Archive for the “Obits” Category

Our prayers go out to the Mitson family with the passing of Oscar Mitson. I never knew Oscar, but I remember listening to his radio ads over the years. Oscar was the Grandfather of Ozzie Mitson, who works in the city’s public information office, and Tony Mitson, a well-known local young republican. He was also the Father-in-law to former Fort Wayne city councilman John Crawford.

OSCAR C. MITSON, 80, of Fort Wayne, passed away Sunday, Sept. 7, 2008, of a glio blastoma. Born in Akron, Ohio, he was a graduate of the University of Akron where he was an active member of Phi Delta Theta. In 1959, he founded the Oscar C. Mitson Insurance Agency; he earned the designations of a Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter.

In 1968, he served as President of the Northern Indiana Chapter of CPCU. He was named “Agent of the Year” in 1969 by the Independent Insurers of Fort Wayne. He was a member of St. John Chrysostom Orthodox Church. Previously, he served as an active member of St. Nicholas Orthodox Church serving on the Board of Trustees and the Building Committee. He sang in the choir, served as chairman of the Outreach Committee, and taught Sunday school. He enjoyed playing basketball and squash in his younger years, golf in his later years, and watching all of his grandsons play tennis.

He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Helen (Litchin); son, Chris (Sue) Mitson, daughter Marcia (John) Crawford; grandsons, Ozzie (Christina) Mitson, Tony Mitson, Mickey Mitson, and Grant Crawford; niece, Karen (Paul) Zimmermann; great-nephew, Jason Zimmermann; brothers-in-law, Nicholas V. (Tina) Litchin and Chris V. Litchin; and many godchildren, nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Fania and Chris Mitseff; and sister, Bessie Nicoloff.

Service is 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Nicholas Eastern Orthodox Church, 3535 Crescent Ave. Fr. Anthony Michael and Fr. George Smith officiating.

Calling is from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at D.O. McComb & Sons Pine Valley Park Funeral Home, 1320 E. Dupont, with Trisagion at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Entombment in Highland Park Cemetery.

Memorials to St. John Orthodox Church Building Fund, Parkview Hospice or FRAXA Research Foundation.

Children are the most precious members of any family. When a child passes before a parent, it’s one of the most tragic events you can experience in your lifetime. My parents lost a son back in 2003, and I lost a brother. It changed my father’s outlook on life for the balance of his life. It changed mine as well.

A friend of mine lost a grandchild to an accidental drowning this weekend. Pround grandfather Vince Tippmann lost his 22-month-old grandson, who fell into a northeast-side pool yesterday.

Our prayers go out to the Tippmann family in their time of loss.

From Mark 10.14

Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs.

- AWB

I grew up with Bozo, and Larry Harmon made my day as a kid more times than I can remember.

Larry Harmon, who played the beloved character Bozo the Clown, has died at the age of 83, the Associated Press reports.

The actor died Thursday of congestive heart failure at his home, said his publicist, Jerry Digney.

 

“Bozo is a combination of the wonderful wisdom of the adult and the childlike ways in all of us,” Harmon said in a 1996 interview of the character he was so famous for.

Sniff sniff… AWB

From NBC News

NBC just broke into programming to announce that Tim Russert died this afternoon of a heart attack, after collapsing at the NBC News bureau in Washington. He was 58.

Tom Brokaw made the emotional announcement, simulcast on NBC, CNBC and MSNBC, calling him “our beloved colleague, one of the premier journalists of our time….This news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice. He will be missed as he was loved - greatly.”

Brian Williams is now talking about Russert from Baghram Air Base in Afghanistan, choking up as they show footage of Williams and Russert co-hosting a presidential debate. As host of Meet the Press, Russert has been a fixture in American politics for years, an influential voice in national affairs. The void will be great.

The New York Times had the news flash first, nearly 20 minutes ahead of Russert’s own network, where on-air folks are obviously in shock. And this is creepy: someone put it on Russert’s Wikipedia entry even before NBC reported it.

LOS ANGELES - Charlton Heston, who won the 1959 best actor Oscar as the chariot-racing “Ben-Hur” and portrayed Moses, Michelangelo, El Cid and other heroic figures in movie epics of the ’50s and ’60s, has died. He was 84.

The actor died Saturday night at his home in Beverly Hills with his wife Lydia at his side, family spokesman Bill Powers said.

[...]

In June 1998, Heston was elected president of the National Rifle Association, for which he had posed for ads holding a rifle. He delivered a jab at then-President Clinton, saying, “America doesn’t trust you with our 21-year-old daughters, and we sure, Lord, don’t trust you with our guns.”

Amen. - AWB

Update: On Fort Wayne Observed

Breaking..

I was just informed that former Indiana Clerk of the Supreme and Appellate Courts John Okeson unexpectedly passed away yesterday.

