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	<title>Cauliflower Alley Club &#187; Finishes (RIP)</title>
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	<description>Established 1965 - A non-profit corporation</description>
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	<itunes:summary>Established 1965 - A non-profit corporation</itunes:summary>
	<itunes:author>Cauliflower Alley Club</itunes:author>
	<itunes:explicit>no</itunes:explicit>
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		<title>Cauliflower Alley Club &#187; Finishes (RIP)</title>
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		<title>RIP: NWA Referee Ron West</title>
		<link>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/05/15/rip-nwa-referee-ron-west/</link>
		<comments>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/05/15/rip-nwa-referee-ron-west/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 15 May 2013 21:56:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finishes (RIP)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/?p=8585</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The CAC is sad to report that NWA Referee Ron West has passed away. We will have more information shortly. Please keep the West family and all his many friends in your thoughts at this time. Our condolences to Ron his family, the many friends and fans.]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The CAC is sad to report that NWA Referee Ron West has passed away. We will have more information shortly. Please keep the West family and all his many friends in your thoughts at this time.</p>
<p>Our condolences to Ron his family, the many friends and fans.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>RIP: Mary &#8220;Florence Fields&#8221; Hatfield</title>
		<link>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/04/24/rip-mary-florence-fields-hatfield/</link>
		<comments>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/04/24/rip-mary-florence-fields-hatfield/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:48:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finishes (RIP)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/?p=8490</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The CAC is sad to report that Mary &#8221;Florence Fields&#8221; Hatfield passed away Tuesday night at approx. 9PM after a courageous battle with cancer. Florence was married to the famous Fields brother, Don. She was a staple of the Gulf Coast Wrestlers Reunion where she meet everyone with open arms at all the reunions. She had [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The CAC is sad to report that Mary &#8221;Florence Fields&#8221; Hatfield passed away Tuesday night at approx. 9PM after a courageous battle with cancer. Florence was married to the famous Fields brother, Don. She was a staple of the Gulf Coast Wrestlers Reunion where she meet everyone with open arms at all the reunions. She had been the Treasure of the GCWR as long as her health permitted. A true gem of the GCWR she will truly be missed.</p>
<p>The Cauliflower Alley Club send its condolences to all the family and friends of Florence Fields.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>THE LIFE OF PERCY, AND A FINAL  AWARD</title>
		<link>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/03/14/the-bill-moody-story-and-a-final-award/</link>
		<comments>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/03/14/the-bill-moody-story-and-a-final-award/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 14 Mar 2013 14:40:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finishes (RIP)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/?p=8328</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The wrestling world of the past 20-plus years knew him as Paul.Â  Those a decadeÂ  or so older knew him as Percy.Â  To old friends from around home in Mobile, Alabama, he was just Bill.Â  And now, one of the most readily recognizable figures in modern wrestling history has left the ring for the last [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The wrestling world of the past 20-plus years knew him as Paul.Â  Those a decadeÂ  or so older knew him as Percy.Â  To old friends from around home in Mobile, Alabama, he was just Bill.Â  And now, one of the most readily recognizable figures in modern wrestling history has left the ring for the last time.</p>
<p>Paul Bearer, handler of the mysterious Undertaker; Percival Pringle III, loquacious spokesman for the latest villains in the South; Bill Moody, the soft-spoken funeral director, passed away on the evening of March 5, 2013 in a Mobile hospital.Â  He had faithfully attended the annual Gulf Coast Wrestlersâ?? Reunion just three days earlier and was clearly suffering medical problems there, which led to his hospitalization on March 3.Â  His death has been attributed to a blood clot.</p>
