Today Bob Hope passed away at the grand age of 100 years. This is the end of an amazing career for one of the world's truly good people. He made a huge contribution to our country, our people and mankind as a whole.
Bob always impressed me. He was one of those few people in film and theater who impressed me with his presence and sense of ethics. Few other actors (and actresses) have made an impression on me with their ethical presence - John Travolta, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kirstie Ally come to mind immediately, but no one in my mind has combined ethics with acting and humor as much as has Bob.
He was funny, he could act, and, more important, he understood the need for humor, especially in trying times. He was there for us in many of the wars of this century, and he was there for us when times were hard. We knew that we could always look to Bob to put a smile on our face and make the tough times seem more survivable.
I remember Bob Hope clearly throughout my entire life. Some of my earliest images are of this man on screen (on television and at the drive-through) making me laugh. He helped me get through childhood with it's many bullies, my teen years with uncaring teachers and indifferent people, and my adult life with it's many trials and tribulations.
So to quickly wrap up this little memorial: thanks Bob for making life a little easier, for giving me the wisdom to understand that a smile is far more powerful than a frown, and that laughter can indeed resolve many of the world's problems.
-- Richard Lowe
Unless otherwise noted, all photos and text is Copyright © Richard G Lowe, Jr.