The Memorial Wall

Walter Gretzky, the father of hockey great Wayne Gretzky who built a backyard rink to improve his son’s hockey skills as a child and later appeared with him in commercials died on March 4. He was 82. Wayne Gretzky confirmed that his father had Parkinson’s disease and other health problems.

Walter Gretzky became a name himself, a constant in Wayne’s world, beginning in their hometown of Brantford, Ontario. As Wayne’s star ascended, Walter remained a blue-collar symbol of a devoted hockey parent in a country filled with them. The two were also often intertwined, their father-son story used in commercials from Tim Hortons restaurants to Coca-Cola. Mr. Gretzky’s celebrity status increased after making a remarkable recovery from a stroke suffered in 1991. His story was told in a 2001 autobiography and a 2005 made-for-TV movie. His immigrant parents — a Polish mother and Russian father — started a vegetable farm in 1932 in Canning, Ontario, on the Nith River, where Wayne learned to skate when he was 2.

Walter Gretzky was born Oct. 8, 1938, in Canning and played hockey throughout his youth and teens but did not play professionally. He and his wife, Phyllis Hockin, were married in 1960. She died in 2005. Wayne Gretzky was the oldest of their five children. One of his younger brothers, Brent, briefly played in the NHL.

In 1961, the same year Wayne was born, Walter Gretzky fractured his skull in a work accident as a Bell lineman. He spent some time in a coma, lost the hearing in his left ear, and was off work for 18 months. He eventually transferred to another Bell department and became an installer/repairman. When Wayne was 4, Mr. Gretzky turned the backyard of their Brantford home into a rink. He recruited older kids for Wayne to practice against and found him a spot on a team of 10-year-olds when he was 6.

“You knew he was good at his age at what he was doing,” Mr. Gretzky said in 2016. “But to say that one day he’d do what he did, you couldn’t say that. Nobody could.”

Wayne recalled crying after his first year of hockey when he didn’t receive a trophy at the end of the season.

“Wayne, keep practicing and one day you’re going to have so many trophies we’re not going to have room for them all,” his father said.

Walter drove one old blue Chevy station wagon after another — calling each the Blue Goose. After Wayne succeeded in the National Hockey League, he bought his parents a blue Cadillac for their 25th wedding anniversary. Walter Gretzky was a much sought-after banquet speaker and was a national spokesman for the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada. He was named to the Order of Canada in 2007. In 2010, Walter Gretzky carried the Olympic torch before the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Games in Vancouver, where Wayne lit the Olympic flame.

Mr. Gretzky was 53 when he suffered his stroke, just a few months into retirement after 34 years at Bell. He slowly recovered much of his lost memory. He later worked with youth hockey groups and became an avid golfer. In addition to his children, survivors include numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Herman William "Bill" Steinberg, Jr. died peacefully, in the company of his family on February 28th, at home in Altadena, CA at the age of 72.

Bill is survived by his wife, Mary Quirk; his eldest daughter Sarah Orenstein, her husband Daniel Orenstein, and their son Theo; his younger daughter Hannah Steinberg and her partner Quin Venedicto. Bill was born on December 12th, 1948 in Passaic, NJ to Herman Steinberg and Selma Moore. He began his studies at Duke University (where he staked a claim as a lifelong Blue Devils basketball fan) with a BA in Theology, followed by a MA in Religious Studies at UCSB, and earned his Ph.D. at the California School of Professional Psychology. In November of 1983,

Bill married Mary, a colleague who caught his eye during his time as Head of the Psychology Department at St. Mary's Hospital in Long Beach. He continued his career as a private-practice therapist in Pasadena, which he maintained until his retirement in 2005. Bill and Mary made their home of 37 years in Altadena, where they raised their two daughters. In spite of his thirty-year battle with Parkinson's Disease, Bill was buoyed by his humor, determination, and the steadfast care provided by his wife, family, physicians (notably his neurologist, Dr. Richard Spitzer), caregivers, and community of friends.

He will be remembered for his thoughtfulness, intellect, and kindness; for his love of Dodgers and Pirates baseball, and time spent with family at home and in New Jersey, Louisiana, and Georgia. 

