Shirley Booth - TV's "Hazel"

 

"Burt Lancaster advised me against doing 'Hazel.'  'Don't do television,' he warned.  'It'll ruin you!'  Burt is a doll and a heck of an actor, but I'm glad I didn't follow his advice.  Everybody under 40 knows me better from 'Hazel,' not from my movies."

Shirley Booth was born Marjory Ford in Brooklyn, New York on August 30, 1898.  Admittedly, she's an actress that I know very little about, but she has a pretty cool grave.  She grew up in Brooklyn and then later Philadelphia, where she learned to appreciate the theatre.

She first hit the stage when she was just 17 years old, playing Lola Delaney in the drama Come Back, Little Sheba, a role she'd later reprise on the silver screen.  She made her Broadway debut just a few years later, starring opposite Humphrey Bogart in the three-act play Hell's Bells.

After an early Hollywood marriage that ended in divorce, Booth married William H. Baker, Jr., a regular joe serving his country during World War 2.  This marriage was short-lived too however, as Baker died of heart disease in 1951.  Booth never remarried.

Shirley Booth is best remembered for her role as the wisecracking housekeeper Hazel on the sit-com of the same name.  It premiered on NBC in 1961 and ran for four seasons before being canceled.  CBS picked it up for an additional season, before Booth finally called it quits in 1966.  Along the way, she won two Emmy awards for the role, which she'd continue to play in commercials after the series was canceled (see Trivia below).

Booth retired from acting in 1974.  For her final acting role, she provided the voice of Mrs. Claus in the animated special The Year Without a Santa Claus. 

By 1976, her health was in decline.  Over the next decade, she'd break her hip and suffer a stroke, the latter of which caused mobility issues and took her sight.  She ultimately died on October 16, 1992, at the age of 94.  She was laid to rest in the Baker family plot in Mount Hebron Cemetery in Montclair, New Jersey. 

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Shirley Booth, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• In 1979, Booth was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame in New York City.  She was unable to attend the ceremony however, and the award was accepted on her behalf by actress Celeste Holm.  Additionally, she is one of 15 actresses to have won the Triple Crown of Acting - an Oscar, a Tony, and an Emmy Award.
  
  
• As her Hazel character, Booth did a series of commercials for the Ford Motor Company.  Here's one.  Here's another.  Here's one more.
  
  
• Ever watch Seinfeld?  George Costanza once referenced Shirley Booth and Hazel in this classic clip.
  
  
• Mount Hebron is also the final resting place of several other notable figures, including actress Olympia Dukakis, paint tycoon Benjamin Moore, and Allen Balcom DuMont, the man who gave the world television.

Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!

 

"I would never watch my show.  I'm not interested in it."

I honestly do not know why I haven't done this blog sooner.  Back in the 90s, I was a huge fan of The Jerry Springer Show, so when I was passing through Chicago in 2024, I knew I had to stop and pay my respects. 

Jerry Springer was born Gerald Norman Springer in London, England on February 13, 1944, during the height of World War 2 (see Trivia below).  His family immigrated to America in 1948, eventually settling in Queens, New York.

As a teenager, Springer became interested in politics.  He was impressed by then-Senator John F. Kennedy and decided to pursue a similar career for himself, earning a Bachelor's degree in political science from Tulane University.

After graduation, Springer worked on Robert F. Kennedy's political campaign, which was cut short by an assassin's bullet.  Springer relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he began practicing law and running for office.  He was first elected to the city council in 1971 but resigned three years later after being caught with a prostitute (see Trivia below).  The voters forgave him however, and he was re-elected the following year.  He'd eventually retire from politics after losing his bid for the Ohio state house in 1982.

Around the same time, Springer began his career as a political journalist and commentator for the local NBC affiliate.  He was an overnight success, and it was clear that the public wanted more.  The Jerry Springer Show was launched in September 1991 to meet that need.  When it began, it reflected his experience and interest in politics.  Early guests included Oliver North and Jesse Jackson, and it would cover broad social topics still in play today, such as gun control and homelessness.  The best was yet to come.

