Influential Figures Lost in 2022: Poitier, Saget, Hickman and Bellecourt

From the January 1, 2023, Chicago Tribune by Bernard McGhee, AP.

JANUARY

SIDNEY POITIER, 94

**  Transformed how black people were portrayed on screen.  First black actor to win an Oscar for best lead performance. Died January 6.

To Sir.

BOB SAGET, 65

Actor.comedian known for his role on the sitcom "Full House" and wisecracking host of "America's Funniest Home Movies."  Died January 9.

DWAYNE HICKMAN, 87

Actor remembered fondly by a generation of baby boomers for his role as Dobie Gillis.  Died January 9.

And that beatnik friend of his.

CLYDE BELLECOURT, 85

A leader of Native American struggle for civil rights.  Died January 11.

Bob Stroud's 'Gone But Not Forgotten 2022'-- Part 4: 'Knock On Wood'

These are some of the music industry people we lost last year.

KNOCK ON WOOD--  Eddie Floyd   (Jim Stewart co-owner of Stax records and the "ST" part of the name)

SAY YOU LOVE ME--  Fleetwood Mac   (Christine McVie)

GOING FOR THE ONE--  Yes  (Alan White, drummer)

A WHITER SHADE OF PALE--  Procul Harum  (Gary Brooker, founder, leader, vocalist and  pianist)

WHAT A WONDERFUL THING--  Fabulous Rhinestones   (Cal David, guitar)

I'LL BE AROUND--  Spinners  (Thom Bell, producer)

FULL MOON TURN MY HEAD AROUND--  Off Broadway   (Cliff Johnson, leader)

Always sad to lose these people with all the enjoyment they brought us.

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "This Is Our Fork In The Road.  Love's Last Episode."   Answer below.   --Cooter

"I'll Be Around"

Bob Stroud's 'Gone But Not Forgotten 2022'-- Part 3: 'Court of the Crimson King'

Musicians we lost last year.

CHINA GROVE--  Doobie Brothers   (John Hartman, drums)

PEGGY SUE--  Buddy Holly   (Jerry Allison, drummer)

HAIR OF THE DOG--  Nazareth   (Manny Charlton, lead guitarist and Dan McCafferty, vocalist)

SPINNING WHEEL--  Blood, Sweat & Tears   (Dick Halligan, keyboards)

PARADISE BY THE DASHBOARD LIGHT--  Meatloaf

THE COURT OF THE CRIMSON KING--  King Crimson  (Ian McDonald, founding member of the group and also of Foreigner.)

KEEP ON PUSHIN'--  REO Speedwagon   (Gregg Philbin, bass, backing vocals)

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "When The Sun Comes Up On A Sleepy Little Town Down Around San Antone."  --Answer below.  --Cooter

"China Grove"

Bob Stroud's 'Gone But Not Forgotten 2022'-- Part 2: 'She's a Beauty'

Musicians we lost last year.

GLORIA--  Shadows of Knight   (Jim Sohns, leader and singer)

WOODSTOCK--  CSN&Y   (Michael Lang, producer of the celebration)

GOOD LOVIN'--  Young Rascals    (Dino Danelli, drummer)

JIM DANDY--  Black Oak Arkansas  (Harvey Jett, guitarist)

WALK DON'T RUN '64--  Ventures  (Don Wilson, guitarist)

SO INTO YOU--  Atlanta Rhythm Section   (Barry Bailey, guitar)

SHE'S A BEAUTY--  Tubes   (Rick Styles, bassist)

TAKE ME TO THE RIVER--  Al Green  (Howard Grimes, drummer)

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I'd Like To Tell You 'Bout My Baby You Know She Comes Around.  Just 'Bout  Five-Feet Four."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Gloria"

Bob Stroud's 'Gone But Not Forgotten' 2022-- Part 1: 'Diamond Girl'

Every new year, Bob Stroud takes a last look at the musicians that we lost in the previous year on his Rock and Roll Roots show on Chicago's WDRV, 97.1 FM.  He did this on January 8, 2023, this year.

Here are the songs he played and names of the people  who died.

BE MY BABY--  Ronettes  (Ronnie Spector)

TELL MAMA--  Savoy Brown  (Kim Simmonds)

DIAMOND GIRL--  Seals & Crofts   (Jim Seals)

STRANGE WAY--  Firefall   (David Muse)

FOUR STRONG WINDS--  Neil Young  (Ian Tyson, songwriter)

OUT IN THE COUNTRY--  Three Dog Night  (Richard Podolor, producer)

REACH OUT IN THE DARKNESS--  Friend and Lover   (Jim Post)

Name That Tune (from the above songs):  "I Think It's So Groovy Now That People Are Finally Getting Together."  Answer below.  --RoadDog

"Reach Out In the Darkness"

Death of Nancy Kubalanza-- Part 2

From leading scout groups to volunteer coaching to the PTA, Nancy was involved in her children's upbringing.  She worked as a  school bus driver to help put her children through Catholic school and college.

After her children were grown, she became more involved in her community.  She was a Lioness in the Fox Lake Lions Club, a long-time member of the Fox Lake-Grant Township Area Historical Society and, yes, she became active in politics.  Very involved in politics.

Nancy loved working on campaigns, rallying the vote and taking charge.  She was a natural born leader.  (As a member of the historical society I can certainly vouch for that last statement.)  She had a way of convincing people to get involved  and making them think it was their own idea.

The Death of Nancy M. Kubalanza May 19, 2022-- Part 1: Long-Time President of Fox Lake-Grant Township Area

I have been a member of the Fox Lake-Grant Township Area Historical Society for quite a few years now and during that whole time Nancy has been our president.  It sure is going to be strange to not see her at the head table running the meetings.  She passed away suddenly last month.

