Good-bye, old friends

By Nancy Black

They have no idea who they are or were. Nor do they care. No. My children aren’t callous or rude. They were just born during a different time in history. I, on the otherhood, do know who Doris Day, Tim Conway and Peggy Lipton are/were. And I feel blessed to have experienced their talents.

Doris Day. I can’t write her name without thinking of, “Que Sera, Sera,” the beautiful song she sang in Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Man Who Knew Too Much.” You could not watch Doris Day without smiling. She was happiness personified. 

Her long and distinguished career is inspiring. Day was one of the first in Hollywood to embrace those suffering from AIDS, including her former co-star Rock Hudson. She established the Doris Day Animal Foundation in 1978, which still thrives today. And she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 for her achievements in the entertainment industry and for her tireless work on behalf of all animals. 

Day died at the age of 97 from pneumonia. 

Tim Conway. I can’t write his name without smiling. Watching Tim Conway work his comedic magic on “The Carol Burnett Show” during the 70s was a joy for my young mind. 

All the other actors working with him could hardly contain their own laughter because he was just so darn funny. Conway continued his career long after his antics on that show. Most recently, he was the voice of Barnacle Boy on the animated TV show, “SpongeBob SquarePants.” 

Conway, 85, died after a long illness.

Peggy Lipton. Maybe my children would know of Peggy Lipton if I told them she was the mother of actress Rashida Jones. Maybe not. But I remember Peggy Lipton from the 1960s through early 70s TV show, “The Mod Squad.” Yes. I watched a lot of television when I was a child. Lipton played a female undercover detective working with one black man and one white. That’s why they were “Mod.” It was a BIG deal back in my day to not only see a woman police officer, but also one who was strong and independent. Lipton, who was also a singer, later appeared in the TV show “Twin Peaks.” She died of colon cancer at the age of 72.

My children may not have known or loved them, but I did. And so did millions of others. Good-bye, Doris Day, Tim Conway and Peggy Lipton. 

Your memories will live on in the hearts and minds of those still living.