Goodbye Dad

Most of my friends already know, but on Thursday, my dad, Ralph Liebenthal, was reunited with my mother, after being separated for 16 years.

He was born and bred in Milwaukee, where he lived his entire life.  He graduated from Rufus King High and went to UW-Milwaukee for a couple of years before enlisting in the Navy.  When his stint was done, he returned to Milwaukee and started working for the Milwaukee Journal, where he met my mother.

They married in 1963 and moved into a home in West Allis, where he lived for the next 53 years. We found out years later, that our home was just a couple of miles north of the land settled by the Liebenthal Brothers, our ancestors who had immigrated here from Germany a few years after the end of the Civil War.

Dad left the Journal when I was young and worked for a number of various graphic arts suppliers, as one company got bought out after another.  He retired in 2001.

Dad and I didn't see eye to eye on many topics.  Hell, we couldn't even agree on fish fries - he liked tartar sauce and I liked squeezed lemons.  One of the major areas of disagreement was politics.  My dad was a staunch conservative and I, of course, am the polar opposite.  But to his credit, he did have his limits.  He was the first to sign a recall petition for me and voted against Scott Walker in the last two elections.

But one thing we always agreed on was that family came first.  Whether it was giving a ride, lending money or doing the yard work, we always put our differences aside and pulled together and did what had to be done.

While he might not have been a war hero or successful business tycoon, he was a hard-working man who took care of his family the best that he could.  He lived his life and left this life on his own terms, which is all that anyone could really want.

Auf Wiedersehen, Vater.  Gehen Sie mit Gott.

RIP: Robin Williams

Robin Williams was found dead Monday morning from an apparent suicide.

I was shocked and saddened when I heard the news.  Not only was Williams a comedic genius and one of the funniest people of our generation, he was also a skilled dramatic actor.

Sadly, Williams had a long history of alcohol and drug addictions, which were symptomatic of an underlying mental health problem.

At first, I thought my grief was just because the world had lost a talented soul.

But then I realized that it was more than that.  I remember when I was a boy and Williams first appeared on the show "Happy Days" to set up the spin off hit "Mork and Mindy."  After that, Williams hit the big screen starring in several movies - from comedies to award winning dramas.  I grew up with Williams always there to entertain us.

And now he is gone, and with that, so is part of my younger days.  It makes me remember my own mortality.

As I tried to find the right video to commemorate William's life, I was torn between his younger years and his later movies.  Then I stumbled across this, which seems so appropriate on so many levels:



I wish strength and peace to Williams' family.

I wish strength and peace to us all.

Rusty the Wonder Beagle

The year 1999 was a momentous one for my family, although we didn't realize just how much it was until a couple of years later.

Rusty the Wonder Beagle
July 1, 1999 - May 23, 2014

In February 1999, my mother was diagnosed with her fourth recurrence of cancer, this time with spots in her
lungs.  It was very aggressive and quickly consumed her.  By June, she was diagnosed terminal and given six months. She made it until the end of August.  My family stumbled on for a few months, trying to find our way until I married my wife in October, on what would have been my mother's 55th birthday.

Unbeknownst to us, there were other events that started in that year that would have an impact on us almost as great as the loss of my mother and the gain of my wife.

On July 1, 1999, a female beagle whelped a brood of puppies.

A young family, who has seen the movie "Rusty: A Dog's Tale," and fell in love with the breed, bought on of the puppies and took it home for their six year old daughter.

But the family had not done their homework and did not realize that beagles are an active breed and need a lot of exercise and a lot of attention.  It was not what they were looking for in a dog and gave the pup to his parents.

As fate would have it, in early 2001, the grandfather developed a medical condition that left him unable to deal with such an energetic dog and they decided to give him up, but did not want to send him to a pound where he might be euthanized.

It was about this time that my father was considering pulling the plug and retiring, a major accomplishment for a workaholic.

I did not like the idea of my dad spending his days in an empty house with nothing to do. So I got in touch with a friend and coworker, Sam, who did informal animal rescue work on her free time.  I asked her to keep her eyes and ears open for a beagle, a breed that both my father and I were attached to and the same breed as my childhood dog, Lady.

