acker Dean E. Mattson Timothy J. Maude Robert J. Maxwell Molly L. McKenzie Patricia E. (Patti) Mickley Ronald D. Milam Gerard (Jerry) P. Moran Odessa V. Morris Brian Anthony Moss Teddington H. Moy Patrick Jude Murphy Khang Ngoc Nguyen Michael Allen Noeth Chin Sun Pak Jonas Martin Panik Clifford L. Patterson Darin Howard Pontell Scott Powell Jack D. Punches Joseph John Pycior Deborah A. Ramsaur Rhonda Sue Rasmussen Marsha Dianah Ratchford Martha M. Reszke Cecelia E. Richard Edward V. Rowenhorst Judy Rowlett Robert E. Russell William R. Ruth Charles E. Sabin Marjorie C. Salamone David M. Scales Robert Allan Schlegel Janice M. Scott Michael L. Selves Marian H. Serva Dan Frederic Shanower Antionette M. Sherman Donald D. Simmons Cheryle D. Sincock Gregg Harold Smallwood Gary F. Smith Patricia J. Statz Edna L. Stephens Larry L. Strickland Kip P. Taylor Sandra C. Taylor Karl W. Teepe Tamara C. Thurman Otis Vincent Tolbert Willie Q. Troy Ronald James Vauk Karen J. Wagner Meta L. Waller Maudlyn A. White Sandra L. White Ernest M. Willcher David Lucian Williams Dwayne Williams Marvin R. Woods Kevin Wayne Yokum Donald McArthur Young Edmond G. Young Lisa L. Young Posted at 12:14 AM
| Tributes (6)
Victims of the Sept. 11th Terrorist AttacksAMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 77 Paul W. Ambrose Yeneneh Betru Mary Jane (MJ) Booth Bernard Curtis Brown Charles F. Burlingame Suzanne M. Calley William E. Caswell David M. Charlebois Sara M. Clark Asia S. Cottom James Daniel Debeuneure Rodney Dickens Eddie A. Dillard Charles A. Droz Barbara G. Edwards Charles S. Falkenberg Dana Falkenberg Zoe Falkenberg James Joseph Ferguson Darlene E. Flagg Wilson F. Flagg Richard P. Gabriel Ian J. Gray Stanley R. Hall Michele M. Heidenberger Bryan C. Jack Steven D. Jacoby Ann C. Judge Chandler R. Keller Yvonne E. Kennedy Norma Cruz Khan Karen Ann Kincaid Dong Chul Lee Jennifer Lewis Kenneth E. Lewis Renee A. May Dora Marie Menchaca Christopher C. Newton Barbara K. Olson Ruben S. Ornedo Robert Penninger Robert R. Ploger Zandra F. Ploger Lisa J. Raines Todd H. Reuben John P. Sammartino Diane M. Simmons George W. Simmons Mari-Rae Sopper Robert Speisman Norma Lang Steuerle Hilda E. Taylor Leonard E. Taylor Sandra D. Teague Leslie A. Whittington John D. Yamnicky Vicki C. Yancey Shuyin Yang Yuguang Zheng Posted at 12:13 AM
| Tributes (5)
Victims of the Sept. 11th Terrorist AttacksUNITED FLIGHT 93 Christian Adams Lorraine G. Bay Todd Beamer Alan Beaven Mark K. Bingham Deora Frances Bodley Sandra W. Bradshaw Marion Britton Thomas E. Burnett William Joseph Cashman Georgine Rose Corrigan Patricia Cushing Jason Dahl Joseph Deluca Patrick Joseph Driscoll Edward P. Felt Jane C. Folger Colleen Laura Fraser Andrew Garcia Jeremy Glick Lauren Grandcolas Wanda Anita Green Donald F. Greene Linda Gronlund Richard Jerry Guadagno LeRoy Wilton Homer Toshiya Kuge CeeCee Lyles Hilda Marcin Waleska Martinez Rivera Nicole Miller Louis J. Nacke Donald Arthur Peterson Jean Hoadley Peterson Mark Rothenberg Christine Anne Snyder John Talignani Honor Elizabeth Wainio Deborah Welsh Olga Kristin Gould White Posted at 12:12 AM
| Tributes (2)
Victims of the Sept. 11th Terrorist AttacksUNITED FLIGHT 175 Alona Avraham Garnet Edward (Ace) Bailey Mark Lawrence Bavis Graham Andrew Berkeley Touri Bolourchi Klaus Bothe Daniel R. Brandhorst David Reed Gamboa Brandhorst John Brett Cahill Christoffer Mikael Carstanjen John (Jay) J. Corcoran Ana Gloria Pocasangre de Barrera Dorothy Alma DeAraujo Robert John Fangman Lisa Frost Ronald Gamboa Lynn Catherine Goodchild Peter Morgan Goodrich Douglas A. Gowell Francis E. Grogan Carl Max Hammond Christine Lee Hanson Peter Hanson Gerald F. Hardacre Eric Samadikan Hartono