Thursday, December 31, 2009

"Connie Hines, rivaled ‘Mr. Ed’ for Wilbur’s attention; at 78"

LOS ANGELES - Connie Hines, an actress on the 1960s television show “Mr. Ed,’’ died Friday at her home in Beverly Hills. A native of Dedham, Mass., she was 78.

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Figuratively speaking, I think.

"She will always be remembered as an exceptional cook. Her specialties being her famous Pierogi's and Golomki's which no one could get enough of."

Monday, December 28, 2009

It's the simple pleasures that count.

"He spent his life loving his family and rooting for the Boston Red Sox."

Saturday, December 26, 2009

So begins his obit, written in his own hand. Don't miss it.

"I'm dead of lung cancer at age 69, after 34 years of not smoking, anything. It's one of life's little editorial comments. What an eye-opener life turned out to be!"

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

"The Mets were his team until ..."

"He loved being outdoors and taking care of his lawn and garden. He was an avid gardener and his garden's tomatoes were the best. He loved watching baseball and football. The NY Mets were his team, until they did poorly every year, at which point he would become a Tampa Bay Rays fan. His interests were movies and reading. Whenever his grandson, Bradley, would bring him a book Carl would always put down whatever he was doing and read it to him. Carl also loved being in the backyard playing with Bradley's dog, Tabitha."

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

"His recollections were of spectacle."

"OLD ORCHARD BEACH — George Wesley Shorey, a local businessman who for years after his retirement headed up the town's beach-cleaning crew, died Friday at the age of 96.

"Mr. Shorey, called "GW" by those close to him and "Grampy" by the younger members of his extended family, had the good fortune to spend most of his long life in Old Orchard Beach, accumulating a wealth of memories and fondness.

"His recollections were of spectacle.

"Mr. Shorey was working as a Western Union boy when in 1927, Charles Lindbergh, possibly the most famous person in the United States at the time, set down his airplane on the beach because it was too foggy to find the Portland airfield.

"Mr. Shorey used to show movies out on The Pier, and could tell stories of seeing some of the biggest names on the big band scene, giants like Duke Ellington and Count Basie."


(H/T to Sarah Mahoney)

Monday, December 21, 2009

That about says it all, doesn't it.

"New London - Samuel A. E. Kalil, 97, died Thursday morning, Dec. 17, 2009, at Bayview Health Care Center in Waterford, after a long, happy life filled with family, hard work, corny jokes, and lots of bowling."

Saturday, December 19, 2009

Sam was a demon whistler!

"Children loved Sam and asked him to come out to play; he used a lot of vinegar building excellent rockets. He relished limericks, puns and Edward Gorey. He delighted in a good joke, though no one told a joke more ineptly. He loved Mozart, 'Candide,' and Kurt Weil. He gave to every street musician he met and was a demon whistler. Sam never said no to Patti Cooke’s peach pie, he made a mean Chicken Cacciatore, and his skill with an oyster knife was legendary."

(H/T to The Wellfleet NonResident Taxpayers Association)

Friday, December 18, 2009

He'd have liked this weekend!

"He enjoyed weather watching and recorded daily weather conditions for over 30 years. He also enjoyed gardening, reading about and practicing good nutrition, and sharing those ideas with everyone around him. He loved a good conversation and a lively discussion. He was very proud of his upbringing in a diverse neighborhood in Buffalo where he learned to appreciate and respect people of all cultures and ethnicities."

Thursday, December 17, 2009

First and last grafs: Great writing. Enjoy!

"Dollars to doughnuts, Robert H. Rines will be mainly remembered not for holding more than 800 patents, starting a law school or writing music for the stage, but for his dogged pursuit of the Loch Ness monster.

"His inventions that live on include a way to use ultrasound radiation to treat cataracts that he conceived while having his own eyes examined several years ago. His dream of inventing something to stop tornadoes never materialized."

Click here to read the whole thing.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

She was a good luck charm for the teams!

"'Ma Bean' drove bus #14 for the East Lyme School system for over 20 years and was best known as the good luck charm for both the baseball and football teams at the high school."

Saturday, December 12, 2009

5,739 recipes. Count 'em!

