One of the saddest parts of the working on defineFREEDOM.com is watching the news and seeing that participators and contributers have passed away. This post will review three such cases.
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Mr. Paul Arizin
"PHILADELPHIA — Paul Arizin, an early adopter of the jump shot who led the Philadelphia Warriors to an NBA championship in 1956 and was named one of the 50 greatest NBA players of all time, died Tuesday night [12/13/2006] at his home in suburban Philadelphia. He was 78.
Arizin, a Hall of Famer who was cut from high school team, died in his sleep,
according to a statement from Villanova University, where Arizin had an outstanding college career.
Arizin is survived by his wife, Maureen, four sons, a daughter and 14 grandchildren."
-USA Today
Mr. Arizin completed his card on October 21, 2006
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Mr. William Birch
"Mr. Birch joined the United States Army Air Force in September 1939, trained as a bombardier, and by 1942 was a Staff Sergeant in the 34th Bomb Squadron. When the squadron was asked, Mr. Birch was among those who volunteered for the Tokyo Raid. He took part in the Raid as the bombardier of the #11 aircraft flown by Capt. Ross Greening. Their aircraft made a bomb run on an oil refinery and attacked a patrol boat headed out of Tokyo Bay to the China Sea. The crew bailed out at night over China and were assisted by Chinese villagers. Mr. Birch passed away on Saturday, November 18, 2006. He was preceded in death by his wife. He enjoyed writing poetry, and enjoyed taking care of stray animals along with his wife. He was proud to be an American." - http://www.doolittleraid.com/
Mr. Birch completed his card January of 2006.
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Buck O'Neil
"Buck O’Neil, a star first baseman and manager in the Negro leagues and a pioneering scout and coach in the major leagues who devoted the final decade of his life to chronicling the lost world of black baseball, died last night in Kansas City, Mo. He was 94." -New York Times
"'Shed no tears for Buck,' he told friends who had gathered that day. “I couldn’t attend Sarasota High School. That hurt. I couldn’t attend the University of Florida. That hurt.
“But not going into the Hall of Fame, that ain’t going to hurt me that much, no. Before, I wouldn’t even have a chance. But this time I had that chance.”
And then a man who, for decades warmed every cold shoulder leveled his way, did so again.
When it came time to induct the others into the Hall of Fame in late July, it was O’Neil who stood proudly to deliver the day’s first address.
“Buck O’Neil was one of the greatest ambassadors baseball has ever known,” said Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. He was a giant of a man whose wisdom, kindness and generosity of spirit will live on forever in all those whom he touched and who touched him." -The Associated Press
Mr. O'Neil September 2006, three weeks before he passed away.
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Even though we never meet many of the people who participate in defineFEEDOM.com, we
do feel a connection to all of them, and hope that their memories will never be forgotten.
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