Jerry Wheeler passed away on February 28, 2021, at Home + Hospice House Monument Health in Rapid City after a 22-year courageous battle with Parkinson's Disease.

Jerry was born Oct. 27, 1942, to Howard and Grace Wheeler in Montrose, SD. After graduating from Montrose High School in 1960, he moved to Sioux Falls where he held positions with Kolman Manufacturing and L. G. Everist. In 1964, Jerry completed his associates degree in accounting from Nettleton Commercial College.

In 1967, he joined the South Dakota Automobile Dealers Association and three years later was named the Executive Director of that organization. During his tenure with the Auto Dealers, he attended Institutes of Organizational Management at both Michigan State University and Notre Dame University.

In 1987, Jerry left his position with the Auto and Trucking Association to experience the retail side of the auto industry. In 1990, he again entered the trade association business when the South Dakota Retailers Association hired him as their Executive Director.

Jerry married Kelly Donahue in 1986. The couple lived and worked in Pierre for 18 years before retiring and moving to the Black Hills. They had many happy years of retirement, spending summers in the beautiful Black Hills and winters in Arizona and California.

Jerry was an inspiration and role model for association executives across South Dakota and the nation. There have been few association directors past or present who could create the kind of robust and impressive organizations that Jerry built over the years. He was a tenacious leader during his tenure as a trade association director and lobbyist; being recognized for his ability as a troubleshooter and problem-solver. Jerry was able to bring people together and understood the need for compromise when working through the legislative process. He earned a reputation as an honest and trustworthy lobbyist. Calm in the face of conflict, but strong and forceful when necessary, Jerry could fight the good fight, believing in the issues and people he represented. One of his strengths was knowing when to admit he didn't know something, but then used his energy to go find the answer. Never forgetting where he came from, Jerry believed in hard work and the success it brings. He was a true South Dakota boy who loved his family, his country and maintained a strong faith in God throughout his life.

Jerry served as the Chairman of the South Dakota Court Appointed Special Advocates, President of the Black Hills Playhouse Board of Directors, and a Fort Pierre City Council member. He received many awards including the National Retail Federation award in recognition for life time achievement in the retail industry and most recently the SD Chamber of Commerce and Industry 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jerry worked hard but he also played hard. His leisure activities included lawn work, golf, tennis, skiing, horseback riding and cheering on his beloved Minnesota Vikings. Jerry's favorite saying was, "You can't have too much fun" and he followed his own advice. His story telling was legendary and he will be greatly missed by family and friends who enjoyed his sense of humor.

Jerry is survived by his wife of 34 years, Kelly; his two sons from his first marriage, Greg (Dawn) of Sioux Falls and Steve of Lawrenceville, GA; three grandchildren, Sidra, Jake, Griffin; and step-granddaughter, Skyler Neiers.

Jerry was blessed with many caring and competent health care professionals throughout his illness. Special recognition is sent to Monument Home Health and Hospice and to Dr. Joy Falkenberg of Custer for her many years of exceptional care as Jerry's personal physician.

Born in Yonkers, New York, to Albina and Charles Ott (and welcomed by older brother Charlie), the family moved to Bloomington Indiana, where his father worked for the Otis Elevator Company and his mother was employed by Indiana University. Lifelong friendships were formed during his University High School years; lifelong activities included travel and many reunions with UHS classmates. He spent his undergraduate years at Indiana University, studying theater and working as an actor in summer stock at the Brown County Summer Playhouse. By the time he graduated from IU in 1973, he had established his own theatre production company, Midwest Theatre Productions, based in Bloomington. Ken went on to earn an MFA in Directing and Management from the University of Montana. For his graduate thesis he researched and produced "A Director's Approach to Selective Naturalism in Tobacco Road." At age 27 he moved to Aurora, Illinois, to become the director of information at the Paramount Arts Centre, gaining national press attention for the restored community redevelopment project, attracting new audiences and Chicagoland celebrities to the arts centre, and initiating his long career as an arts advancement professional. He moved to Anchorage, Alaska in 1978 to become the Manager of the ACC Performing Arts Center. In Alaska he befriended many local luminaries, including noted dogsled musher and explorer Col. Norman Vaughan. Southern California was his destination in 1980, working in theater and film development, Ken authored a number of screenplays, and served as a Development Officer at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. He joined the Pasadena Playhouse in 1988 as Development Director, supporting productions including Other People's Money and The Twilight of the Golds, and later joined Loyola University as the Assistant Dean of the law school.

