I was on one of her email fan lists for years and I remember what an impression she made on me when she appeared on the Cosby Show. I wasn’t fully familiar with her accomplishments at the time, but talk about a class act and a decent, long life. I’ve thought about her often in recent years and knew that she was no young whippersnapper. I listen to her regularly on my Ipod, and I know what an inspiration she was to many. What a gorgeous, amazing, talented lady.
Category Archives: Memoriam
RIP Gene Baugh
You were my friend with whom I had so much in common for so many years. You were a rock. I can’t believe this.
Just got terrible news about losing one of my closest gaydad friends in the world, Gene Baugh, in Columbus, who raised his five kids. I read his autobiography, although I don’t think it was ever published. He was a huge fan of the Spanish language and had spent time in Spain in his youth. I flew to Columbus to be in his marriage to a man in 1998, and he and I also spent time together at various gay parenting conventions around the country. We originally met in 1996 in Minneapolis and stayed in touch quite regularly the whole time, sharing the drama of our kids and our lives before and after coming out. He was only 56, and a big bear of a man (also very tall).
His daughter, Ruth, who lives on the West Coast now, as I do, went with my daughter and me to our first Provincetown Family Week. Ruth and I recently got back in touch with each other and today she emailed me with the news that he had been taken off life support as he had requested be done if he should ever be in this state. He had a stroke on Friday.
Marie Osmond’s son
So Marie Osmond’s son who recently killed himself similarly to my cousin (jumping from balcony) was gay and Mormon? I have always liked Marie, but bigoted communities yield high suicide rates. Roseanne Barr made a controversial blog about the subject, but I’m afraid I have to agree with her.
RIP Teddy Pendergrass
He was only 59 and he had been paralyzed for years, so I wasn’t too surprised to hear that his recent illness may have been related to his paralysis. Why aren’t we using stem cells more!! I’m sure there are plenty of people who would volunteer rather than die.