Several famous people returned home to Heaven in 2016. Their presence on Earth mattered. Here’s just a smidge of how some of them
mattered to me.
Harper Lee: The first author who wrote a book I was
forced to read in AP English class that I actually enjoyed! I read the book in one sitting. Through the guise of fiction, she dropped
some serious wisdom.
Gene Wilder: I adored him and Gilda. They seemed such a sweet loving couple and
their love for each other made me happy. So many wonderful movies that made me smile. I still quote the line, “Fuzzy Wuzzy was a woman?!” LOL!
And, he gave me a Golden Ticket to change the world, ‘cause “there’s
nothing to it.”
Alan Rickman:
He was so good at being a bad guy on Die Hard that I really didn’t like
him for a long while. Though, he was
the perfect Marvin in Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. But when he brought Snape to life, all was
forgiven. He melted my heart when I
read his statement, “When I’m 80 years old and sitting in my rocking chair,
I’ll be reading Harry Potter. And my
family will say to me, ‘After all this time?’ And I will say, ‘Always.’” So sweet!
Florence Henderson: I loved The Brady Bunch and all
the show’s incarnations. I very much
missed seeing her when the Brady’s stopped televising their lives. I was happy to watch her again on Dancing
with the Stars and that cooking competition show she was on. I liked her; she seemed pretty cool.
Gary Marshall: He brought to life so many of my
favorite shows and movies to life. Love, American
Style. The Odd Couple. Angie.
Happy Days. Mork &
Mindy. Laverne & Shirley. Joanie Loves ChaChi. Beaches.
Pretty Woman. The Princess
Diaries. All of these shows and movies
are part of my memories and my development.
Alan Thicke: He taught me that “you take the good,
you take the bad, you take ‘em both and there you have the Facts of Life.” He
also preached that the world “don't move to the beat of just one drum; what
might be right for you, may not be right for some.” Exactly!
John Glenn: Pretty sure he’s the astronaut I met at a
Star Trek Convention one year. He had a
table in the Vendor room and he was signing autographs for free…and no one was
lined up at his table. I could not
believe that at a Sci-Fi convention, people were not geeking out over a guy
who’d actually been in space! I was
shocked! He looked lonely. I’m not up on my astronaut knowledge and I
couldn’t begin to name the actual mission(s) he was on, but I knew his name and
that he was a pretty big deal. I walked
over to his table and got his autograph.
It was a bit awkward; I felt bad that I didn’t know every bit about him
and therefore not confident enough to start up a conversation, but I’d have
felt worse leaving him hangin’.
Carrie Fisher:
She had a rough go of life for awhile there, but she pulled through and
figured out how to live her life. I
like her sense of humor. I know she did
other things, but she’ll always be Princess Badass to me.
Debbie Reynolds:
I love her in the Halloweentown movies.
What I love best though is the fact that she collected and preserved
movie memorabilia. A geek after my own
heart.
Kenny Baker: I very much appreciate that he brought
R2D2 to life. R2 was awesome!
Tom Peterson: A guy from Portland, Oregon whose commercials
woke everyone up late at night and whose haircut was all the buzz. Just a salesman whose business ended up
going under after several years, but he was good at getting people to know his
name. His face is all over my childhood
as a Portland icon. And I still
remember the song someone did, “I woke up with a Tom Peterson haircut.”
Agnes Nixon:
She told me all about her children for years and I loved it. My favorite lives to peek in on were those
on One Life to Live. I still miss that
show. Every once in a while, I wonder
what Vicki and Dorian are up to.
Joseph Mascolo: I watched Days of Our Lives with my
friend and her mom for about 1 year. In
that year, Stefano DiMera said one of the silliest yet
memorable things in a fit of rage and annoyance, “DESTROY THE PHONE!” That phrase unlocks cherished memories of
time spent with my friend and her family.
Nancy Reagan:
I still remember her Just Say No campaign. And it’s still good advice for any area of life, not just
drugs. If someone is telling you to do
something you don’t want to do, just say no.
If someone is telling you to be something you are not, just say no.
Doris Roberts:
I was enchanted by her Mrs. Miracle performances. From the sass of Marie Baron to the
delightful and enchanting Mrs. Miracle; Doris had range. I saw an interview she did where she
explained she had a motto, “I don’t give in.
I don’t give up. I don’t settle.
And I never take no for an answer.”
I admire that. Know yourself
enough to know what you want in life and don’t settle for less than you desire.
George Michael: He taught me to have faith and give
my heart to someone special. I would’ve
said he forgot to wake us up before he left, but then I read his obit, and
given his work enlightening people as a gay rights activist, I’d say he did.
Zsa Zsa Gabor: Dahling. I enjoyed seeing her on tv shows back in the day. She seemed to ooze confidence and
charm. I smiled whenever she guest
starred on something or was just on a talk show.
Muhammad Ali:
I’m not really a fan of boxing, but I admired his dedication to his
sport. And his, “Float like a
butterfly, sting like a bee” mantra is helpful on occasion. Like another way of saying Roosevelt’s quote,
“Talk softly, and carry a big stick.” Or is it, "Walk softly, and carry a big stick"?
Michu Meszaros:
I very much appreciate that he brought Gordon Shumway into my life.
Ray Tomlinson:
I honestly had no idea who this guy was until I read a list of people
who’d passed away in 2016. According to
the list I read, he was the creator of email.
Wow! That’s cool! He impacted my life profoundly and I had no
idea who he was until just now.
Makiko Futaki: I didn’t much like anime until I saw
Makiko’s work. Mesmerizing. I still don’t quite know what Howel’s Moving
Castle is about, but I love it! And
Totoro? What the heck is Totoro? Not sure, but I love him! Don’t ruin the magic by giving me an answer.
Glen Frey: He
sang The Heat is On – a song I played in Pep Band, over and over and over. The man also brought Hotel California into
my life. Crank it up!!! He checked out, but he’ll never truly leave.
David Bowie:
There are actually few songs of his that I like. (I hear fans gasping in horror.) I loved his acting. Labyrinth. I mean, come on…Labyrinth!
Am I right?! Yes, I am. Aside from that, I admired his strength of character;
he was who he was, no pretending, no apologizing. He seemed like a pretty cool guy.
Prince: I
first saw Prince on American Bandstand singing Little Red Corvette. I fell in love with his music right
then. The man had talent. A bright light and creative musician. Though I didn’t really care for his acting,
that didn’t turn me away from really really liking his music. I think I like his Diamonds & Pearls CD
best.
Well, I’m going to put on my raspberry
beret and go have some “starfish and coffee, maple syrup and jam” to ring in the new year.
"If you set your mind free baby, maybe you'll understand."
May your 2017 be a good one!