By 1994, the show's ratings were in serious decline.  Springer and his producer revamped the format to appeal to a broader audience.  Gone were the politicians and issues, replaced by transvestites, cheaters, and midgets.  The switch worked, so much so that by 1998, Jerry was winning the daytime ratings war, beating out the longtime queen herself, Oprah Winfrey.  It remained a television staple for the next 27 years, most of which I watched.  He finally called it quits in 2018.

This blogger attended a taping of The Jerry Springer Show in 2016.

In early 2023, Springer was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  The battle would not be a long one however, as it took his life just a few months later, on April 27th.  He was only 79 years old.

Jerry Springer was laid to rest at Memorial Park Cemetery in Skokie, Illinois.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Jerry Springer, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• Jerry was born in London's Highgate station, an underground facility used as a bomb shelter during World War 2.  Both of his grandmothers perished in concentration camps, one in Poland, the other in Czechoslovakia.
  
  
• Springer's visit with a prostitute came to light as a result of his having paid for it with a personal check, something he'd admit to in later political campaigns.  Check out his confessional campaign spot on YouTube.
  
  
• This blogger was fortunate enough to attend a taping of The Jerry Springer Show in 2016.  Prior to the show, Springer addressed the audience, taking questions from a few of the fortunate, this blogger included, while passing out "Jerry beads" to others.
  
  
• During the early days of the show, Springer appeared as himself in a classic episode of Married With Children, wherein Al Bundy and his friends take "the masculine feminist" hostage during his talk show.  Check out a clip on YouTube.
  
  
• In 1998, Springer appeared as himself in the box office film Ringmaster, which was loosely based on the show.  You can check out the trailer on YouTube.
  
  
• Memorial Park Cemetery is also the final resting place of Brady Bunch star Robert Reed, previously profiled by this blog.

Danny Kaye is now a Bench!

 

"I became an entertainer not because I wanted to but because I was meant to."

Danny Kaye was born David Daniel Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York on January 18, 1911.  He was the youngest of three sons born to Russian-Jewish immigrants.  Sadly, his mother would pass away when he was still just a teenager.

As a young boy, Kaye aspired to be a surgeon, but medical school was not a financial reality.  His second option was show business, a career that would sustain him for the rest of his life.

He got his first break in 1933, when he joined a vaudeville dance act.  It was during this period that he adopted his stage name.  He had also recently met Miss Sylvia Fine, the woman he'd spend the next five decades with.

Kaye's career lasted just as long.  He'd star in such box office hits as White Christmas with Bing Crosby and The Court Jester with Angela Lansbury.  He was no stranger to television either.  After a slew of specials in the early 1960s, he'd eventually host his own variety series, The Danny Kaye Show, which ran from 1963 to 1967.  

In 1983, Kaye underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery.  During the procedure, he contracted Hepatitis C, from which he'd never recover.  It ultimately contributed to his death on March 3, 1987.  He was 76 years old.  He was cremated and the ashes were given to Sylvia.

Now, this is where it gets weird.  Sylvia died four years later and she was cremated as well.  Her ashes, as well as her husband's, were placed inside of a memorial bench at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York.   

Location: Valhalla Plot, Section #19, Lot #1

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Danny Kaye, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• A one-hour documentary entitled American Masters: Danny Kaye - A Legacy of Laughter was released in 1996.  You can watch it in its entirety on YouTube.
  
  
• Prior to her death, Sylvia donated a score of materials to the Library of Congress, including recordings, scripts, awards and other memorabilia.  Many of these items are available online via the Library of Congress website.  Check out the Danny Kaye and Sylvia Fine Collection.
  
  
• Kaye served as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, eventually raising more than $5 million for the charitable organization.  For his work, he was awarded France's highest civilian accolade, the Legion of Honor. 
  
