Remembering Valerie Perinne (1943-2026)

 

Valerie Perinne, voluptuous actress born September 3, 1943 in Galveston, Texas, passed away from Parkinson's disease in Los Angeles.  Her first film was Slaughterhouse-Five in 1972.  It was her performance in Lenny that gained her an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress.

She portrayed Lex Luthor's moll Miss Eve Tessmacher in Superman I and Superman II. She had the lead role in Can't Stop the Music with the Village People, which was a spectacular failure at the box office.

She continued acting until her retirement 2016, a year after being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2015.

Valerie Perrine in Cannonball Run

Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawai'ian, Pacific Islander Heritage Month: David Chiu, first Asian American mayor in Texas

David Chiu, born in China, lived in Hong Kong and Australia before moving to the United States.  He ran for mayor of San Marcos, Texas in 2000, and won, making him the first Asian American to become mayor in the state of Texas.  He served for two years when he was defeated in the 2002 election.

Happy birthday, astronaut Paul Lockhart!

Paul Lockhart, born April 28, 1956 in Amarillo, Texas, went into space twice. He received a BA in math from Texas Tech University in 1978, and a Master of Science in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin.  He then entered the US Air Force and graduated from pilot training in 1983. 

Lockhart's first mission was aboard the space shuttle Endeavour (STS-111) as pilot to the International Space Station in June 2002. He spent almost 14 days in space before returning to Earth.

His second and last mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-113) as pilot to the International Space Station in November-December 2002. He spent another 14 days in space before returning to Earth. 

Phyllis Coates, Lois Lane actress, born 1927

Phyllis Coates, born January 15, 1927 in Wichita Falls, Texas, had a movie career that spanned many decades, but she is best known for her role as Lois Lane in the Adventures of Superman. She appeared in 24 episodes from 1952-1953, after which she was replaced by Noel Neill.  

Prior to Superman, Coates appeared along side Neill in the Cold War movie Invasion, U.S.A., in which they play ticket agents for an airline.

Her last appearance was in 1996 in Hollywood: The Movie.  She passed away in October 2023 at 96 in Los Angeles.

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Jesse Chisholm, Cherokee developer of the Chisholm trail

Jesse Chisholm, born around 1805 in present-day Tennessee, was a Cherokee with Scottish ancestry who developed what became known as the Chisholm Trail.  He moved to Indian Territory with his mother, and became involved with a gold-seeking party, who blazed a trail to explore the area around present-day Wichita, Kansas.

He married Eliza Edwards in 1836 and he became a trader, working and serving as an interpreter between the Republic of Texas and local Native American tribes. He also worked between the US government and Native American tribes in Texas after Texas joined the US.  

After the Civil War, he settled near present-day Kingfisher, Oklahoma and traded into Indian Territory.  He built up a military trail into a road capable of carrying heavy wagons for his goods.  

Later, this trail was used by ranchers driving cattle from Texas to Kansas.  They named it the Chisholm Trail.

Jesse Chisholm passed away in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma in 1868.

Happy birthday, astronaut Jeffrey Ashby!

Jeffrey Ashby, born June 16, 1954 in Dallas, Texas, has been into space three times.  He served in the navy, flying combat missions in Operation Desert Storm, Operation Southern Watch, and Operation Continue Hope.

His first space flight was aboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-93) as pilot in July 1999. He returned to Earth after almost 4 days in space.

His second mission was aboard Endeavour (STS-100) as pilot to the International Space Station in April-May 2001. He returned to Earth after almost 12 days.

His third and final mission was aboard Atlantis (STS-112) as commander to the International Space Station in October 2002.  He returned to Earth after almost 11 days in space.

Happy birthday, astronaut Shane Kimbrough!

Robert "Shane" Kimbrough, born June 4, 1967 in Killeen, Texas, has been in space three times.

He graduated from the US Military Academy and flew Apache helicopters in the Operation Desert Storm. He joined NASA in 2000 and was part of the first group of astronauts selected following the Columbia disaster.

His first mission into space was aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour (STS-126) as mission specialist to the International Space Station in November 2008.  He conducted two EVAs, lasting a total of almost 13 hours.  He spent almost 16 days in space.

