The Crowd -- B.W. Cook

He was left at the train station as an infant by his natural parents.

Adopted by the Rev. Fulton John Linkletter, Arthur Linkletter would grow

up as his parent’s only child, living in a small town in Canada.

The television pioneer who ran for 20 years with his “House Party”

show and another 19 years with his “People Are Funny” show, will be 90 in

June.

Linkletter said, “Old age is not for sissies,” which is not just a

saying but the title of his recent best-selling book.

He came to Newport-Mesa last week at the invitation of the Assistance

League of Newport-Mesa, Las Reinas and Virginia Castle Auxiliaries, to

share his personal point of view with the ladies and gentlemen who

converged upon the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel and Tennis Club for a

Friday luncheon.

Linkletter, with his famous grin and dry wit, told the crowd: “I never

want to be what I want to be. I believe that there is always something

better out there and that we must never stop growing and growing up.”

He went on to say, “Life is what happens to you when you are making

other plans.”

The homespun philosophy and down-to-earth anecdotes have made Art

Linkletter an international celebrity and a standard bearer for the

American values of the World War II generation. Married for 66 years to

wife Lois, who attends all of his speaking engagements, Linkletter winked

at his wife and shared a story with the audience concerning a run-in with

the highway patrol.

“Didn’t you used to be Art Linkletter?” asked the police officer,

pulling Linkletter over.

Linkletter nodded and confirmed the officer’s question. He shared with

the policeman that at his age he is very happy to be here -- “actually at

this age I’m happy to be anywhere,” he said.

The author of 26 books, Linkletter has received two Emmy Awards, one

Grammy Award, 10 honorary doctorate degrees and one award in which he

takes particular pride -- Grandfather of the Year. Linkletter is actually

grandfather to 14 grandchildren, or as he puts it, “14 3/4 grandchildren

-- one is on the way.”

“It’s better to be over the hill than under it,” says Linkletter, who

shared very personal sadness with the audience, discussing the death of

one of his daughters from an overdose of LSD.

He says he learned the importance of knowing what it means to love

another human being and to know that they care, and that the loss of his

child turned his life upside-down, introducing him to a world he never

thought he would encounter, concerning drugs and drug addiction.

Linkletter has used his voice as a drug abuse speaker in both America and

international sites. He knows he is making a difference.

And he also knows that he can never replace the child that was lost to

drugs. “Being alive means having a purpose,” says the master of optimism.

The adopted kid from the train station has had quite a ride.

Ann Shonstrom, chairwoman of the Virginia Castle Auxiliary; June

Foley, chairwoman of the Las Renias Auxiliary; and Nancy Viands,

president of the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa, joined forces to

welcome 500 patrons to the Linkletter luncheon.

Kelly Ringer served as the event chairwoman, working with Teresa

Pomeroy, Katie Wilker, Corinne Black, Bev Eppey, Jocelyn Gilbert, Joanne

Johnston, Mary-France Lefebvre and a host of other dedicated Assistance

League women working to create a spectacular spring fund-raiser under the

theme, “A Better Tomorrow For Today’s Child.”

Patrons supporting the Assistance League of Newport-Mesa included John

and Donna Crean, Cheri Harris, Kathryn Fishback, Jeanne Jones, Mary

Raymond, Cynthia and Norm Barkeley, Mary Lynn Bergman-Rallis, Maureen B.

Klein, Joyce R. Tanton, Ginger Allen, Doris Hope and Barbara Roberts.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.