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The International Brotherhood of Magicians

09 Sep

11 Magicians Remembered in September Broken Wand

Category: Broken Wand   Posted by: C. DENNIS SCHICK

 BROKEN WAND -- SEPTEMBER 2018

 

 

FRANCIS R. BARTHOLOMEUSZ


Dr. Francis Risien Ivan Bartholomeusz, 95, of Payneham, South, Australia, died July 16, 2018. He was a former member of the I.B.M. (1976-2017). He was a member of the Order of Merlin Shield (thirty-five years a continuous member). He also was a member of Ring 148 (Adelaide, Australia) and the Adelaide Society of Magicians. Born in Sri Lanka, Risien was a doctor of dentistry. He also was in the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel. He loved music and magic. He discovered magic as a boy in England. He loved to sing, and he often said proudly that his singing tutor also taught Enrico Carruso. He came to Australia about 1970, before it became a multi-cultural nation. He was good at breaking down racial barriers with his music and magic. Survivors include his wife of over sixty-three years, Evelyn; children Chiron, Dylan, and Delyse and their wives, Anne-Marie, Kelly, and Frances; eight grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. 

 

DANIEL S. BUTLER


Daniel Scott Butler, 56, of Fort Worth, Texas, died August 6, 2018. He was a former member of the I.B.M. Born in San Diego, California, he was one of the most respected “underground magicians” in Texas, according to one source. Survivors include his wife, Kelley; children Allie, Mica, Eugene, Tabitha, Hope, Faith, Scotty, Camie, Phoebe, and Josiah, and their families; grandchildren, Logan and Wilfred; parents William and Betty Butler; and brother, Larry.

 

RALPH A. FOWLER


Ralph A. Fowler, 81, of Ellicott City, Maryland, died July 26, 2018. His I.B.M. membership number was 21363, and he had been a member since 1967 (fifty-one years). He was a member of the Order of Merlin Excalibur (fifty years a continuous member). He also was a member of Ring 179 (Baltimore, Maryland), and the Society of American Magicians. He enjoyed performing magic at local schools, conventions and other venues. His children and grandchildren often assisted him in his acts. Following high school he earned a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from John Hopkins University, and a Masters of Business. He served in the Army National Guard for three years, and in the Air Force National Guard for another three years. He retired from the Westinghouse Corporation in 1991, after thirty-three years. In addition to magic, his other hobbies were skiing, racquetball, bicycling, and swimming. He also was a steel guitar player with the Rusty Pluckers and several local bands. Survivors include his wife, Patricia; two sons; seven grandchildren, and three great-granddaughters.

 

ROBERT W. GIBSON


Robert W. Gibson, 89, of Pasadena, California, died June 22, 2018, one month short of his ninetieth birthday. His I.B.M. membership number was 67326, and had been a member since 2007. He also was a member of the Society of American Magicians, the London Magic Circle, and the Academy of Magical Arts (the Magic Castle). Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, he grew up in St. Louis. Early in high school he developed an interest in magic and joined Ring 1 after seeing Dante perform. Later his family moved to California, and he earned B.A. and M.A. degrees from Stanford University. He was drafted by the Army at age twenty-six, serving in public information. In 1963 he was hired as an editorial writer by the Los Angeles Times. A year later he was promoted to foreign editor. Over the next two decades he transformed the newspaper’s foreign coverage from three to thirty-three correspondents. In 1983 he was bumped to international economics correspondent, from which he retired in 1991. In retirement he enjoyed his hobbies of magic, tennis, and traveling. Survivors include his wife of thirty-seven years, Esmeralda (Esme); children Christopher, Paula and Valerie; four grandsons; and his former wife, Carol.

 

DAVID E. LINSELL


David Edward Linsell, 65, of Morton Grove, Illinois, died August 11, 2018. His I.B.M. member number was 23913, and he had been a member since 2009. He also was a member of the Chicago Magic Round Table. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he earned a B.F.A. from the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 1977. He worked in technical training and photographic equipment sales at Olympus America for twenty-nine years, and then found his true vocation as a photographer of magic memorabilia and fine art for Potter & Potter Auctions, until retiring in 2018. He also was a freelance photographer, including being the photographer for the 2011 I.B.M. Convention in Dallas. He maintained large collections of photography, jazz, and magic. In 2016 he published a book of his digital magic photography, “The Spirit of Magic,” and the following year, a book of his Potter & Potter photography, “The Golden Age of Magic Posters.” Survivors include his wife for twenty-seven years, Christine; daughter Forrest Marie (Al) Peters; brother James (Mary Ann); and sister-in-law Penny Marsala. Memorial contributions may be made to the Unitarian Church of Evanston, Illinois; or to Wright-Way Animal Shelter.

 

DONALD W. RACKLEY


Donald Wayne Rackley, 62, of Hixson, Tennessee, died July 30, 2018. He was a former member of the I.B.M. He also was a member of Ring 112 (Chattanooga, Tennessee), the Storyteller’s Guild, and Abba’s House. He was active in church music and theater ministry. He had a career as a computer operator at Buster Brown for eighteen years, was a home-schooling father for eighteen years; and became a popular magician, entertainer, motivational speaker, and seasonal Santa Claus. Survivors include his wife, Nancy; sons, Donald, Johnathan, and Adam; daughter, Andrea; and parents Donald Rackley and Betty Shipley. A Broken Wand Ceremony was conducted in his honor.