With fortune on our side, Sam had heard of Rusty when his owners sent out feelers for a new family for him.  She gave us the contact information for the family.

We scheduled a preadoptive visit and it was love at first sight.  On April 1, 2001, Rusty rescued and adopted me, my wife and my father.  My wife, who said she wasn't going to "get attached to any damn dog," fell for him the hardest.

As that he was meant to be a companion for my dad in his retirement, he lived with my dad. My wife and I came over every day, rain or shine, summer or winter, to take him for walkies, play with him and enjoy the love he had to share, which was endless.

Over the next thirteen years, Rusty hardly ever gave us a problem.  He had one of the most gentle souls I've ever met.  He never growled or snapped at anyone, no matter if it was a child pulling his ears or one of us giving him his insulin injections in his later years.

Oh, of course he gave the mailman and the rabbits hell, but that was his job, dammit.  And I still smile at the memory of his beagle's baying, sounding like the Hound of the Baskervilles on a moonless night.

During the next 13 years, Rusty has helped us through good times and bad.

He comforted us when we lost jobs, when my grandfather passed on or other misfortunes fell on our family.

He was also there to help us celebrate the good times, especially if that meant going for walkies, car car rides or even better, getting some treats.

Sadly, as happens to all living creatures, age took its toll on Rusty.  He developed diabetes, he had a recurring infection in his eyes and in an abscess on his side and he started suffering hip dysplasia which took away his independence.

On Friday, we decided that we were being selfish by keeping Rusty in such misery and guided him to the Rainbow Bridge.

My family and I would like to thank the hundreds of people that have sent their sympathies and condolences over the past few days.

Rusty was the bestest boy and I will grieve for him for a long time and miss him as long as I live.

Coincidentally, I saw a meme on Facebook today that seems so damn fitting.  The true meaning of RIP should be Return If Possible.

RIP, Kathryn Morrison

Last weekend, we lost a real trailblazer for women in the state:

On Jan. 6, 1975, Capitol onlookers burst into applause when Kathryn “Katie” Morrison’s name was called to take the oath of office. The cheers erupted again when she signed her name in the official register and again with each subsequent mention of her name. In Wisconsin’s nearly 127 years of statehood, it finally had its first female state senator.

Morrison died Sunday at Agrace HospiceCare in Fitchburg after a battle with breast cancer. She was 71.

A Madison native, Morrison graduated from East High School before earning a bachelor’s degree and Master’s of Business Administration from UW-Madison.

In 1974, Morrison was working as an economics professor at UW-Platteville when she went to the Capitol to do some lobbying.
“I watched those guys (the legislators) and said, ‘My god, I can do that,’” she said during a Wisconsin Women’s Political Caucus workshop held the Saturday after her swearing-in ceremony.

RIP Marcos

About ten days ago, I wrote about Marcos Aleman, a coworker, union brother and friend who passed away from pancreatic cancer.

Despite his death, Milwaukee County Emperor Chris Abele wanted him fired.

Fortunately, Abele was foiled again and the charges against Marcos were dropped.

Even better, the members of the Milwaukee County Board's Health and Human Needs Committee took a few minutes to give remark and appreciation to Marcos' hard work and commitment to the community he served with pride.

I thank those county supervisors for remembering him.

I am also glad that Marcos can now finally rest in peace.

Godspeed, my friend.

RIP Neil Armstrong

Neil Armstrong has taken the largest leap known to mankind:

Armstrong, 82, died Saturday after surgery earlier this month for blocked arteries. A fighter pilot in the Korean War, a test pilot and an engineering professor, he will also be remembered as the astronaut who fulfilled the goal that President John F. Kennedy set out — to put a man on the moon by end of the 1960's — and the first among equals in the pantheon of astronauts from the moon race.

"Neil was among the greatest of American heroes — not just of his time, but of all time," President Obama said in a statement. "When he and his fellow crew members lifted off aboard Apollo 11 in 1969, they carried with them the aspirations of an entire nation."