From Fort Wayne Observed Sept 11, 2007

Mr. Okeson is a graduate of IPFW and the Indiana University School of Law. He had been an attorney with the Fort Wayne office of Baker & Daniels. Mr. Okeson served two terms in the statewide post of Clerk. He was elected in 1990 and re-elected in 1994. He was the first Allen County native to be elected to a state government post since Bill Salin was elected Secretary of State in 1968.

Changes in state law have since removed the office of Clerk of Courts as an elected post.

Mr. Okeson has been mentioned in the past as a potential candidate for Mayor in the last three mayoral election cycles as has current State Auditor and former State Treasurer Tim Berry.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family

More as the story develops.

By HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer

NEW YORK - William F. Buckley Jr., the erudite Ivy Leaguer and conservative herald who showered huge and scornful words on liberalism as he observed, abetted and cheered on the right’s post-World War II rise from the fringes to the White House, died Wednesday. He was 82.

His assistant Linda Bridges said Buckley was found dead by his cook at his home in Stamford, Conn. The cause of death was unknown, but he had been ill with emphysema, she said.

Editor, columnist, novelist, debater, TV talk show star of “Firing Line,” harpsichordist, trans-oceanic sailor and even a good-natured loser in a New York mayor’s race, Buckley worked at a daunting pace, taking as little as 20 minutes to write a column for his magazine, the National Review.

Full story here

CHICAGO — Ike Turner, who died Wednesday at age 76 in his suburban San Diego home, changed the course of modern music, scored numerous hits and yet is best known as the scoundrel who abused Tina Turner.

The couple’s bloody, bruised relationship, portrayed in the 1993 movie “What’s Love Got to Do With It,” helped turn Ike Turner into a villain.

I bet Tina won’t miss him.

DT

Robert Bruce Evanick

EVANICK Robert Bruce Evanick (always known as Bruce to those who loved him - and those who employed him and exploited his work ethic) — died Tuesday afternoon, December 4th, 2007. A massive heart attack killed him - despite the heroic efforts of many physicians, surgeons and nurses - in a waiting area at Ochsner Hospital. He was not an inpatient there. He was there to provide company and comfort to Brenda, his wife, whom he loved and supported, in all ways, for 32 years. Her heart is broken. He died a horrendous death, on the floor of the waiting room, at Brenda’s feet.

To her, he was the most kind, most gentle, and most generous person she has ever known. His death should be a warning to all those who believe that they are being used by insensitive employers. He deserved better, both in life and death. Bruce had been seduced into a sedentary and high stress life style after he moved to New Orleans by the promise of “big money” from a corporate defense law firm. Essentially, his succumbing to that seduction and his devotion to duty caused his death.

Of the many shareholders in the firm for which he labored, only one took the personal initiative to call Brenda to offer her personal condolences. Several colleagues believe that Brenda and Bruce were divorced. This is not true. They lived apart for several years but were in friendly communication, especially enjoying Sunday breakfasts together. His devoted secretary rushed to the hospital, along with the office manager, to comfort and assist Brenda.

Debbie R. has been kind and helpful and is greatly saddened by Bruce’s demise. Bruce was brilliantly intelligent, with an impressive knowledge of the law and many other disciplines. Bruce’s encyclopedic knowledge of sterling silver — including the most rare and sought after makers and patterns - put him far above the average collectors. He also knew textiles intimately, including old and new quilts, embroideries from ancient to modern, laces, silks, and all forms of the highest quality handwork in fabric and thread. His appreciation of textiles included loving the custom made shirts that Brenda designed and constructed for him. Bruce loved handmade rugs the best of all of the textiles. He was a connoisseur of the finest of hand woven rugs, both Asian and Middle Eastern. He appreciated exquisite fabrics from around the world and from every era. From his parents who were antique dealers he learned at an early age to discern the best in art and antiques of every sort. He knew porcelains, paintings, fine photography, jewelry, glassware, watches, bronzes and a myriad of other forms of the finest of decorative arts.

His homes reflected his love of the beautiful and unique. His residence in Algiers Point was a house he selected because he said “I want to buy a house that is so beautiful that people will point at it”. He achieved this, as he achieved so many of his personal goals. He loved and thoroughly enjoyed and knew gourmet food, superb Scotch and made the world’s best chocolate chip cookies. He loved and was amazingly successful at seeking out treasures in yard sales and auctions. He shared those treasures unselfishly with Brenda and friends and colleagues. Bruce was awesomely knowledgeable in the law since it was the foremost of his passions.

[...]

November 7, 1949 to his death on December 4, 2007 he was a most remarkable individual, unique and gifted in more ways than most humans. The world is diminished and made less interesting by his death. Bruce Evanick’s obituary was composed, written, and submitted by Brenda Evanick. All thoughts, opinions and declarations in it are ENTIRELY hers and do not reflect input from any other persons, LIVING OR DEAD, other than those presented as quotations. Donations may be made in his name to: Louisiana Organ Procurement Agency (LOPA), 4441 North I-10 Service Road. Metairie LA 70006.
Published in The Times-Picayune on 12/9/2007

Read the entire obit here

Rest in peace! - DT