Kimbrough's second trip into space was aboard Soyuz MS-02 as flight engineer to the ISS in October 2016.  He participated in Expeditions 49-50.  He carried a soccer ball belonging to Ellison Onizuka, who died in the Challenger disaster to the ISS. He returned to Earth in April 2017, after over 173 days in space.

His third mission into space was aboard SpaceX Crew-2 as commander to the ISS in April 2021 to the ISS. He participated in Expeditions 65-66. He returned to Earth in November 2021, after more than 199 days in space, the longest US mission to date. 

Celebrating Native American Heritage Month: Stephen Graham Jones, Native American (Blackfeet) horror/mystery writer

Stephen Graham Jones, born January 22, 1972 in Midland, Texas, is a Blackfoot Native American author of horror, crime fiction, and science fiction.  He earned a BA from Texas Tech University and then earned his Master of Arts degree in English from the University of North Texas in 1996. He completed his Ph.D. from Florida State University in 1998.

He wrote The Fast Red Road as his dissertation and it was published in 2000 as his debut novel.  He's won the Jesse Jones Award for Fiction in 2005, and the Bram Stoker Award for Long fiction in 20217.

He contributed an X-Men story to Marvel Comic's Marvel's Voices: Indigenous Voices #1.  

I've included hm since my co-author Max Griffin have used him as the inspiration for our character, Montana Psionic Officer Graham Keller, who will be featured in the upcoming novel, Out of the Ashes.

Irene Ryan, Granny Clampett, born 1902

Irene Ryan, born Jessie Irene Noblitt in El Paso, Texas October 17, 1902, is best know for her role as the feisty mother-in-law to Buddy Ebsen's Jed Clampett in the long-running comedy Beverly Hillbillies.  Ryan was only six years older than Ebsen at the time. She was already established as a celebrity for her work in vaudeville, radio, and movies.

In 1963 and 1964, she received two Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead). 

When the series ended, Ryan fulfilled her life-long dream of performing on Broadway. She appeared in the musical Pippin, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Supporting or Featured Actress (Musical).

A month after the ceremony, Ryan passed away from heart disease in April 1973. 

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Martha E. Bernal, first Hispanic woman to earn a PhD in psychology

Martha Bernal, born April 13, 1931 in San Antonio, Texas to Mexican immigrants.  Overcoming racism about her ethnicity she received her Bachelor's Degree from Texas Western College, now University of Texas at El Paso in 1952.  After getting her Master of Arts degree in 1955 from Syracuse, she transferred to Indiana University where she was faced with sexism.  She wanted to quit her studies but a teacher persuaded her to finish her doctorate, which she did in 1962, becoming the first Latina in the U.S. to obtain a PhD in psychology.

She contributed significantly to the field, especially for her work on children's behavioral problems, and to develop organizations that focused on ethnic groups to combat issues of racism, sexism, discrimination, etc.

She passed away in September 2001 after losing her fourth battle with cancer.

 

Blue Origin NS-18 launched 2021

Blue Origin NS-18 crew (L-R): Chris Boshuizen, William Shatner, Audrey Powers, Glen de Vries

Mission patch

Blue Origin launched its second sub-orbital manned spaceflight New Shepard (NS-18) from west Texas, October 13, 2021. Its tourist crew consisted of Audrey Powers, Chris Boshuizen (third Australian-born in space), Glen de Vries, and actor William Shatner (Captain Kirk from the Star Trek universe). 

At 90 years, Shatner became the oldest person to go into space. The mission lasted just over 10 minutes, before returning to the west Texas landscape.  De Vries died in a plane crash just a month after the mission.

Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month: Patrick Flores, first Mexican-American Catholic bishop

Patricio (Patrick) Flores, born July 26, 1929 in Ganado, Texas, became the first Mexican-American Catholic bishop.  After graduating from high school in Galveston, he studied at St. Mary's Seminary in La Porte, TX and St. Mary's Seminary in Houston.

He was ordained as a priest for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston May 26, 1956. Pope Paul VI appointed Flores as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of San Antonio in March 1970, and then as bishop of the Dioceses of El Paso in May 1978. 

In August 1979, Pope John Paul II appointed Flores as archbishop of the Archdiocese of San Antonio.  He retired at the age of 75 in December 2004.  He passed away in January 2017 of congestive heart failure and pneumonia.  