 

NORMAN S. ROSEN


Norman S. Rosen, 86, of Fords, New Jersey, died July 8, 2018. His I.B.M. membership number was 62885, and he had been a member since 2002 (sixteen years). He also was a founding member of Assembly 161 of the Society of American Magicians. He served in the U.S. Navy, 1949-1953, during the Korean War. He also participated in the Atomic Bomb and the first Thermonuclear Hydrogen bomb detonation tests at Enewitok Atoll in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. He was president of Menlo Building Maintenance Company for many years before retiring. In the 1970s he became a professional magician. He performed many shows with his fellow magicians at the local veterans and children’s hospitals, and at other venues. Survivors include his wife of sixty-six years, Phyllis; four children, Dr. Marc (Sherry), Leslie (Dr. Jeffrey) Jacobs, Sharon, and Jill; sister Elaine (Edward) Perlstein; and brother Jeffrey (Stephanie); brother-in-law Jerome (Theresa) Neuman; seven grandchildren; and one great-grandson. 

 

RUTH V. SCHILBERG


Ruth V. Schilberg, 89, of Grants Pass, Oregon, formerly from Vista, California, died July 4, 2018, three days before her ninetieth birthday. She was a former member of the I.B.M. (2006-2014). She was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Magicians. Born in Miami, Arizona, her family moved to Boulder City, Nevada where she grew up. In 1949 she met and married Stanley Schilberg. They moved to Southern California for the next fifty-seven years. He died in 2007 and she moved to Oregon. She hosted Good News clubs for many years, and was active in various mission organizations. She created Jingles The Clown, performing at children’s parties, and on public boardwalks with other clowns. Over time she added more and more magic tricks, and eventually traded in her clown suit for that of a magician, Jingles The Magician. She continued to perform magic for many more years. Survivors include her children Lois, Daniel, Susan (Samantha); and grandson, Mark Middleton.

 

WILLIAM F. VON STOCKEN

 

The I.B.M. Headquarters office recently learned that William (Bill) F. Von Stocken, 91, of Burnsville, Minnesota, died April 24, 2018. He was a former member of the I.B.M. (1951-2016). He was a member of the Order of Merlin Excalibur (fifty years a continuous member). He also was a member of Ring 19 (Minneapolis, Minnesota), the Fellowship of Christian Magicians, and the Society of American Magicians. As “Darnay the Great,” he performed magic throughout the Midwest. He had a gospel magic program which he performed in hundreds of churches. He was also known for a theater hidden behind a door in his basement. Bill served in the U.S. Army during World War II, and graduated from the Gale Institute Minneapolis, and the Minneapolis Business College. He worked in sales over the years, for a variety of companies. He was both a Cub Scout and Boy Scout leader, and coached teams for both his son and daughter. Survivors include son Bill (Noel), daughter Darla (Ron) Lievense; and four grandchildren: Tiffany (Phillip) Johnson, Kristy, Angela (Cameron) Avery, and Noelani. Memorial contributions may be made to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, or the Gideons. 

 

TED WAKAI

 

The I.B.M. Headquarters office recently learned that Theodore (Ted) Wakai, 93, of Oxnard, California, died April 10, 2018. He was a former member of the I.B.M. (2005-2011). He was a member of the Fellowship of Christian Magicians. He was born to Japanese missionaries, and grew up in Hawaii. He attended the University of Hawaii but interrupted his studies to join the Army during World War II. Seventy-five years later he received the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. After his discharge, he earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois, a master’s degree from Iowa State University, and a doctorate at Michigan State University. He was a man of many professions and interests: NASA lecturer, chemical engineer, school teacher, and part-time entrepreneur. Among his hobbies and interests were playing the piano and ukulele, ballroom dancing, flying (he had a pilot’s license) and -- most of all -- magic. He performed as “The Wizard of Oxnard.” His goal was to make people forget their troubles and laugh. He volunteered his time at hospitals to teach magic as a form of physical therapy. Survivors include three children, three grandchildren, a brother and numerous nephews and nieces. Memorial contributions may be made to the Kapa’a United Church of Christ, 1315 Ulu Street, Kapaa, HI 96746 (the church his parents founded); or to the Makiki Christian Church, 829 Pensacola Street, Honolulu, HI 96814.

 

JOHN T. WHITE, JR.


John Tyler White, Jr., 80, of Mt. Olivet, Kentucky, died May 10, 2018. His I.B.M. membership number was 16045 and he had been a member since 1970 -- forty-eight years. He was a member of the Order of Merlin Shield (thirty-five years a continuous member). A U.S. Army veteran, he retired from Kentucky state government after thirty years. He saw magic as an opportunity to make people laugh. To that end, he wore Hee Haw coveralls when performing, and loved to play practical jokes. Survivors include his wife, Patricia; three sons; and four grandchildren.

 

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