  
• Kaye was a certified commercial pilot.  During one flight, he correctly diagnosed himself as having appendicitis.  He landed the plane at the nearest airport and went to a hospital, where he underwent an emergency appendectomy.  Believe it or Not!

Karen Ann Quinlan and the Right to Die

 

Note: This blog does not take positions on social or political issues.  We just tell you where to find dead people.

Karen Ann Quinlan was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania on March 29, 1954.  She came to national attention in 1975 as the subject of one of America's first right-to-die cases.  

It all began on April 15th, just a few weeks after her 21st birthday. Karen went to a party at a local bar in Byram, New Jersey.  She had several gin and tonics with a valium chaser.  The combination put her into a coma from which she'd never recover.

As her body began to shut down, Karen suffered irreversible brain damage, putting her in a persistent vegetative state.  Over the next several months, she lost alot weight as well, dropping from 115 to merely 80 pounds.  No longer able to breathe on her own, she was hooked up to a ventilator.

On September 12th, Quinlan's parents, Joseph and Julia, filed a suit requesting that the ventilator and extraordinary means prolonging her life be terminated.  They argued it was their right and that the Garden State had no grounds to interfere.  The case was appealed all the way to the New Jersey Supreme Court, which eventually granted their request.

Karen's ventilator was removed in May 1976, and to everyone's surprise, she continued breathing on her own.  She was moved to a private nursing home, where she was fed by artificial nutrition.  She lived an extraordinary nine years in this condition, before finally succumbing on June 11, 1985.  She was just 31 years old.

Karen was laid to rest at the Gate of Heaven Cemetery and Mausoleum in East Hanover, New Jersey.  When Joseph passed away in 1996, he was also buried in the family plot.  As of 2026, Julia is still alive and approaching 100 years of age, but she will no doubt join her family here one day.

Location: Section #29, Block A, Grave 44 2A
Inscription: A Precious Gift

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Karen Ann Quinlan, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• In 1977, NBC produced the made-for-TV movie In the Matter of Karen Ann Quinlan, which starred Brian Keith as Joseph and Piper Laurie as Julia.  You can watch the film in its entirety on YouTube.
  
  
• In 1980, Joseph and Julia opened the Karen Ann Quinlan Hospice, which now has four locations in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
  
  
• In 1976, the band Starz released a single called Pull the Plug in tribute to Karen.  Give it a listen on YouTube.
  
  
• Gate of Heaven is also the final resting place of famed mentalist The Amazing Kreskin, previously featured in this blog.

Buffalo Bob Smith

 

"We do constructive things.  We talk about safety and good manners and encourage the kids to go to their place of worship on Sunday.  And the show is an emotional outlet for children.  They like to see Clarabell chase me with a seltzer bottle because its something they'd like to do."

Buffalo Bob Smith was born Robet Emil Schmidt in Buffalo, New York on November 27, 1917. He graduated from Masten Park High School in 1935 before joining the local radio scene.  He got his start at WGR-AM before moving to WBEN-AM in 1943.

Schmidt was an overnight success, beating long-time ratings champ Don McNeill, who's Breakfast Club morning program had topped the local charts for several years. Schmidt's success caught the attention of NBC, who brought him to their flagship New York station (WNNNNNNBC) in 1945.  It was there that he first created The Howdy Doody Show and the character of Buffalo Bob.

In 1947, Smith took the series to television and had a series of Howdy Doody marionettes created (see Trivia below).  Before each program, he would record Howdy's dialogue, then interact with the puppet throughout the show.  He rounded out the cast with a clown named Clarabell, who took an early vow of silence, only speaking once during this emotional farewell in the final episode.  Smith also included a live studio audience, nicknamed the Peanut Gallery.  The series ran for 13 years before ultimately being canceled in 1960.

