Photos and autographs courtesy of my obtained in person autograph collection.
I'm very sad to say that two legends from totally different walks of life have passed away. Hall of Fame baseball player Tony Gwynn and announcer Casey Kasem have been very influential in my life. Tony Gwynn was one of the best players around during my baseball fandom and the awesome thing is, for every time I ever saw him – which was a lot, he was ALWAYS a nice guy. He always took the time to sign autographs for fans and as you can see above, he had a really cool signature. I always had a huge respect for someone so popular to remain so nice, year after year, even after his career had skyrocketed.
Radio personality (and the voice of Shaggy on Scooby Doo), Casey Kasem has also died. My brother and I listened to his top 40 countdown all the time and because of it, I discovered a lot of music that has completely and utterly rocked my world. I used to go to a Super Bowl party every year that had a lot of famous people at it and I saw Casey and his wife often at that party. They were always extremely nice. He was as uplifting and inspirational in person as he was on the radio.
Both Casey Kasem and Tony Gwynn had been ill for a long time, so I am glad they are free from suffering and I will always think of you both fondly and I hope your messages of love will be learned and understood by the next generation.
Rest in peace and happy trails, gentlemen! Thanks for always being nice to me!
This was a very sweet and heartfelt remembrance, thank you for sharing.