"Having grown up cooking for her family by age 11, Rosie developed into a creative and talented chef who served up delicious delicacies using ingredients from the family garden. Throughout her life, she catalogued 5,739 recipes."

Thursday, December 10, 2009

"Homemade with love" was her middle name

"She was also a fantastic cook and baker who could always be found in the kitchen cooking big meals for her family. "Homemade with love" was Donna's middle name."

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

From out Fargo, N.D., way, a real keeper of a man!

"His name was Warren. He was a small round fellow with a braying laugh and a loud voice whose tenor tone could atomize cement; there was never any doubt that Warren had arrived at the party. If you wanted to assemble a cliche of a loud guy who told jokes and laughed at his own and sucked up all the energy in the room, you might think Warren was a suitable template – until you met him.

"If he laughed at his jokes, it’s because they were funny. If he raked the room with tommy-gun patter, it’s because he was dealing with a bunch of taciturn mokes who needed some inspiration. He was the most exuberantly extroverted man I knew growing up, and he was also the least overbearing. Warren was a delightful man. He blazed."

From out Fargo, N.D., way, a real keeper of a man!

"His name was Warren. He was a small round fellow with a braying laugh and a loud voice whose tenor tone could atomize cement; there was never any doubt that Warren had arrived at the party. If you wanted to assemble a cliche of a loud guy who told jokes and laughed at his own and sucked up all the energy in the room, you might think Warren was a suitable template –- until you met him.

"If he laughed at his jokes, it’s because they were funny. If he raked the room with tommy-gun patter, it’s because he was dealing with a bunch of taciturn mokes who needed some inspiration. He was the most exuberantly extroverted man I knew growing up, and he was also the least overbearing. Warren was a delightful man. He blazed."

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

An avid listener of talk radio

"Mrs. Valakos was a homemaker who enjoyed cooking and trying new recipes. She was also a backyard bird-watcher and an avid listener of talk radio."

Monday, December 7, 2009

His little dog, Chichi ... sweet!

"Scooter had a unique personality, once you met him, you'd never forget him. He was mechanically inclined and loved John Deere, old trucks, GMC 1983, his dream truck, tractors and anything diesel, heavy equipment.

"Fall and winter were his favorite seasons. He couldn't wait for the first snowstorm. He loved going out in the wee hours to snowplow.

"Besides his mother and grandparents, he leaves his aunt and uncle, Donna and Philip Houk, his uncle, Allyn; his cousins, Adam Houk, Emily and Joseph Tinnel, Angel and Gina; great aunts and uncles; cousins; many special friends and especially his little dog, Chichi, who he loved so much; woof woof."

Saturday, December 5, 2009

"Tight as ticks" I love it!

"Her parents were Rollin and Vera DeWolfe and she and her two sisters were tight as ticks. Sister Mary Jane King died in 2007, and her sister and dearest friend Shirley Avery died in 2008."

Friday, December 4, 2009

Dancing the salsa in the wind

"Debra's earthly remains will be taken to St. Johns, U.S. Virgin Islands where she looked forward to owning a condo. There she will dance the salsa in the wind and the waves on the shore forever."

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

She knew how to enjoy life with grace

"She was a hard worker, overseeing a household and assisting her husband in his law practice. She enjoyed physical labor and, with the exception of the past several months, possessed the energy of a much younger woman. She loved ironing, which she did almost daily, hanging clothes to dry on the line upon spring's arrival, and particularly relished working in her yard. In summer months, she could be spotted atop her riding mower, sun visor on her head, tending to her vast lawn.

"She cherished life's simple pleasures, kitchen-table chats, backyard cookouts and rides with her beloved sisters to Watch Hill or Stonington Point for the views.

"Her home was always tastefully decorated for seasonal holidays, specifically Christmas, her favorite. She was a wonderful hostess and cook, and her 4th of July celebrations, in honor of her own and our nation's birthday, featured fireworks and patriotic sing-alongs and were a summer highlight among family and friends for the past forty years.

"One of her greatest attributes was her humility, an admirable quality so often lacking in today's society. She was quiet and graceful, and lived her life in service to her family."

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Won a few dollars at gin rummy -- and the lottery

"He truly loved his many friends and occasionally won a few dollars at gin rummy. He was blessed with good luck and had the distinction of winning the State Lottery in 1973."