<p>William Alvin Moody was born on April 10, 1954 in Mobile.Â  Wrestling seized his attention when he was barely school-age, and never loosened its grip.Â  By his mid-teens he was photographing the ring action in Alabama arenas for the Gulf Coast promotion and the mat magazines.Â  On graduation from high school he joined the U.S. Air Force for a four-year tour of duty, but that wasnâ??t all that occupied him.Â  Though he wasnâ??t physically gifted, he nevertheless learned wrestlingâ??s rudiments and in 1974 Gulf Coast booker Cowboy Bob Kelly gave him his chance in the ring.Â  He wrestled intermittently through the rest of his military enlistment, and following that his early employment and education as a mortician.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/03/14/the-bill-moody-story-and-a-final-award/bearer-pmissing-link2a/" rel="attachment wp-att-8331"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-8331" title="Percy Pringle III and the Missing Link" alt="BEARER-P,MISSING LINK2A" src="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/BEARER-PMISSING-LINK2A-238x300.jpg" width="238" height="300" /></a>Life for Bill Moody changed forever in 1978: in April, he signed on for a stint in Mississippi where the booker was Frankie â??The Great Mephistoâ? Cain; and on December 22 he married the love of his life, Dianna Lynn McDole.Â  Just one match into his Mississippi run, Cain suggested that Billâ??s true forte was managing, and the next night he became Percival Pringle, again Cainâ??s idea, and marshalled The Mongolians, Tio and Tapu Taylor, into the ring.Â  Shortly after he added the â??IIIâ? to his name, and for the next dozen years grew his reputation as the boisterous, bragging handler of such talent as Rick Rude, Blackjack Mulligan, Buzz Sawyer, The Great Kabuki and many more.</p>
<p>In the midst of this career growth, Bill took time out to further his education as a mortician, as insurance against the day the wrestling road ended.Â  He graduated on the Deanâ??s List at San Antonio College in Texas in 1985, with a degree in mortuary science and certification as a funeral director.Â  With that in hand, it was back on the circuit as â??PP3â? for another five yearsâ?¦..and then, WWE came calling.<a href="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/03/14/the-bill-moody-story-and-a-final-award/bearer-ptaker1a/" rel="attachment wp-att-8332"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-8332" title="Paul Bearer and the Undertaker" alt="BEARER-P,TAKER1A" src="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/BEARER-PTAKER1A-300x286.jpg" width="300" height="286" /></a></p>
<p>In December 1990, Vince McMahon made an offer Bill couldnâ??t refuse: art would imitate life as he became Paul Bearer, manager and â??funeral directorâ? for the newly-signed Mark Calaway, introduced at Survivor Series 1990 as The Undertaker.Â  The pairing was deja-vu; Percival Pringle III had managed the nearly seven-foot giant as the masked Texas Red in his very first pro match in Texas in 1984, againstÂ  Bruiser Brody.</p>
<p>As 1991 dawned, the pair began to click immediately.Â  WWE went into high gear, producing one dark vignette after another, showcasing the Undertaker in top matches on its TV shows, spotlighting the strange behavior of Paul Bearer with his ever-present urn that Bill pulled off to perfection.Â  Taker and Bearer complemented each other completely, year in and year out through every variation on their theme.Â  When Glen Jacobs entered the picture in 1997 as Kane, in storyline Takerâ??s half-brother and Paul Bearerâ??s son, Bill folded neatly into the altered situation and brought a new dimension to his character.</p>
<p>Perhaps one of the greatest tributes to Bill Moodyâ??s work in WWE came from Jim Ross in his daily internet blog.Â  The worldâ??s foremost wrestling commentator wrote â??â?¦.as great as Taker&#8217;s run has been in WWE, arguably the most marvelous, long term run in WWE history, it would have not been the same without Paul Bearer being added to the presentation in the Phenom&#8217;s formative years.â?</p>
<p>Though Paul Bearer hadnâ??t been seen on WWE television since April 2012, he was still under a long-term Legends contract that would have given him periodic TV exposure and greater longevity than almost anyone in the company.Â  WWEâ??s esteem for him came across vividly in a video retrospective of his career that opened the RAW telecast of March 11, 2013, and touchingly when both Undertaker and Kane saluted him on bended knee to close the show.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/03/14/the-bill-moody-story-and-a-final-award/bearer-pjones-g1b/" rel="attachment wp-att-8335"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-8335" title="Percy and long time friend George Jones" alt="BEARER-P,JONES-G1B" src="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/BEARER-PJONES-G1B-241x300.jpg" width="241" height="300" /></a>Bill was a lifetime member of CAC, and enjoyed our reunions as often as his schedule would allow.Â  He was honored at the 2003 reunion with the Menâ??s Wrestling Award, and was scheduled to receive the Lou Thesz Lifetime Achievement Award at this yearâ??s reunion.Â  It will be presented posthumously at the closing banquet on April 17.Â  Just three days before his passing, Bill had asked a CAC board member if Cowboy Bob Kelly â?? the man who set him on the wrestling road â?? could be his presenter, and itâ??s a wish weâ??re pleased to fulfill.</p>
<p>Bill was predeceased by his beloved Dianna on January 31, 2009, and one grandchild.Â Â  He is survived by his parents, Harry and Clarice Moody, sons Michael (Beth) and Daniel (Jami), three grandchildren, and a sister. Joan, as well as extended family.</p>
<p>The Cauliflower Alley Club extends its condolences to the family and friends of this fine gentleman, and thanks him for his presence in the Ring of Friendship.</p>
<p><em>Photos courtesy Scott Romer, Slam!Wrestling, Mike Lano, and <a href="http://www.percypringle.com">www.percypringle.com</a></em></p>