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: David Barkley Cantu, WWI hero and Medal of Honor recipient

David Barkley Cantu, born March 31, 1899 in Laredo, Texas, enlisted in the Texas National Guard in 1917, and entered the US Army in April of that year.  He enlisted under his father's name of Barkley for fear of discrimination.  At the time, Hispanics were segregated to serve in non-combat units, but Congress passed an act to allow Hispanics to fight in May 1917.  

He was assigned to the 155th Infantry in August 1918 and sent to France in WWI.  Later he was assigned to Company A, 356th Infantry, 89th Division.  Just before the Armistice, he volunteered to swim across the Meuse River, behind German lines in France to gather information about the enemy.  He and a sergeant managed to get the information, but Barkley drowned as he swam back across the river.  

He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for his bravery.

Happy birthday, Carol Burnett!

The brilliant comedienne, Carol Burnett, born April 26, 1933 in San Antonio, TX, has been making us laugh for more than 60 years.  Her first appearance was on the Paul Winchell Show in 1955.  She has gone on to star on Broadway and hosted her own television variety show The Carol Burnett Show, which won 9 Golden Globes.  Burnett herself has won 5 Golden Globes, 6 Primetime Emmys, a Grammy, and been nominated for two Tonys.  

May she long make us laugh!

Celebrating Black History Month: Otis Boykin, African-American inventor of the resistor

Otis Boykin, born August 29, 1920 in Dallas, Texas, invented the electrical resistor, a small, unassuming piece of equipment that revolutionized electronics.  His invention vastly improved the pacemaker, which uses electrical impulses to maintain a regular heartbeat.  His mother passed away when he was one year old, and that is probably the impetus for his life's work.  

He passed away in March 1982 in Chicago, Illinois.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month: Marcelino Serna, first Hispanic to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross

Marcelino Serna, born April 26, 1896 in Chihuahua, Mexico, was the most decorated soldier from Texas in WWI, and was the first Hispanic to be awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

He crossed the Rio Grande entering the US in El Paso, Texas in 1916.  He was working as a farm hand in Denver, Colorado when he was rounded up by federal officials.  To avoid being deported, he joined the Army.  When the Army realized he was a Mexican national, they told him he did not have to fight, but he chose to stay.  For his actions at Saint-Mihiel, Meuse-Argonne, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest military award.  He was also awarded the Purple Heart with oak leaf cluster and the World War I Victory Medal, among numerous awards from France.

He passed away in El Paso, Texas in 1992.

Morgan Woodward, Star Trek actor, born 1925

Morgan Woodward, prolific actor, was born September 16, 1925 in Fort Worth, Texas.  He appeared in many westerns and two episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series.  He played Dr. Simon van Gelder in Dagger of the Mind and Captain Tracey in The Omega Glory.  

He also appeared in episodes of Murder, She Wrote, The X-files and Millennium.

Woodward passed away in February 2019.

Bruce Hyde, Star Trek actor Lt. Riley, born 1941

Bruce Hyde, born September 14, 1941 in Dallas, Texas, is well-known for his role as Lt. Kevin Riley on Star Trek: The Original Series.  He only appeared in two episodes, The Naked Now and The Conscience of the King.  He is one of the few actors, besides the regulars, to have a recurring role.  

He passed away in October 2015 from throat cancer.

Happy birthday, astronaut Shannon Walker!

Shannon Walker, born June 4, 1965 in Houston, Texas, went into space aboard Soyuz TMA-19 to the International Space Station in June 2010.  She participated in Expeditions 24 and 25 before returning to Earth in November after more than 163 days in space.

She is scheduled to return to the ISS in August of this year aboard SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft USCV-1.

Happy birthday, Space Shuttle astronaut John Creighton!

John Creighton, born April 28, 1943 in Orange, Texas, is a veteran of three space shuttle flights.

His first mission was aboard Discovery (STS-51-G) as pilot in June 1985.  The mission objective was to release three communication satellites, from Mexico, the Arab Satellite Communications Organization and AT&T.

His second flight was aboard Atlantis (STS-36) as commander in February 1990.  The mission carried a classified payload for the US Department of Defense.

His third and final flight was aboard Discovery (STS-48) as commander in September 1991.  Its primary mission was to deploy the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite.

In total, Creighton spent over 16 days, 20 hours in space.