Paul Newman Passes Away

Paul Newman passed away at the age of 83. The state of his health has been in question much of this year. The cause of his death is cancer. I loved Paul Newman. He has a long history as a great actor, noble philanthropist, wicked prankster and an all-around good guy. I thought this story was great and wanted to share it with you guys.

Paul Newman's sly sense of humor was on a roll
By DAVID BAUDER – 49 minutes ago

My managing editor at the Westport (Conn.) News in the summer of 1979 had but one goal — talking to Paul Newman — but when the time came, she was woefully unprepared.

Westport's most famous resident had called the office to suggest a story idea. She answered and was convinced it was a crank.

"Sure, you're Paul Newman," she said, angrily crashing the phone back into its cradle.

But after making a few checks, we determined it really WAS Newman. A handyman who renovated an old barn on Newman's property into a projection room had become seriously ill. Newman wanted to throw a party to show off his work.

The local paper was welcome to send a reporter and a photographer, with one condition: We were to do our work without the guest of honor learning who we were, so the story could be a surprise when the paper was delivered next week.

After some deliberation, I was given the assignment. About to be a junior in college, I had worked hard that summer for meager wages. This was a reward.

So I drove my beat-up Dodge Dart onto the long driveway approaching Newman's home. A woman walked down to meet me. The hired help? Not quite. It was Joanne Woodward.

Newman and I stood outside of the projection room for a few minutes talking about his handyman. Newman swore a lot. I was a college student; I thought that was cool.

During the party, I mingled and did my work surreptitiously, asking the man's friends stories about him to fill out the story with personal details.

When the first person told me to go into the bathroom and check out the toilet paper, I found it a little odd. When the second person said it, I was intrigued. By the time it was mentioned a third time, I knew my next destination.

The roll of tissue by the toilet paper was emblazoned with a famous actor's face. Every sheet of it.

"Greetings from Robert Redford!" it said.

I ripped off a few sheets and stuffed them into my pocket, a summer's favorite souvenir.
(Source: Associated Press)

Robert Forrester, Vice-Chairman of Newman's Own Foundation, said in a statement Saturday: "Paul Newman's craft was acting. His passion was racing. His love was his family and friends. And his heart and soul were dedicated to helping make the world a better place for all.

"Paul had an abiding belief in the role that luck plays in one's life, and its randomness. He was quick to acknowledge the good fortune he had in his own life, beginning with being born in America, and was acutely aware of how unlucky so many others were. True to his character, he quietly devoted himself to helping offset this imbalance.

"An exceptional example is the legacy of Newman's Own. What started as something of a joke in the basement of his home, turned into a highly-respected, multi-million dollar a year food company. And true to form, he shared this good fortune by donating all the profits and royalties he earned to thousands of charities around the world, a total
which now exceeds $250 million.

"While his philanthropic interests and donations were wide-ranging, he was especially committed to the thousands of children with life-threatening conditions served by the Hole in the Wall Camps, which he helped start over 20 years ago. He saw the Camps as places where kids could escape the fear, pain and isolation of their conditions, kick back, and raise a little hell. Today, there are 11 Camps around the world, with additional programs in Africa and Vietnam. Through the Camps, well over 135,000 children have had the chance to experience what childhood was meant to be.

"In Paul's words: "I wanted to acknowledge luck; the chance and benevolence of it in my life, and the brutality of it in the lives of others, who might not be allowed the good fortune of a lifetime to correct it."

"Paul took advantage of what life offered him, and while personally reluctant to acknowledge that he was doing anything special, he forever changed the lives of many with his generosity, humor, and humanness. His legacy lives on in the charities he supported and the Hole in the Wall Camps, for which he cared so much.