Known as Papa Pinot around the Northwest, pioneering Oregon winemaker David Lett was the first to plant the pinot grape in the Willamette Valley over 40 years ago. With that act, he started a legacy that has transformed the region into a worldwide respected winemaking area. We can all hope to leave such a legacy. Lett passed away on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at his home in Dundee, Oregon at the age of 69.
“All My Children” star as well as stage actress Eileen Herlie passed away on Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at the age of 90 due to pneumonia. Herlie played the motherly Myrtle Fargate on the popular American TV soap opera for more than 30 years. She last appeared on the program in June 2008. Before joining the ranks of soap opera characters, she was a bright Broadway star, playing in Thornton Wilder’s “The Matchmaker.” She also performed in “Take Me Along” with Jackie Gleason and “All American” with Ray Bolger. She was nominated for a Tony for her performance in “Take Me Along.”
Craig Fertig, the voice of the Trojans on television and once record-setting quarterback with the University of Southern California, passed away on Saturday, October 4, 2008 at the age of 66. Fertig passed away due to kidney failure at the Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach. Fertig was also the coach for the Oregon State University football team in the 1970s and then became a talent scout for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After working as an assistant USC athletic director he began an 11-year career as an analyst on cable TV for Trojan football.
Kingston Trio founding member Nick Reynolds passed away on Wednesday, October 1, 2008 due to acute respiratory disease and other illnesses. He was 75 years old. Reynolds and his group have been attributed to jump starting the folk scene in the late 1950s and was an inspiration to musicians like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.
Shortstop Eddie Brinkman passed away on Tuesday, September 30, 2008. Below is a bit about his career and life.
