Day in History 16 June – George Reeves – Brian Piccolo – Kristen Pfaff – Mel Allen

On this day in 1959, actor George Reeves died from a gunshot wound to the head in the upstairs bedroom of his home in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles, at the age of 45. Born George Keefer Brewer on January 5, 1914 in Woolstock, Iowa. Perhaps best known for his role as Superman in the 1952-1958 television program Adventures of Superman.

While studying acting at the Pasadena Playhouse, Reeves met his future wife, Ellanora Needles. They married on September 22, 1940, in San Gabriel, California, at the Church of Our Savior. They had no children and divorced 10 years later. He had a romantic relationship with a married ex-showgirl eight years his senior, Toni Mannix, wife of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer general manager Eddie Mannix. Reeves and Toni Mannix split in 1958, and Reeves announced his engagement to society playgirl Leonore Lemmon. Reeves was apparently scheduled to marry Lemmon on June 19 and then spend their honeymoon in Tijuana.

The Final Footprint

Reeves was cremated and his cremated remains are inurned at Mountain View Cemetery and Mausoleum in Altadena, California. In 1960, Reeves was awarded a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard for his contributions to the TV industry. In 1985, he was posthumously named one of the honorees by DC Comics in the company’s 50th anniversary publication Fifty Who Made DC Great.

#RIP #OTD in 1970 professional football player, running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL), Brian Piccolo died from embryonal cell carcinoma, aged 26. Saint Mary Catholic Cemetery in Evergreen Park, Illinois

#RIP #OTD in 1994 musician, bassist for rock band Hole, Kristen Pfaff died in her Seattle apartment from a heroin overdose, aged 27. Forest Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo, New York

On this day in 1996, sportscaster, “The Voice of the New York Yankees”, Mel Allen died of heart failure in Greenwich, Connecticut at the age of 83.  Born Melvin Allen Israel (Hebrew name: Mordechai ben Yehuda Aliah) on 14 February 1913 in Birmingham, Alabama.  Allen graduated from the University of Alabama and obtained a law degree from Alabama as well.  He became Arch McDonald‘s partner on radio broadcasts for the Yankees and the New York Giants in 1939.  The following season he became lead broadcaster for both teams.  After World War II, Allen began doing Yankees games exclusively.  He eventually called 22 World Series on radio and television and 24 All-Star Games.  Allen served as mentor to a young Curt Gowdy who was partnered with Allen for two seasons.  Allen’s catchphrases were;  “Hello there, everybody!” to start a game, “How a-bout that?!” or “Going, going, gone!” on home runs and “Three and two. What’ll he do?”  Allen never married.

The Final Footprint – Allen is interred in Beth-el Cemetery in Stamford, Connecticut.  His grave is marked by an individual raised engraved granite marker.  On 25 July 1998, the Yankees dedicated a plaque in his memory for Monument Park at Yankee Stadium.  The plaque calls him “A Yankee institution, a national treasure” and includes his line, “How about that?”    Monument Park is an open-air museum containing a collection of monuments, plaques, and retired numbers honoring distinguished members of the Yankees.  Other notable Yankees whose final footprints include memorialization in Monument Park; Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Babe Ruth, George Steinbrenner, Roger Maris, Thurman Munson, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, Phil Rizzuto, Billy Martin, Bob Sheppard, and Casey Stengel.

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