James E. Hayden Herbert W. Homer Michael R. Horrocks Robert Adrien Jalbert Amy N. Jarret Ralph Francis Kershaw Sue Jue Kim-Hanson Heinrich Kimmig Amy R. King Brian Kinney Kathryn L. LaBorie Robert George LeBlanc Maclovio Lopez Marianne MacFarlane Alfred Gilles Padre Joseph Marchand Louis Neil Mariani Juliana Valentine McCourt Ruth Magdaline McCourt Wolfgang Peter Menzel Shawn M. Nassaney Marie Pappalardo Patrick J. Quigley Frederick Charles Rimmele James M. Roux Jesus Sanchez Victor J. Saracini Mary Kathleen Shearer Robert Michael Shearer Jane Louise Simpkin Brian D. Sweeney Michael C. Tarrou Alicia Nicole Titus Timothy Ray Ward William M. Weems Posted at 12:11 AM
| Tributes (1)
Victims of the Sept. 11th Terrorist AttacksAMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 11 Anna Williams Allison David Lawrence Angell Lynn Edwards Angell Seima Aoyama Barbara Jean Ares Tegui Myra Joy Aronson Christine Barbuto Carolyn Mayer Beug Kelly Ann Booms Carol Marie Bouchard Neilie Anne Heffernan Casey Jeffrey Dwayne Collman Jeffrey W. Coombs Tara Kathleen Creamer Thelma Cuccinello Patrick Currivan Brian P. Dale David DiMeglio Donald Americo DiTullio Alberto Dominguez Paige Farley-Hackel Alexander Milan Filipov Carol Flyzik Paul Friedman Karleton D.B. Fyfe Peter Alan Gay Linda M. George Edmund Glazer Lisa Reinhart Fenn Gordenstein Andrew Peter Charles Curry Green Peter Paul Hashem Robert Jay Hayes Edward (Ted) R. Hennessy John A. Hofer Cora Hidalgo Holland John Nicholas Humber Waleed Iskandar John Charles Jenkins Charles Edward Jones Robin Kaplan Barbara Keating David Kovalcin Judy Larocque Natalie Janis Lasden Daniel John Lee Daniel C. Lewin Sara Elizabeth Low Susan A. MacKay Karen A. Martin Thomas F. McGuinness Christopher D. Mello Jeffrey Peter Mladenik Antonio Jesus Montoya Valdes Carlos Alberto Montoya Laura Lee Morabito Mildred Naiman Laurie Ann Neira Renee Lucille Newell Kathleen Ann Nicosia Jacqueline J. Norton Robert Grant Norton John Ogonowski Betty Ann Ong Jane M. Orth Thomas Nicholas Pecorelli Berinthia Berenson Perkins Sonia Morales Puopolo David E. Retik Jean Destrehan Roger Philip M. Rosenzweig Richard Barry Ross Jessica Leigh Sachs Rahma Salie Heather Lee Smith Dianne Bullis Snyder Douglas J. Stone Xavier Suarez Madeline Amy Sweeney Michael Theodoridis James Anthony Trentini Mary Barbara Trentini Pendyala Vamsikrishna Mary Alice Wahlstrom Kenneth E. Waldie John Wenckus Candace Lee Williams Christopher Rudolph Zarba Posted at 12:10 AM
| Tributes (4)
September 8, 2009Chanel
Born May 6, 1988, Chanel was only 6 weeks old when Denice Shaughnessy adopted her from a shelter in Newport News, Va. Although the puppy was meant to be a companion for her daughter LaToya, Chanel immediately took to Denice. Over the next two decades, the pair were nearly constant companions. Life wasn't always easy for the family. Their house once burned down, though everyone survived. Financial difficulties required Denice and LaToya to sell their only form of transportation and live on macaroni and cheese -- which they shared with Chanel. Long-distance moves from Germany to upstate New York to California would have taxed any animal, but Chanel never left their side. And when Denice married Karl Shaughnessy, the entire family settled on Long Island. In her youth, Chanel was a bit of a rascal. She'd steal sticks of butter right off the kitchen counter and hide them inside the living room sofa. She also enjoyed eating chocolate, which is usually considered toxic to dogs, and once devoured an entire bag of peanut butter cups. But she kept her girlish figure by exercising daily, often walking several miles with Denice. In her later years, Chanel's blond hair whitened. She developed cataracts, and wore tinted goggles (called doggles) to protect her eyes. She also chilled easily, and donned T-shirts in the summer and woolly sweaters in the winter to stay warm. On her last birthday, officials from Guinness World Records certified Chanel as the world's oldest dog during a private birthday bash at the New York Dog Spa and Hotel in Manhattan. To celebrate her longevity, Chanel ate a peanut butter cake specially prepared for dogs, and made an appearance on the "Today" show. Posted at 12:34 PM
