Saturday, November 24, 2007

Au Revoir, Mr. Whipple

I read on the newswires earlier this week that the American actor Dick Wilson had passed away at the age of 91. Dick Wilson was a truly gifted and multi-talented practitioner of his craft, having taken on a quite diverse range of roles on the stage, in television, and in motion pictures throughout his career. Mr. Wilson's eldest daughter Melanie and I were classmates in both junior and senior high school, and his love of the acting craft was instilled into her at an early age. Years later, Melanie and I would often cross paths when I was working for ABC-TV and she was co-starring on one of our situation comedy television programmes.

I find it a bit ironic that the late actor, who was also one of the many unsung flying heroes of the Battle of Britain, was born in Preston, which lies just a few miles south of where Sarah and I now make our home in the Ribble Valley area of Lancashire.

Our condolances go out to Melanie, her mother, brother, and sister. May they be comforted in knowing that he will be missed not only by them but also by a very appreciative audience.