Parkinson's Disease forced his retirement from LLS in 2013.Ken was known for his intelligence, wit, and his gentle heart (evidenced by his weekend trips to the LLS campus to feed the stray felines), and for his unerring palate when recommending wines from every appellation.He became an active participant in Rock Steady Boxing in 2016, working out every week with his fellow PD boxers at the Kaizen studio in Monrovia.He passed peacefully in his Altadena home, lovingly tended by his wife of 31 years, Marilyn Delanoeye, and in the company of his two cats and many friends.

He worked on several other soap operas and was a familiar face in commercials for Marlboro, Old Spice, and Camel cigarettes.

Geoffrey Scott, who portrayed tennis pro, Mark Jennings, the first husband of Linda Evans' Krystle Carrington, on the 1980s ABC primetime soap Dynasty, has died. He was 79.

Scott died of Parkinson's disease on Feb. 23 — just after midnight on the day after his birthday — in Broomfield, Colorado, his wife, Cheri Catherine Scott, told The Hollywood Reporter.

The handsome Scott also played a U.S. marshal fighting aliens in 1880s Wyoming on "The Secret Empire" portion of 1979 NBC series Cliffhangers!; starred alongside Jerry Reed on the 1981 CBS series Concrete Cowboys (he stepped into the role originated by Tom Selleck in a TV movie on which the show was based), and was a quarterback on the 1984-85 HBO sitcom 1st & Ten.

On daytime soap operas, Scott portrayed publisher Sky Rumson on ABC's Dark Shadows in 1970, Jeffrey Jordan on CBS' Where the Heart Is in 1972, David McAllister on ABC's General Hospital in 1989, and Billy Lewis on CBS' Guiding Light in 1994.

And in commercials — he did nearly 100 of them — he played a Marlboro man as well as a sailor pitching Old Spice antiperspirant, "walked a mile for a Camel" in a cigarette campaign shot at the Taj Mahal, and starred with Margaret Hamilton in spots for Maxwell House coffee.

Scott joined Dynasty near the start of its third season in 1982 and worked on the fabled show for two years, appearing in 45 episodes. His character is brought to Denver by the conniving Alexis Colby (Joan Collins) after she learns that Mark and Krystle's divorce years earlier wasn't legal.

Later, Mark saves Krystle and Alexis from a fire, becomes Alexis' bodyguard, and is pushed off a terrace to his death, with Alexis emerging as the prime suspect.

Scott was born in Los Angeles on Feb. 22, 1942. His father, Reed, worked as a manager at Lockheed producing planes, and his mother, Jayne, was a housewife.

He and his brother Don, later a lawyer at Universal, were raised in the San Fernando Valley on the same street that John Wayne and Clark Gable lived, and he often jumped into Gable's pool uninvited.

Scott was signed by legendary agent Dick Clayton, who would also rep the likes of Jane Fonda, James Dean, and Burt Reynolds, and he got a deal at Universal.

Scott also appeared in Sidney Lumet's The Morning After (1986) and on such shows as Adam-12, Cannon, Barnaby Jones, Kojak, Dallas, Matt Houston, Night Court, Married … With Children, and Murphy Brown.

His wife said he and Selleck often competed for roles.

Scott retired after 45 years in show business and moved to Colorado with his family to pursue skiing, his lifelong passion. He had lived in the Boulder area for the past 10 years.

In addition to his wife, he is survived by twin sons Christopher and Matthew.

Don Dietrich, a former Brandon Wheat Kings defenceman and longtime supporter of the game in his hometown of Deloraine, has died.

He was 59.

Dietrich, who played 28 games in the National Hockey League, battled Parkinson’s disease and cancer.

On his Facebook tribute page, which was active in the weeks before his death, his son Tristan posted the news on Tuesday morning.