When it was over, Smith toured college campuses, bringing an eclectic mix of contemporary humor and nostalgia.  He would make occasional television appearances on such shows as Happy Days and What's My Line.  He even turned up in the 1991 film Problem Child 2.

Smith eventually retired to Flat Rock, North Carolina.  It was there that he died of lung cancer on July 30, 1998.  He was 80 years old.  Headline News filed this report.  He was laid to rest at Pinecrest Presbyterian Church Memorial Garden. His marker even bares his trademark name.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Buffalo Bob Smith, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• The original Howdy Doody marionette was created by puppet expert Frank Paris in 1947.  It would only last for one season however, as Paris and Smith could not agree on merchandising rights.  After a brief absence from the show, a new puppet premiered in 1948, with Bob announcing that Howdy Doody had undergone plastic surgery.  I'm not making that up.
  
  
• Buffalo Bob participated in the A&E documentary series Biography in 1995.  You can catch that Howdy Doody-themed episode in its entirety on YouTube.
  
  
• Buffalo Bob later appeared in a live infomercial on QVC promoting Howdy Doody memorabilia, just four weeks before his death.  It would ultimately be his final public appearance.  It's also available on YouTube.
  
  
• Buffalo Bob was no stranger to late-night TV back when it was good, making regular appearances on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and Late Night with David Letterman.
  
  
• Buffalo Bob passed away three days before fellow puppeteer Shari Lewis, who's own show had, ironically, taken over his old timeslot.

The Future Grave of an American President

 

Lancaster, Ohio is home to a 200-year-old historical curiosity - Stonewall Cemetery Park, the future final resting place of any American President who wants to claim it.

The story began in 1817, when local resident Nathaniel Wilson III set aside a strip of land on his estate to be used as a family burial ground. In October of that year, he deeded the site to President James Monroe and his successors forever in trust.  Wilson passed away in 1839, but his son completed the project, surrounding it with 7-foot-high sandstone walls. 

An inscription reads:

"This wall, which encloses the family burying ground of Nathaniel Wilson (one of the early Pioneers of the West, who emigrated from Cumberland County, Pennsylvania and settled near this place AD 1798, when all around was one continued and uninhabited wilderness) was commenced by him AD 1838 and finished in the following year by his son Gustin, the former having suddenly died May 12, 1839."

Monroe never took ownership of the property, but for several generations, Fairfield County officials made a point to notify subsequent administrations of the cemetery's availability.  They later claimed the property in 1960 and turned conservatorship over to Fairfield County Parks.  Today, it's something of a unique tourist attraction.

Book your tour today!

Happy Presidents Day!

Trivia

• For more information about this unique Ohio tourist attraction, please visit Roadside America.
  
  
• President Monroe visited the nearby state capital of Columbus in August 1817 as part of a 15-week tour aimed at building national unity.  Could this have been the inspiration for Wilson's gift?  
  
  
• Planning a trip to Lancaster?  Consider taking a tour of the abandoned and supposedly haunted Fairfield County Infirmary, which features remnants of the anthology series American Horror Story: Freak Show.  Check it out on Roadside America.

The Multiple Graves of F. Scott Fitzgerald

 

"What people are ashamed of usually makes a great story."

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald was born in St. Paul, Minnesota on September 24, 1896.  Prior to his birth, Fitzgerald's father moved the family from Maryland, intent on opening a wicker furniture manufacturing business.

He was a writer from an early age.  His first novel, This Side of Paradise, was published in 1920, when he was just 24 years old. One week after its publication, he married Zelda Sayre, a fellow novelist and socialite.

Fitzgerald's most famous work, The Great Gatsby, was published in 1925.  It's a tale of the jazz age, a term he coined himself, that is often hailed by literary critics as the great American novel.  He'd eventually write four novels, four story collections, and 164 short stories.