Armstrong became the symbol of the dream not just of one country but of a whole world to reach beyond our own planet . "Even though we were farther away from earth than two humans had ever been, we were not alone," Aldrin said in a statement on Saturday. "Virtually the entire world took that memorable journey with us. I know I am joined by millions of others in mourning the passing of a true American hero and the best pilot I ever knew."

I was only four when Armstrong did this:

RIP Sally Ride

Sally Ride, the first American woman to go into space, has passed away:

Sally Ride died peacefully July 23, 2012 after a courageous 17-month battle with pancreatic cancer. Sally lived her life to the fullest, with boundless energy, curiosity, intelligence, passion, commitment, and love. Her integrity was absolute; her spirit was immeasurable; her approach to life was fearless.

Sally was a physicist, the first American woman to fly in space, a science writer, and the President and CEO of Sally Ride Science. She had the rare ability to understand the essence of things and to inspire those around her to join her pursuits.

Sally's historic flight into space captured the nation's imagination and made her a household name. She became a symbol of the ability of women to break barriers and a hero to generations of adventurous young girls. After retiring from NASA, Sally used her high profile to champion a cause she believed in passionately--inspiring young people, especially girls, to stick with their interest in science, to become scientifically literate, and to consider pursuing careers in science and engineering.

RIP Ernest Borgnine

Today brings sad news to the world, but especially for Milwaukee, with the passing of Ernest Borgnine:

Ernest Borgnine, the beefy screen star known for blustery, often villainous roles, but who won the best-actor Oscar for playing against type as a lovesick butcher in "Marty" in 1955, died Sunday. He was 95.

His longtime spokesman, Harry Flynn, told The Associated Press that Borgnine died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with his family by his side.

Television fans loved Borgnine as the scheming Navy officer in the sitcom "McHale's Navy." Borgnine was also known as the heavy who beats up Frank Sinatra in "From Here to Eternity" and one of the thugs who menaces Spencer Tracy in "Bad Day at Block Rock."

Those of in Milwaukee know Borgnine best from his involvement in the Great Circus Parade, in which he got to play a clown for the first time in his life in 1995. Every year since then, when the parade was held, Borgnine and his wife, Tova, were there to lead the way.

Here is a 15 minute clip of various outtakes from his first time at the circus parade:

RIP Ray Bradbury

The world lost one of the most iconic authors with the passing of Ray Bradbury:

Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles, and other beloved science fiction novels, died Tuesday night at the age of 91, according to the AP.

"His legacy lives on in his monumental body of books, film, television and theater, but more importantly, in the minds and hearts of anyone who read him, because to read him was to know him. He was the biggest kid I know," his grandson told the i09 science fiction blog.

Bradbury sold eight million copies of his books in 36 languages, according to The New York Times' obit.

The sad irony of the author who wrote Fahrenheit 451 passing on the evening Scott Walker and the teahadists winning the recall is not lost on me.

RIP Pewter Gryphon

It is with heavy heart that I must report the passing of Diane Echelberger, more commonly known by her Twitter name, @pewtergryphon.

Diane was one of the strongest champions in the fight to reclaim Wisconsin.  Even though she knew she was terminally ill, she spent much of her remaining time fighting for Wisconsin, participating in rallies, live tweeting hearings and government hearings so that those who could not attend could follow what was happening, doing data entry and phone banking.

During her working life, she was a defender of Wisconsin as well, as noted in this moving tribute to Diane, written when Senator Jon Erpenbach presented her with a plaque and a Certificate of the Senate to honor her lifelong compassion and dedication to Wisconsin.

The words that I wrote when I first introduced the gentle reader to Diane holds as true today, maybe even more so, than when I wrote them:

When I realized that I was seeing Diane in the video, I immediately tweeted it, making sure that I pointed out that she was in it. Literally within seconds, it was favorited and/or retweeted a dozen times. But that is just the way we roll. We pick each other up when we're down and celebrate with each other when the news is good. 

And that is why Walker, even with all of his out-of-state big money, will still be removed from office. He's not fighting special interests, he's fighting for them. He's fighting against the good people of Wisconsin, people like Diane and her friends. And trust me, we stick together like only family can. 

