In Memoriam

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On May 29, 1903, two events occurred: one in England, the birth of Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope, and one in the United States, the founding of the Ford Motor Company. Both turned out to be remarkable events, as the automobile allowed people to move around with greater ease, revolutionizing commerce and social interchange. And the future entertainer, like so many other persons born elsewhere, came to America and changed us for the better, too. He mastered the art of joke telling, and since laughter is good medicine, he deserves the appellation of Doctor of Laughs (D.L.).

Few persons in the arts have had the influence on societies worldwide as has Dr. Hope: his movies, his TV shows, his trips overseas during times of war, all gave many people hope for better times. When you’re laughing, you’re not feeling so bad. That's a good lesson.

And this past May when Dr. Hope turned 100, he gave us another lesson in life by joining that elite group of mankind who comprise the Centenarians Club. Over 77,000 Americans are already in the club, with membership expected to swell to almost a million by the middle of this century. When Willard Scott of NBC TV wished Dr. Hope a Happy Birthday, he also recognized many other centenarians. So many are featured daily that it seems commonplace now, and a growing number are called "super centenarians" for being over 105.

The big question for all of us is this: "Will we be one of them?" Since we don’t know, perhaps we ought to live our lives as if we will join that club. To have a shot at being inducted, we will need good physical, mental, spiritual, social, and economic health now and over time. The other things we will need are a lot of fun and laughter.

So Dr. Hope, thanks for not only the memories but for the treatment, too.

P.S. When he died July 27, 2003, it was noted that he was the most celebrated person in the history of the world, garnering thousands of honors for his career that began in the era of vaudeville and radio, the early movies, the beginnings of TV, and ended in the digital age with a Web site. The span of history Dr. Hope lived encompassed all the great progress and tragedies of a remarkable century and the promise of another one. His legacy will be all the collective laughter contained in our memories of this remarkable person.