The Broken Wand for October, 2011 has been posted for the October issue of The Linking Ring. We salute and pay tribute to thirteen magicians whose deaths we have found out about since mid-September. These dedicated people who devoted much of their lives to entertaining other people. Of course you can also read these obituaries -- and even see photos of some of them -- in the October 2011 issue of The Linking Ring.
GEORGE F. BADAME
The I.B.M. Office has been notified that George F. Badame, 83, of Stuart, Florida, died April 15, 2011. His I.B.M. membership number was 59256, and he had been a member since 1998.
MARJORIE BAMMAN
Marjorie Marshall Roberts Bamman, 88, of Huntington, New York, died September 15, 2011. Her I.B.M. number was 57327, and she had been a member since 1997. She and her first husband, Bill Roberts, had four children: Wendy, Wayne, Marilyn, and Meredith. Shortly after their thirty-fifth anniversary, Bill died, in 1979. Through her brother, Jay Marshall, she met Howard Bamman, and they married in 1983. He was editor of The Linking Ring, and was past I.B.M. president (1966-67). He died in 1997. Throughout the years she was active in her family’s lives: Brownie and Girl Scout leader, Den mother, Sunday School teacher, and traveling with Howard to magic conventions. Mrs. Bamman served her church in many positions over the years, and her community in numerous ways, including as a volunteer for hospice, the historical society, heritage and genealogy societies, garden clubs, etc. Survivors include her children: Wayne, Wendy Atkinson, Marilyn Sink, and Meredith Roberts; eight grandchildren, and eleven great-grandchildren; and step-son Rick Bamman.
DONALD J. BARBEAU
Donald J. Barbeau, 79, of Sacramento, California, died August 30, 2011. His I.B.M. number was 24615, and he had been a member since 1983. He was a member of Ring 192, the Victor Saint Leon Ring, and the Order of Merlin (twenty-five years a continuous member). At the age of eleven, he was the youngest professional magician in Sacramento. He earned a Master’s Degree in Theology, and was widely known for painting and wallpapering many restaurants in Old Sacramento. Survivors include his daughters Michelle and Yvonne Barbeau, grandchildren Brandi and Gisele, and great-grandchildren Reynaldo and Trezele.
JOHN H. COOPER, JR.
Dr. John Henry Cooper, Jr., 98, of Shelton, Washington, died August 17, 2011. His I.B.M. number was 17269, and he had been a member since 1959. He was member of the Order of Merlin Excalibur (Fifty years a continuous member). He was born in New Jersey. He was a graduate of the Parsons School of Design in New York City, and received a B.S. in Art, and a M.A. and EdD in Education from New York University. He taught and was an administrator for thirty-one years, in New Jersey and California. Mr. Cooper’s advocations were writing and dramatics. He was an active performer, playwright, and director. He organized the “Wizard, Wand, and Wabbit” magic club for couples in Bernardsville, New Jersey. He was an active church and community leader, and received numerous awards, including Citizen of the Year in 2001. Survivors include his wife, Doris; sons Jonathan (Karen) and David (Kathy); daughters Susan Gunderman, Kathleen (Hans) Neprud, Janet Cooper, and Cindy (Bruce) Rinaman; fourteen grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
WILLIAM D. FEHN
William (Bill) Donald Fehn, 79, of Cincinnati, Ohio, died August 16, 2011. His I.B.M. membership number was 33884, and he had been a member since 1979. He was a member of Ring 71, the Haines/W.W. Durbin Ring, and the Order of Merlin (twenty-five years a continuous member). He also was a member of the Society of American Magicians. He worked for I.B.M., and was active in the Boy Scouts. Survivors include his wife, Helen; sons Michael (Mary), Steve (Sheila), Bill (Jennifer), and Bob (Tina); daughter Lunda (Chris) Baird; siblings Joseph and Jackie Bocklett; twelve grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
ALAN S. HODGSON
Alan S. Hodgson, 79, of Bishopbriggs, Glasgow, Scotland, died August 10, 2011. He held I.B.M. number 21975, and he had been a member since 1968. He was a member of Ring 25, the British Ring, and of the Order of Merlin Shield (Thirty-five years a continuous member). He also was a member of the Scottish Conjurers’ Association, of which he had been a member for forty-five years. Born in Newcastle, England, he fought with the British Forces in the Korean War. Afterwards he became a Ships Charterer for a fleet of ocean-going tramp steamers. He moved to Scotland with his family in 1967. In addition to magic, his hobbies included tennis, golf, and watercolor painting. Survivors include his wife, Kathleen, daughter Jill, and sons, Philip and Peter.