On December 21, 1940, Fitzgerald died of a heart attack in Hollywood.  He was just 44 years old.  His will called for "the cheapest funeral" possible, something that Zelda, who was living in a sanatorium at the time, decided to honor.  She had the body shipped east for burial in the family plot in Rockville, Maryland's Catholic Cemetery.  Fitzgerald's reputation would follow him to the grave however, as the church deemed him "unfit to be buried alongside good Catholics in consecrated ground."  Zelda subsequently arranged for him to be buried in Rockville Cemetery.  Eight years later, she died in a hospital fire in North Carolina and was laid to rest atop her husband in the single plot.

Usually, this would be the end of the story.  However, by 1975, the Fitzgeralds' grave was in great disrepair.  A local fraternal organization petitioned the Archbishop of Washington to reconsider Fitzgerald's 1940 request for internment in the family plot at Catholic Cemetery, since renamed St. Mary's Church Cemetery.  The request was approved, and the Fitzgeralds' final resting place moved one mile down the road.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about F. Scott Fitzgerald, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• Fitzgerald was named after his distant relative Francis Scott Key.  His second cousin, Mary Suratt, was hanged in 1865 for her role in the assassination of President Lincoln.
  
  
• At the time of his death, Fitzgerald was writing his novel The Last Tycoon, which was published unfinished.  Its also available from Amazon.
  
  
• In addition to The Great Gatsby, a number of Fitzgerald's other stories have also been adapted for the silver screen, including The Beautiful and the Damned (2009) and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008).
  
  
• Among the many posthumous tributes to the author are his induction into the New Jersey Hall of Fame (2008), appearing on a 23-cent U.S. postage stamp (1996), and the creation of the F. Scott Fitzgerald Society at Hofstra University in New York (1990).

Writer's Ashes Turned Into Comic Book!

 

Mark Gruenwald is not exactly a household name.  A few years ago however, this blogger stumbled across his final resting place quite by accident and was immediately intrigued.  This was a story I had to cover.

He was born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin on June 18, 1953.  He was an artist from an early age, beginning a fanzine called Omniverse.  It caught the attention of DC Comics, who hired him to write articles for their official fanzine, The Amazing World of DC Comics.  

In 1978, he was hired by Marvel Comics, where he was eventually put in charge of such titles as Captain America, Thor, and The Avengers.  He authored the Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe, a 15-volume encyclopedic presentation of its various characters and titles.  He was most proud however, of his 12-issue series Squadron Supreme, which told the tale of an alternate world ruled by well-intentioned but delusional superheroes.

Gruenwald died unexpectedly on August 12, 1996, at the age of 43.  Doctors attributed his death to an undiagnosed congenital heart defect.  In keeping with his wishes, Gruenwald was cremated, and his ashes were taken to Marvel Comics.  There, they were mixed with printers ink and used in the first printing of Squadron Supreme's trade paperback.  This blogger found one such copy on display at the Ripley's Believe it or Not Odditorium in Williamsburg, Virginia.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to see more of Gruenwald's comic book legacy, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.  Comic books.
  
  
• Gruenwald was a known practical joker.  Upon his sudden death, friends and co-workers assumed it was an elaborate prank.
  
  
• Both Marvel and DC Comics paid tribute to Gruenwald by naming several people and places in their stories after him.  The most obvious reference is in the Marvel streaming series Loki, where the character Mobius M. Mobius, as played by Owen Wilson, is made to resemble Gruenwald.  Check out a clip on YouTube.
  
  
• Having served as writer of Captain America for more than ten years, it's no surprise that Gruenwald owned a replica of the titular character's iconic shield, which is today owned by former late-night host Stephen Colbert.
  
  
• In 2024, this blog profiled the cremated remains of Ed Headrick, who not only invented the modern-day frisbee, but had himself turned into one as well.  Check it out here.

Christa McAuliffe - Teacher in Space

 

"I touch the future. I teach."