"We are sad to announce that Don, Dad, Dins, Beaker passed away this morning peacefully," Tristan wrote. "He fought hard till the end. The ‘I can’ in him stayed true right till the end."

Don’s immediate family also includes his wife Nadine and sons Jacob and Nick.

Dietrich, who was profiled in the Brandon Sun’s Wheat Kings alumni series in 2016, said at the time that hockey played an instrumental role in his ability to fight the health issues that plagued him in his later years.

"The game is the main reason I’m here today for sure," Dietrich said. "If I could give back a tenth of what the game’s given me … I don’t think I’ve done that. There’s a saying that you’re only as good as your last shift and a lot of those things I take with me in life. And a lot of them I learned right here in Brandon."

He skated with the Wheat Kings for three seasons from 1978 to 1981 before embarking on a 10-year pro career that included stints with the Chicago Black Hawks and New Jersey Devils.

He retired after the 1990-91 season, and the family moved back to Deloraine in 1994. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s a year later.

His health took another turn for the worse in 1999 when doctors found an aggressive type of cancer called leiomyosarcoma. He was given six months to live, but took an experimental drug for six months and then returned to work with Canada Customs.

Two years later the cancer was back, this time in his liver, but again an experimental treatment worked.

Despite his health issues, he never stopped giving back to the game of hockey.

He worked with the Deloraine Royals senior team and the Southwest Midget AAA Cougars. And as a member of Canada’s national coach mentorship program, he developed a breakfast club that allowed young players to come out twice a week to work on skill development.

He was elected to the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame with the 1978-79 Wheat Kings in 2007, and Dietrich was inducted in the builders’ category in 2011.

His story was told in a 2007 book called No Guarantees, a collection of Dietrich’s memories assembled by Nadine and freelance writer Brad Bird.

Dietrich said he made $365,000 in 10 pro seasons, but the experiences his time in the game provided are priceless.

"I made a living at it, I didn’t make a fortune," Dietrich said. "But I wouldn’t change that for anything. That’s part of looking at that man in the mirror. Are you satisfied with him? Can you honestly look at him and say you did your best?

"I’d say I did."

Lucy Roucis is a living, breathing, and tremoring example of "turning something adverse around and making it work." Her young-onset Parkinson's disease actually helped get her a part in the film, "Love and Other Drugs." Director and writer, Ed Zwick, after reading over 40 actors for the role, was so impressed with Lucy's audition that he asked her to write for the scene and add her own dialogue. Lucy portrays a woman doing a stand-up routine, poking fun at having Parkinson's, and helps Anne Hathaway's character, Maggie, begin accepting her own diagnosis.

A native of Denver, Colorado, Lucy is the daughter of a dentist and a homemaker. She and her five siblings all received a private education. She attended Loretto Heights College in Denver, receiving a B.A. in theatre, Magna cum Laude. She immediately moved to Los Angeles to start her career. There she became a long-time student of Roy London, the late acting teacher who revolutionized acting technique.

She began getting work in the film, television, and modeling world as well, being tall and slender. She had parts on "General Hospital," "Santa Barbara," the CBS pilot "Domestic Life" with Martin Mull, and on-screen in "Better Off Dead" with John Cusack and "The Party Animal." On the theatrical stage, she was a member of the Los Angeles-based Radio City Music Hall Rockettes Christmas Spectacular and the Colony Theater's "The Robber Bridegroom." She co-starred and produced the Celtic Arts Center's "A Tragedy You Can Dance To" by Ric Matheson. Several television commercials and print ads later, she was breaking ground as an actor when the Parkinson's reared its head.

She had a double diagnosis of young-onset Parkinson's disease and thyroid cancer, undergoing thyroid removal and the cancer being eradicated. But Parkinson's is incurable so, defeated, she returned home to Denver, giving up on Hollywood. She reinvented herself as an actress with a disability and found work. Denver Audiences know Lucy well and her Parkinson's is just part of her package. She's a long-time member of the world-renowned PHAMALY (Physically Handicapped Actors and Musical Artists League, Inc.) where her Parkinson's is an asset, alongside her fellow cast members who each have a disability of his/her own. The award-winning company produces quality plays at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Roucis has starred in 20 productions, winning Best Supporting Actress in a Musical from WestWord Magazine for her Adelaide in "Guys and Dolls." She was cast in the pilot, "One Step Ahead," a Washington, DC-based weekly disability news program, as its Cultural Correspondent. In 2008, Lucy received the Mayor's Award for being an Unsung Hero.