| Tributes (0)
July 13, 2009John KeelJohn Alva Keel, a prominent Fortean author who shed light on the Mothman sightings, died on July 3 of congestive heart failure. He was 79. Born Alva John Kiehle and raised in Hornell, N.Y., he developed an early interest in magic and mysterious phenomena, and was only 12 years old when he published his first story in a magician's magazine. In his teens, Keel changed the spelling of his surname and the order of his initials, and hitchhiked to New York City to become a professional writer. Over the next decade, he created comic book scripts, edited Poets of America magazine, worked as a freelance writer and produced several radio programs, yet a passion for stories about the unusual, strange and unexplained soon became his professional focus. During the Korean War, Keel was drafted into the U.S. Army and stationed in Frankfurt where he worked on the staff of the American Forces' Network. After leaving the service, however, he traveled through Europe, Asia and the Middle East seeking out the truth behind outlandish tales of myth and legend. Investigating these controversial topics was not the most lucrative career move, but Keel supported his efforts by writing ad libs for Merv Griffin and contributing scripts to shows like "Get Smart" and "Lost in Space." Keel published numerous books on the supernatural over the course of his four-decade career, including "Our Haunted Planet," "UFOs: Operation Trojan Horse," "The Complete Guide to Mysterious Beings" and "Strange Creatures from Time and Space." But his biggest claim to fame was the 1975 book, "The Mothman Prophecies," which was turned into a major motion picture starring Richard Gere and Laura Linney in 2002. The book chronicled Keel's 1966-1967 investigation into reported sightings of a strange creature in Point Pleasant, W.Va. Known as the Mothman, the creature was described as being 7 feet tall with grey skin, red glowing eyes and large wings. Its origins were unknown, but theories abounded. Some believed the Mothman was a mutant spawned from local chemical and weapons dumps. Others theorized that it was either an extraterrestrial or the result of an Indian curse. Eyewitnesses claimed it screeched like a rat, ate farmers' dogs, destroyed area fields, caused cars to stall and interfered with TVs, radios and telephones. Although the creature was known for scaring people -- particularly couples sitting in parked cars -- Keel wrote that the Mothman may have tried to telepathically warn people that the Silver Bridge was going to collapse into the Ohio River. It did so in 1967, killing 46 people. Keel's coverage of the Mothman phenomenon turned Point Pleasant into a tourist attraction, and sparked the launch of the annual Mothman Festival. A Mothman Museum, containing props from the movie, eyewitness accounts of Mothman encounters and other curiosities, also opened on Main Street. Keel last visited Point Pleasant in 2003 when a stainless steel statue of the Mothman was unveiled. Keel's final years were often spent in an self-imposed isolation. He did few interviews, distanced himself from family and friends and struggled with both health and financial issues.