Sharon Christa Corrigan (Christa McAuliffe) was born in Boston, Massachusetts on September 2, 1948.  In 1985, NASA chose her to be the first civilian in space, hoping to reinvigorate America's interest in space exploration.  On January 28, 1986, she was one of seven astronauts onboard Space Shuttle Challenger, a flight that was destined for disaster.  The shuttle exploded shortly after takeoff, killing all seven aboard.  It became a defining "where were you when" moment for an entire generation.

McAuliffe, who was of both Irish and Lebanese descent, beat out more than 11,000 applicants for NASA's Teacher in Space Project.  On her application, she recalled watching John Glenn orbit the Earth in Friendship 7, writing "I watched the Space Age being born, and I would like to participate."

Upon her selection, McAuliffe made the media rounds, promoting her upcoming flight.  While appearing on the Today Show in July 1985, she told host Bryant Gumbel, through a thick New England accent, that applying to NASA was like playing the lottery.  "If you don't play it, you don't win.  When I filled out that application, that's really how I felt.  I figured there'd be at least 50,000 people sticking that same application in the mailbox."

Six months later, she boarded Challenger on that fateful January morning.  The shuttle launched from Florida's Cape Canaveral at 11:38 ET, as people all over the world watched at home and in classrooms, while her friends and family watched from below.  Nobody was expecting the tragedy that would occur just 73 seconds into the flight, when a rocket booster failure led to the shuttle's explosion at an altitude of 48,000 feet, killing all seven aboard.

NASA began a search and recovery operation, but it would take more than three months to locate the crew compartment and all human remains.  NASA would later state their belief that several of the crew members survived the initial breakup of the shuttle, only to perish in the descent to the ocean floor below.

Christa McAuliffe was laid to rest at Blossom Hill Cemetery in her hometown of Concord, New Hampshire.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Christa McAuliffe, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.  You can also watch the 2007 documentary Christa McAuliffe: Reach for the Stars on YouTube.
  
  
• In 1990, the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center opened its doors in Concord.  Named in her honor, as well as that of fellow astronaut Alan Shepard, the center serves as an air and space museum, offering an observatory, a planetarium, vintage aircraft and more. That same year, the Christa McAuliffe Space Center opened in Pleasant Grove, Utah.  Offering a planetarium, starship simulators and laser shows, its goal is to introduce elementary school-aged children to the world of astronomy. 
  
  
• McAuliffe's runner-up in the Teacher in Space project, Barbara Morgan, became a professional astronaut in 1998, flying aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour to the International Space Station.
  
  
• Ten months after the disaster, Paramount Pictures released Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home.  The film opened with a dedication to the Challenger crew, stating that their "courageous spirit shall live to the 23rd century and beyond."
  
  
• In 2019, President Trump signed the Christa McAuliffe Commemorative Coin Act.  Subsequently in 2021, the Department of Treasury issued $1 silver coins in her memory.
  
  
• The grave of Dr. Ronald McNair, who was also onboard Challenger, was previously profiled by this blog.
  
  
• In 2024, the New Hampshire State Capitol unveiled a statue of McAuliffe on its grounds, inscribed with the quote that headlined this blog post.
  

Eva Gabor

 

"I was the first actress in the family, and I am still the only actress in the family.  I shouldn't be saying it, but it slipped out!"

Eva Gabor was born in Budapest, Hungary on February 11, 1919.  She was the youngest of three sisters born to mother Jolie, a jeweler, and father Vilmos, a soldier.  When Eva was just 18, she immigrated to America, the first in her family to do so.

Her first acting role came in 1941, when she appeared in the feature film Forced Landing.  Over the next decade, she'd land a number of small roles in other feature films, including The Last Time I Saw Paris, with Liz Taylor.  In 1953, Eva was even given her own television talk show, the aptly titled Eva Gabor Show, which ran for one season.

In 1965, Eva landed the role for which she is most famously remembered, that of socialite Lisa Douglas on the CBS sit-com Green Acres.  For reasons this blogger has never understood, the series was a huge hit, running for six seasons on CBS.  It proved so popular that Eva's character appeared on two CBS sister series, The Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction.