In 2008 Lucy underwent deep brain stimulation at the Cleveland Clinic. This procedure, although temporary, lessens the symptoms of her now advanced Parkinson's disease.

Like Michael J. Fox, Lucy found her voice as an advocate for Parkinson's and disability awareness. She also found an outlet for her wit as a stand-up (or sit-down) comic, working fundraisers with comedian Josh Blue    

Irene "Rene" J. Motta Taught physical education and English in San Jose and Los Angeles for 36 years. She was our beloved and generous "feisty little Italian" who gave Parkinson's a good fight for many years. Rene will be greatly missed by her many friends, niece Leslie Mancebo, nephew John Marshall and especially by her loving partner of 48 years, Francine Savery.

Beloved husband of Allison (nee Skully). Loving father of Jeremy (Melissa) Levine, Jamie (Elan) Levine Daniel, Adam Mesnick and Mara (Victor) Bendersky. Devoted grandfather of Noah, Vida, Mayla, Leia and Mallory. Dear brother of Stu (Leslee) and Bill (Nancy) Levine. Private family services will be held Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 11 AM at the Berkowitz-Kumin-Bookatz Memorial Chapel. 

Les Levine had been battling Parkinson’s disease for several years, but continued to work until late December, 2020.

Les Levine, whose wit and opinions graced the Cleveland sports radio and television airwaves for decades across multiple stations, has died at the age of 74 after battling Parkinson’s disease & diabetes for several years.

Born and raised in Cleveland, Levine graduated with a political science degree from the Ohio State University, but had his sights set on being a sportscaster from a very young age. He got his start DJing and doing high school play-by-play in Jasper, Indiana, before returning to Northeast Ohio at Akron’s WNIR in the early 1970s to call local basketball games and double as the station’s sales manager.

In the 1990s he had his own show complete with his signature self-deprecating title: “More Sports & Les Levine.” His sense of humor was also a staple of his broadcasts, especially with his famous “How Come Quickes.” For example: “How come you park on a driveway and drive on a parkway?”

Victor passed away at age 79 in Manhattan Beach, California on February 3, 2021 with family at his bedside following complications from Parkinson's. He was the eldest son, second of seven children of Setsuo Jim and Haruko Helen (nee Fujikawa) Masaki. At the age of nine months his family was relocated along with others of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast. After a few months at the Santa Anita Assembly Center (race track), they were sent to the Rohwer Relocation Center, an Internment Camp near McGehee, Arkansas.Within a year, the family was able to move out of camp on a work permit to Brigham City, Utah.

At the end of the war the family returned to their farm in Torrance, California. Vic attended Torrance schools, graduating with the class of 1959. He was active in student government serving as Student Body President in his Senior year. Vic attended UCLA before acceptance to the School of Pharmacy at USC. After graduating, he continued at USC for an MBA in Finance.Vic assumed the role of family patriarch after his father's passing in 1965. He admirably attended to the family's welfare especially in financial matters. Professionally he was accomplished as the Business Manager for Western Radiology Medical Group in Culver City. He had exceptional talent and knowledge in financial matters.He was a proud member of the Manhattan Beach Country Club, and for many years enjoyed playing tennis and socializing with other members. Downhill skiing was another love which allowed him to travel with family and friends to many ski resorts (Mammoth, Whistler, Sun Valley, Beaver Creek, Park City, Steamboat, as well as Switzerland and Austria). Off road motorcycling was another favored activity of which there are many stories of his misadventures.

Vic is survived by his son, Craig (Charity) and grandson, Alexander. He is also survived by his sisters: Irene (Carl) Christensen, Christine (Larry) Chen, brothers: James and John (Jeanne), an uncle, Nori Uyematsu, as well as many cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends. He is preceded in death by his parents, brother Richard (D'Ann) and sister Aki/Helen (George) Yamaoka.A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date when it is safe for family and friends to gather.