Every day, our resolve grows even stronger while Walker and his allies grow even more desperate. 

We will do this! 

We'll do it for Diane.  

We'll do it for ourselves.  

We'll do it for all of Wisconsin.

Sail on, Gryphon!  We will carry on in your memory and win the state back for you.

RIP Darth Vader

Or at least one aspect of the character:

The man who played the legendary Darth Vader during fight scenes in the original Star Wars trilogy has died, it has emerged today.

Bob Anderson, 89, was a former Olympic swordsman who worked on many of the best known films of the past seven decades - but very few people are aware of the influence he had on some of our favourite movies

He is most famous for donning Darth Vader's black helmet and fighting lightsaber battles in the original Star Wars trilogy - most famously with Obi Wan Kenobi.

Here is Anderson in one of the most famous duel scenes in cinematic history:

RIP, Tim Cuprisin

Milwaukee lost one of the good guys today with the passing of Tim Cuprisin:

It is with great sadness that we must announce the passing of our friend and colleague, Tim Cuprisin, OnMilwaukee.com's media columnist.

Tim died Wednesday morning after a short but valiant fight with melanoma.

Cuprisin joined OnMilwaukee.com in 2009 after many years with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. His sense of unbiased, journalistic integrity served a model for our team of young and veteran journalists. In our brief time with Tim, he impacted all of us greatly with his professionalism, sense of humor and eagerness to embrace new media.

OnMilwaukee.com also announced that they are giving a fitting tribute to Tim by naming their editorial office after him. Andy Tarnoff also has a very moving tribute to him.

I lamented the day that I learned that Tim was being pushed out by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and was the first step in what ultimately led me to stop by subscription to the paper. I was not the only one to express concern that day either.

Tim was a great source of information when it came to the follies of our local squawk radio hosts, from the temper tantrums of James Harris to the inane behaviors of Mark Belling to the ultimate demise of Jessica McBride's painful time on the radio.

I held Tim in such esteem that one of my earliest honors as a blogger was learning that Tim read my stuff regularly. That made me try harder and inspired me to try to be half as good as he was.

On top of his skill, he was a genuinely nice man that was more than willing to have a conversation or to unhesitating helping a person out with some information.

So when I heard the news today of his passing, after the initial shock, I felt the pang of losing not only a great and respected columnist, but a friend.

Milwaukee did indeed lose one of the greats today.

RIP, Anne McCaffrey

Anne McCaffrey, author of the "Dragonriders of Pern" series, has passed away:

Anne McCaffrey, the prolific science fiction and fantasy author who was best known for her “Dragonriders of Pern” novels, has died of a stroke at her home in Ireland. She was 85.

McCaffrey is celebrated for the new worlds she created in her fiction, such as in the “Dragonriders of Pern” — where a whole society is based on dragon-riding, and in “The Ship Who Sang” — in which a starship’s functions are controlled entirely by a severely disabled girl.

McCaffrey also helped transform the way science fiction writers wrote about women, and became the first woman to win a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award, as well as a Grand Master of science fiction.

When I was a kid, I devoured her books as they came out. She brought out new worlds for the imagination and opened the door for many people.

RIP John McCullough

John McCullough, a long time anchor at WTMJ-TV passed away today:

John McCullough, who anchored WTMJ-TV newscasts over three decades, died Wednesday evening at a hospital near his home in South Bend, Ind.

McCullough was 77.

From 1967 to 1988, McCullough was the premiere anchor in the Milwaukee market.

McCullough brought major national and world stories home to Milwaukee, reporting from political conventions, presidential inaugurations and a papal visit.

I remember watching McCullough as a young man, along with Melodie Wilson. That was when Journal Broadcasting actually reported the news and maintained a certain level of integrity.

Sigh. I miss those days.

RIP Ben Masel

Ben Masel, Wisconsin icon and activist, has passed away from lung cancer on Saturday.

One might have agreed with everything that Ben had advocated for, but almost everyone respected his passion for free speech and for his dedication to all the causes he advocated for.