Posted at 11:32 PM
| Tributes (1)
June 24, 2009Ed McMahon
The Detroit native always wanted to be a broadcaster. In his teens, he worked the microphone as both a bingo caller and a carnival barker. But McMahon's chance to break into show business was put on hold by World War II. He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, and served as a flight instructor and test pilot. When the war ended, McMahon used the G.I. bill to study drama and speech at Catholic University of America in Washington D.C. To support himself during that time, he hawked vegetable slicers on the Atlantic City boardwalk and the Midwestern state-fair circuit. McMahon's first broadcasting gig was in radio, but soon he turned his attentions to the up-and-coming medium of television. He played a circus clown on the show "Big Top," hosted more than a dozen programs in Philadelphia and tackled announcing duties for the music showcase "Bandstand." Just as the networks came calling, however, McMahon returned to active duty to serve in Korea. There he flew 85 reconnaissance missions in the Cessna OE Bird Dog. He eventually retired from the service with the rank of colonel. After he returned home, McMahon joined "Who Do You Trust?" a game show originally hosted by ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his dummy sidekick, Charlie McCarthy. The newer version was hosted by an up-and-coming comedian named Johnny Carson, and McMahon was hired to be the show's announcer. When Carson was offered the opportunity to take over "The Tonight Show" in 1962, McMahon went with him. For three decades and 6,583 shows, McMahon introduced Carson with the trademark opening: "Heeeeere's Johnny!" He would then sit on Carson's right and serve as his sidekick. Through skits and celebrity interviews, standup routines and musical numbers, McMahon always kept the tone of the show light with his humorous commentary and hearty guffaws. And when Carson retired from the show in 1992, McMahon did as well. Despite a talent for playing second fiddle, McMahon enjoyed standing in the spotlight. In the 1960s and 1970s, he emceed the game shows "Concentration," "Missing Links," "Snap Judgment" and "Who Dunnit?". From 1983 to 1995, he hosted the amateur talent show "Star Search," which helped launch the careers of numerous entertainers, including Britney Spears, Drew Carey, Rosie O'Donnell, LeAnn Rimes and Sinbad. McMahon co-hosted "TV's Bloopers and Practical Jokes" with his old friend Dick Clark, and helped raise millions during the annual "Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon." McMahon also lent his voice and likeness to dozens of commercial advertisements, most notably as the pitchman for the American Family Publishers' sweepstakes. McMahon's adventures in Hollywood were so extensive that he penned two memoirs -- "For Laughing Out Loud: My Life and Good Times" (1998) and "Here's Johnny!: My Memories of Johnny Carson, The Tonight Show, and 46 Years of Friendship" (2006) -- as well as the nonfiction book "When Television was Young" (2007). His star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is located at 7000 Hollywood Blvd. Privately, McMahon had a reputation for being a hardworking, stand-up guy with a penchant for imbibing. He played Bacchus, the Greek god of wine, at the 1978 Mardi Gras parade in New Orleans, designed his own vodka and published "Ed McMahon's Barside Companion," a book that offered a "blend of 'round the bar games and bets, spirited stunts, jokes and tricks." He even became known as "Mr. Budweiser" when he served as a spokesman for that beer company. Celebrity suited McMahon, but fortune often slipped through his fingers. The last few years of his life were spent mired in pain and financial difficulty. In 2002, McMahon sued his insurance company, alleging that he and his wife Pamela were sickened by toxic mold that had spread through their Beverly Hills house. The McMahons also blame the mold for the death of their dog, Muffin. They won their legal battle a year later and received a $7 million settlement, but the money didn't last for very long. A fall in 2007 caused McMahon to suffer a broken neck, which required two operations. The pain from this injury kept him from working for nearly two years, which meant the unpaid bills quickly piled up. He even faced a possible foreclosure on his home, but was allowed to remain in the residence thanks to the kindness of strangers and private investors who learned of his troubles. In an attempt to make light of his situation, and to make extra money, McMahon appeared in a commercial with once-bankrupt rap artist MC Hammer. The ad, which aired during the 2009 Super Bowl, promoted a cash-for-gold business. McMahon married three times and was father to six children. When asked by Larry King how he wanted to be remembered, McMahon said, "I don't plan to have a headstone. I hope to be floating in the sea...but if I had a headstone my epitaph would be: 'He was a good broadcaster and a great Marine!'"
Posted at 10:24 AM
| Tributes (3)
|
©2003-2010 Jade Walker