After the show was canceled in 1971, Eva remained active in Hollywood, appearing as a semi-regular panelist on The Match Game.  She did a lot of voice-over work for Disney as well, appearing in such animated classics as The Aristocats and The Rescuers.  She attempted a return to television in 1990, but the pilot for her proposed series Close Encounters was never picked up.

In the summer of 1995, Eva was on vacation in Mexico, where she fell in the bathtub.  She returned to Los Angeles, but the damage was already done.  She died of pneumonia and respiratory failure on July 4th.  She was 76 years old.  Although she was the youngest of the three sisters, she was the first to pass, even preceding mother Jolie who would die two years later.

She was laid to rest at Pierce Brothers Westwood Village in Los Angeles.

Location: Lot #306
Inscription #1: Our Darling Eva
Inscription #2: You Are in Our Hearts Forever

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Eva Gabor, take a voyage to Amazon.  Its all in books.
  
  
• In 2005, Eva's co-star Eddie Albert passed away at the age of 99.  He was also laid to rest at Pierce Brothers, just a short walk from Eva's grave.
  
  
• Speaking of Albert, Eva reunited with him in 1983 for a Broadway production of You Can't Take it With You.
  
  
• Eva was a successful entrepreneur, marketing a host of women's accessories, including fashionwear, beauty products and a wig line called Charming Lady.  Check out this commercial from 1981 on YouTube.
  
  
• Of the three Gabor sisters, Eva is the only one to have never married actor George Sanders (Mr. Freeze).

Don "Bubba" Bexley

 

Donald Thomas Bexley was born on March 10, 1910.  By most official accounts, he was born in Jamestown, Virginia.  Other sources cite his place of birth as Detroit.  This blogger tends to believe the former. 

Bexley was born with a flair for the stage.  His mother was a classical vocalist while his father was a Bible scholar and teacher.  He got his own start in the 1940s as a standup comedian in upstate New York, working with such notables as Milton Berle, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Henny Youngman.  Bexley was the first African-American comedian to perform in the Catskills of New York.

During his travels, he met fellow comedian Redd Foxx.  They immediately hit it off and would often perform together, a friendship and professional relationship that would span fifty years.

In 1971, Foxx started his signature series hit Sanford and Son, convincing NBC to hire his friend as well.  Bexley was cast as Fred Sanford's friend Bubba, the role for which he is best remembered.  Bexley stayed with the show until it ended in 1977, later reprising the role in a short-lived spin-off (see Trivia below).

Bexley continued acting throughout the 1980s, appearing on such hits as Hill Street Blues, Cheers, and Laverne and Shirley.  By 1996, his health was in decline however, and after suffering a hip injury, Bexley relocated to Hampton, Virginia, just a stone's throw from this blogger.  It was there that he died of heart and kidney failure on April 15, 1997.  He was 87 years old.  He was laid to rest at Hampton Memorial Gardens.

Location: Veteran's Block #3, Lot #228, Space #1
Inscription #1: Bubba
Inscription #2: In God's Loving Care

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• Bexley was good friends with Redd Foxx for more than fifty years.  In 1991, Foxx was starring in the short-lived sit-com The Royal Family, and as this blog reported, he died on set.  Producers opted to kill off his character in a similar manner and continue the series.  Bexley pulled double duty, serving as a pallbearer at Foxx's Las Vegas service while appearing as a funeral guest on the sit-com as well.  You can watch the episode in its entirety on YouTube.
  
  
• In 1957, Bexley and partner Dave Turner released a comedy album called Laff of the Party.  Check it out on YouTube.  Note: While the YouTube comments section suggests that this is not a Don Bexley recording, this blogger has verified its authenticity.
  
  
• Bexley reprised the role of Bubba on the short-lived 1977 spin-off series The Sanford Arms.  Check out the intro on YouTube.
  