From the Kristan Funeral Home, Mundelein, Illinois.

NANCY M. KUBALANZA

October 29, 1941 -- May 19, 2022

She was born in Watertown New York and grew up there, graduating from high school in 1959 after being a student leader and active student.  In 1960, she met Walter Kubalanza, married the next year and celebrated their 60th anniversary last year.  They have three children and three grandchildren.

She was a fiercely dedicated mom and grandma, or "Ommie" as the kids called her.  Family came before anything else.  She nurtured, guided and supported her family her whole life.  (She also did not shy away from giving her opinion.  Often!)

Nancy and Walt moved to Fox Lake, Illinois when their children were young and she immediately became involved with her new community.

Remembering 'Papa' Hemingway

From the March 28, 2021 Parade Magazine.

There was a three-part documentary on him on PBS directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick.

Some things you may or may not know about him:

**  In Spain, in the 1920s and 1930s, he became fascinated with bullfighting and worked as a journalist covering the Spanish Civil War.  It was here that he picked up the nickname "Papa."

**  Hemingway survived two plane crashes in two days in 1954.  Newspapers reported his death, so he was able to read his own obituary.

**  An expert fisherman, in 1938 he set a world record by catching seven marlins in one day.

**  He was grandfather of two actress-models Margaux and Mariel Hemingway.

**  He wrote the last page of "A Farewell to Arms," based on his experiences in World War I, 39 times.

**  Hemingway loved polydactyl cats (cats having six or more toes on each foot).

One thing I had planned on doing after I retired from teaching was to read all Hemingway's books.  But then I got blogged in as it were.  So, the only one I have read was "The Old Man and the Sea: which I read for English class in high school.

He may or may not have written "The Old Man and the Sea" in Cubero, New Mexico, on Route 66.  See the May 8 post in my RoadDog's RoadLog Blog.

--CootHem

A Very Interesting Man: Wayne Huizenga (1937-2018)-- Part 1: Blockbuster Video and Sports Teams

From the March 25, 2018, Chicago Tribune "Owned teams, trash haulers and video stores" by Steven Wine and Terry Spencer (AP).

"College dropout Wayne Huizenga started with a trash-hauling company, struck gold during America's brief love affair with the VHS tapes (I still use VHS tapes to record TV shows) and eventually owned three professional sports teams.

"Huizenga owned Blockbuster Entertainment, AutoNation and the world's largest trash hauler, and was founding owner of professional baseball's Florida Marlins and NHL Florida Panthers.  He bought the NFL Miami Dolphins for $138 million in 1994."

Died March 24 at age 80.

The Marlins won the World Series in 1997 and Panthers reached the Stanley Cup final in 1996, but, to his chagrin, the Dolphins never reached the Super Bowl during his ownership.

And, how he became so rich is quite a story as well.  He was what they call a self-made millionaire.

More On That In My Next Post.

Obituary of Lisa Grimm Oda: A True Child of the 60s

From the September 17, 2017, Chicago Tribune Death Notices.

Born August 4, 1949  Died September 11, 2017.

After reading her obituary, I'd have to say she really lived and fulfilled the life of what we might call a Hippy.

"Always the explorer and adventurer, during the turbulent 60's, Lisa spent time in a commune in Berkeley, CA..  This foretold a lifelong quest to seek truth and wisdom and question the status quo.

"After a few years working for Price Waterhouse in Chicago, she left to embark on her quest to enrich others with her compassion, creativity, ethics, selflessness, thoughtfulness, spirituality, and nurturing spirit and being.

"A very spiritual person, Lisa studied many religions and philosophies, endeavoring to live life in as good a way as possible.  She found aspects of Christianity, Taoism, Buddhism and Native American Spirituality that gave her clarity and truth."

She Must have been Quite An Interesting Person.  A Real Flower Child.

Looking Back 100 Years: The News of My Death Has Been Greatly Exaggerated

From the January 21, 2016, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back."

1916, 100 years ago.

**  An error occurred in the obituary notice of Milo Wells which appeared in our last issue.  It was stated that Mrs. Wells was dead.  This was a mistake.  Mrs. Wells is living and is a resident of Chicago.

**  Sandwich (Illinois) schools were closed for a week after the holiday season because of an epidemic of scarlet fever."

**  "Any kind of weather you want a whole lot you don't has come this week.  Tuesday there was snow, Wednesday there was heavy rain and warm weather, and Thursday night the mercury dropped like a plummeted from the forties the temperature fell to 15 degrees below zero on Thursday morning."

Of Course, Living In Chicago Today Is Definitely Dangerous To Your Health If You Live In Certain Areas.  --Cooter

Deaths in 2009

I came across a rather long list in the Chicago Tribune Obituaries of people in the movies and TV who died this year.

These are some who I can relate to or of whom I knew.

Karl Malden-- Streets of SF, Patton
Farrah Fawcett-- couldn't avoid that poster
Patrick Swayze-- dancin' fool who could beat you up-- North and South, Dirty Dancing, Cocktail
Bea Arthur-- vs. Archie, Maud, Golden Girls
John Hughes-- directed many of my favorite movies
Ricardo Montalban-- Da Plane, Da Plane-- Khan
Gene Barry-- Bat Masterson
David Carradine-- Grasshopper
Ed McMahon-- Here's Johnny
Dom DeLuise-- One Really Funny Guy, Smokey % the Bandit 2
Gale Storm--
Larry Gelbart-- MASH
Henry Gibson-- Another really funny guy. Laugh-In, Blues Brothers
Soupy Sales-- Fun was his name. Hey kids, send...

We'll Miss These Guys and Gals. --DaCoot