JOSEPH E. MALKIEWICZ
Joseph (Joe) E. Malkiewicz, 71, of Buffalo, New York, died July 21, 2011. His I.B.M. number was 58059, and he had been a member since 1997. He was a member of Ring 12, the Gene Gordon Ring. He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Buffalo State College, and was an elementary school teacher for nearly forty years. After retiring he taught aspiring teachers at Buffalo State and Canisius College. He owned and ran a ballroom dancing school for over thirty years, including teaching ballroom dancing and etiquette to youngsters ages ten to fourteen. He worked at Elmwood Magic and interviewed famous magicians for articles. He also was passionate about folk dancing, the arts center and art gallery, the local zoo, the theater, and the philharmonic orchestra. Survivors include his wife of twenty-six years, Martha; son Mark, daughter Anna; four daughters from his first marriage (Andrea, Lisa, Nicole, and Noelle), and a brother, John.
M.N. MENON
M.N. Menon, 65, of Callcut, Kerala, India, died September 3, 2011 of a heart attack. His I.B.M. number was 63565 and he has been a member since 2002. He was a member of Ring 261, the India Dayanand Ring. He was a musician, playing the violin. He retired as Deputy Collector for the Kerala government. He was especially adept at doing magic tricks with simple, everyday items. Survivors include his wife Vasantha, daughter Neela, and her husband Sunil.
KENNETH L. REEDY
Kenneth L. Reedy, 59, of Kearney, Missouri, died September 2, 2011, after battling cancer for over a decade. His I.B.M. number was 27502, and he had been a member since 1974. He was a member of Ring 129, the Heart of America Ring, and Ring 2100, The Universe Ring. He also was a member of the I.B.M. Order of Merlin Shield (thirty-five years a continuous member). He was active in his ring, and spearheaded the “Healing of Magic” program in the Kansas City area. Survivors include his wife of thirty-eight years, Nona; children Faith (Kevin) Ruth, and Nathan (Riann); three grandchildren; and his father, Lewis. A Broken Wand ceremony has held.
MAXWELL C. SCOTT
Maxwell (Max) Charles Scott, 82, of Tillsonburg, Ontario, Canada, died August 23, 2011. His I.B.M. number was 14649, and he had been a member since 1954. He was a member of Ring 12, the Gene Gordon Ring; Ring 265, the London Magicians Guild; and Ring 49, the Doug Henning Magic Wand Club. He also was a member of the Order of Merlin Excalibur (Fifty years a continuous member). He was a farmer, and owned Tillsonburg Organ Centre. He was a musician and magician for many years. He was a founding member of the London Magician’s Guild. Survivors include his wife of fifty years, Edna; children Brad (Cathy), and Linda (Kevin) White; grandchildren Brian and Brooke; and sisters Helen Belore and Elizabeth Gillott.
PAUL H. SPIEGELHOFF
Paul H. Spiegelhoff, 90. of Waukesha, Wisconsin, died August 30, 2011. He held I.B.M. number 45972, and had been a member since 1990. He was a magic performer, inventor, collector, and ventriloquist, since an early age. During World War II he served in Special Services, doing magic. He did school shows for many years, and did ventriloquism with a talking horse and a duck (both of which he made himself). Among his creations was a Walking Card which received a standing ovation at a Magic Collector’s Weekend. He collected royalties from a cigaret box trick he sold to Abbott’s in 1947. He was a popular master of ceremonies. He had no survivors.
EDNA B. WEBB
Edna Blanche Frazier Webb, 84, of Jackson, South Carolina, died September 5, 2011. She was a former I.B.M. member (1977 to 2005). and Ring 184, the C.S.R.A. Magic Club. Survivors include sons Marvin (Debra) and Bruce; daughter Sybil (Donald) Usry; six grand-children, and five great-grandchildren.
PETER W. WHITE, JR.
Peter W. White, Jr., 63, of Germantown, New York, died August 19, 2011, of cancer. He was a former member of the I.B.M. He was a music teacher and an accomplished jazz percussionist. He owned P&A Silks in Germantown, where he manufactured silks for magicians throughout the world. He lectured and performed magic across the United States, Canada, and England. He had a passion for producing quality silks, and often said that after he was gone, no one else would produce silks like he did. He is survived by his wife, Cynthia. A Broken Wand Ceremony was held in his honor.
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