  
• Bexley had a brief, uncredited role in the 1984 flop turned cult classic Dune.
  
  
• In 1989, Bexley was named Outstanding Senior Citizen of the Year by Orlando's Support the Artists of America.

Jon-Erik Hexum: Tragic Death and the Gift of Life

"One of my strongest traits is confidence; at times I'm amazed at my confidence, even when it doesn't make sense that I should be."

Jon-Erik Hexum was born in Englewood, New Jersey on November 5, 1957.  He was the son of Norwegian immigrants who were divorced by the time he was just four years old.  Hexum's mother worked two jobs to support the family while finding time to introduce them to the theatre as well.

Hexum started acting when he was in high school, but he studied biomedical engineering at Case Western Reserve University.  He later transferred to Michigan State University, where he received a B.A. in Political Philosophy. 

After graduation, Hexum moved to New York City to pursue acting.  He found work cleaning apartments, and through this position, met Bob LeMond, a talent manager for several Hollywood notables, including John Travolta.  LeMond saw great potential in Hexum and encouraged him to move to Hollywood.

Hexum had barely unpacked when he was cast as the lead in an NBC time-travel series called Voyagers!  It only lasted for one season, but it put Hexum on the map.  He soon starred opposite Joan Collins in the 1983 made-for-TV movie Making of a Male Model.  This led to his final role opposite Jennifer O'Neill on the CBS spy drama series, Cover-Up, in 1984, the plot of which was absurd even by 1980's standards.

On Friday, October 12th, Hexum and other cast members were at 20th Century Fox completing production of the seventh episode.  Tired from numerous production delays, Hexum took a prop gun and pointed it at his head, ala Russian Roulette.  According to those on set, he reportedly said "oh well, what the hell" before pulling the trigger.  It was the last thing he'd ever say.

The explosion pushed a piece of Hexum's skull, approximately the size of a quarter, into his brain, causing massive hemorrhaging. He was rushed to Beverly Hills Medical Center, where he underwent immediate surgery.  News crews were already on hand, filing these reports.  Ultimately, there was never any chance that Hexum would recover.  He was declared brain dead just six days later, at the young age of 26.

Hexum was an organ donor. With his mother's consent, the following procedures were performed:

• heart - transplanted into a 36-year-old Las Vegas brothel owner
• kidneys - one donated to a 43-year-old grandmother, the other to a five-year-old boy
• corneas - one donated to a 66-year-old man, the other to a young girl
• skin - donated to a three-year-old boy with third-degree burns

Hexum was cremated and his ashes were scattered in the Pacific Ocean.  The producers of Cover-Up opted to kill off his character and to replace him with actor Antony Hamilton.  His death was announced at the end of episode 8 by co-star Richard Anderson.  Here's a clip on YouTube.  Unfortunately, the tribute misspells Hexum's name.

Several years after Hexum's passing, friends and fans placed a marker in his honor at Valhalla Memorial Park in North Hollywood.

Rest in peace.

Trivia

• If you want to learn more about Jon-Erik Hexum, take a voyage to Amazon.  It's all in books.
  
  
• Hexum was interviewed for the November 1984 issue of Playgirl Magazine, appearing on the cover as well.  It was already on newsstands at the time of his death and is today considered something of a collector's item.
  
  
• At the time of his death, Hexum was dating actress Elizabeth Daily, best remembered for her role of Dottie in Pee-Wee's Big Adventure.  The film was in pre-production at the time of his death.
  
  
• In the wake of Hexum's death, Hollywood studios enacted much stricter rules regarding the safe use of prop guns and blanks on set.  The same rules apparently do not apply to real guns however, as evidenced by the accidental shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins by actor Alec Baldwin nearly 40 years later.
  
  
• In 2024, Scott Michaels of the Dearly Departed Tours YouTube channel, posted this vlog on Hexum's tragic death.