And his passion was undeniable. Courtesy of blue cheddar, you could see he was willing to take it to them even in his last days:



Thank you, Ben, for your tireless fight and may you find peace.

And may we all share the same inexhaustible passion in the fights yet to come.

Just Another Overpaid, Underworked, Lazy Gubmint Employee

RIP Jayme Biendl.

Ms. Biendl was a correction officer at the Monroe Correctional Complex in the state of Washington.  She was put in an unsafe situation, being the sole guard in the prison chapel.  Despite her expression of fear for her safety and protests from the unions, they continued with this practice, to save money.

Now Biendl is dead, at the hands of a convict who was trying to escape from the prison.

It is needless tragedies like this that really tick me off.  Because some group of wing nuts think that public sector employees shouldn't be treated with the respect that they show their dogs, they are put in dangerous positions in jobs that the same wingers wouldn't do in a million years.

To make matters worse, the wingers never seem to be able to put two and two together.  Or if they do, they would never admit it.  And then they wonder why the country is going to hell.

RIP Elizabeth Edwards

Elizabeth Edwards passed away today at the young age of 61 years:

Elizabeth Edwards, who catapulted into the public eye in 2004 when her husband, Sen. John Edwards, ran for president on the Democratic ticket, is being remembered for her fortitude and grace.

Over the past few years, Edwards wrote two best-selling books, fought a well-publicized battle against cancer and saw her marriage crumble after her husband fathered a child with another woman. Edwards died Tuesday at age 61.<

"Many others would have turned inward; many others in the face of such adversity would have given up," President Obama said in a statement. "But through all that she endured, Elizabeth revealed a kind of fortitude and grace that will long remain a source of inspiration."

At least she is out of pain, both physically and emotionally. She deserved so much better than was this world, including her husband, ever gave her. But despite that, she managed to maintain her dignity, her pride and her elegance.

RIP Leslie Nielsen

Canadian actor Leslie Nielsen is dead at the age of 84:

Canadian actor Leslie Nielsen has died.

Family confirmed to Global News that Nielsen died Sunday afternoon in a Fort Lauderdale, Florida, hospital from complications of pneumonia.

He was 84.

Nielsen, who grew up in Edmonton, appeared in more than 100 movies, with the star shining perhaps most brightly in comedies including Airplane! and The Naked Gun.

And the opening scene from Naked Gun:



Truly, he was one of the best.

RIP, Bambi Bembeneck

Last week, it was reported that Laurie "Bambi" Bembeneck was near death in a hospice in Portland, Oregon.

This morning, word came out that Bembeneck succumbed to the various diseases that was ravishing her body:

Milwaukee's longest running legal saga may have ended with the death last night of Lawrencia Bembenek.

Bembenek died about 7 p.m. Milwaukee time in Portland, Ore., where she was in hospice care, her sister, Colette Bembenek of South Milwaukee, said Sunday.

Bembenek, 52, who later changed her first name to Laurie, had been admitted to a hospital in recent days and then was transferred to a hospice, her sister said. Her health problems included hepatitis C and liver and kidney failure, Colette Bembenek said.

"It went real fast. I'm glad she didn't linger," Colette Bembenek said. "I knew it was inevitable that she probably would be expiring early in life."

Some argue that she was guilty of killing her husband's ex-wife because she had pleaded no contest. Some say she only did that to regain her freedom and fight to clear her name from the outside. They further say she was railroaded for exposing some bad behaviors by Milwaukee police officers.

I don't know if she did it or not.

All I can say is may she find her peace and justice, whether it's to her liking or not, wherever she is now.

RIP Mr. C.

Tom Bosley, the actor who helped make Milwaukee famous with his portrayal of Howard Cunningham in the famous show "Happy Days," passed away today:

Tom Bosley, the folksy father of Richie Cunningham on the '70s sitcom about the '50s, ABC's Happy Days, died Tuesday in his Palm Springs, Calif., home. On Oct. 1, he had turned 83.

The actor died of a staph infection, according to TMZ, which first reported his death.

Other reports that I've heard said he also had heart problems and lung cancer.