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		<title>RIP: CAC Member Chris Chesselet</title>
		<link>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/03/01/rip-cac-member-chris-chesselet/</link>
		<comments>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/03/01/rip-cac-member-chris-chesselet/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:06:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finishes (RIP)]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/?p=8344</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[CAC member Chris Chesselet passed away this past Dec. Chris was a regular at the CAC reunions the past several years. Chris was a disabled veteran of the United States Military. And at the time of his death resided in Eugene Oregon. Chris was a wrestling fan for many years. His all time favorite was [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>CAC member Chris Chesselet passed away this past Dec. Chris was a regular at the CAC reunions the past several years. Chris was a disabled veteran of the United States Military. And at the time of his death resided in Eugene Oregon.</p>
<p>Chris was a wrestling fan for many years. His all time favorite was Ed Morretti.</p>
<p>The Cauliflower Alley Club extends its condolences to the family and friends of Chris Chesselet.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>RIP TITO MONTEZ , MAN OF THE PEOPLE</title>
		<link>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/02/07/rip-tito-montez-man-of-the-people/</link>
		<comments>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/02/07/rip-tito-montez-man-of-the-people/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Feb 2013 12:48:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finishes (RIP)]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/?p=8224</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[He began his pro wrestling career at the tender age of 16, and by the time he retired some 30 years later, Tito Montez had solidly cemented the bond between himself and fans in western America. Tito passed away at age 78 on January 30, 2013, in Oregon.Â  He had suffered with Alzheimerâ??s disease for [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>He began his pro wrestling career at the tender age of 16, and by the time he retired some 30 years later, Tito Montez had solidly cemented the bond between himself and fans in western America.<br />
Tito passed away at age 78 on January 30, 2013, in Oregon.Â  He had suffered with Alzheimerâ??s disease for some time, and succumbed to complications of it.<a href="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/02/07/rip-tito-montez-man-of-the-people/montezrip-3/" rel="attachment wp-att-8230"><img class="size-full wp-image-8230 alignleft" alt="MONTEZrip" src="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/MONTEZrip2.jpg" width="185" height="275" /></a><br />
Born Edward Montemayor in Texas, he caught the wrestling fever early, largely trained himself, and debuted in San Antonio in about 1950 against veteran Herbie Freeman.Â  Smaller in stature than the usual matman, the youngster more than made up for any physical shortfall with sizzling speed, a never-say-die style and a sincere and sparkling personality.Â  He developed fast and toughened up quickly, and made his first foray into the Arizona territory in the 1958-59 season as Tito Montez.Â  The bond with the fans formed fast, but little did anyone suspect that Montez would wind up being the all-time fan favorite through his subsequent runs there in 1960-62, and 1969-77.<br />
In the highlight of his career, Tito was on top on a card that holds the all-time Arizona gate record, 14,000 in Phoenix Municipal Stadium.Â  Not only that, he won his match, refereed by legendary boxing hero Joe Louis.Â  He held the state heavyweight championship on six occasions, and is a member of both the Oregon/Washington Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame, and the Western States Wrestling Hall of Fame.<br />
Another favorite area was the Pacific Northwest, and Don Owensâ?? bustling Oregon promotion.Â  Tito was there a number of times, appearing variously as Eddie Sullivan, Eddie Montez, Eddie Oâ??Hara and Tito Montimayor.Â Â  Regardless of the name he used, his tearaway style was an instant hit and lodged him lastingly in the minds and hearts of the PNW faithful.<br />
<a href="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/02/07/rip-tito-montez-man-of-the-people/montez2rip/" rel="attachment wp-att-8232"><img class="size-full wp-image-8232 alignright" alt="MONTEZ2rip" src="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/MONTEZ2rip.jpg" width="241" height="241" /></a>The recipient of CACâ??s Menâ??s Wrestling Award in 2003, Tito displayed his lasting sense of gratitude when he requested that his sister, Marie Johnson, present the honor.Â  Marie had actively supported his desire to become a pro wrestler all those years ago, even driving him to matches around Texas when he didnâ??t have a driverâ??s license in his youth.<br />
A long-time member of CAC, Tito was easy to spot at the reunions in his black cowboy hat, colorful garb and plenty of gold.Â  Though the image might have seemed a little flashy, Tito was not.Â  He was sincere and down to earth, the common man, and enjoyed talking with fellow wrestlers and fans alike.Â  On the reunion floor he was almost always with Maggie, his wife and business partner in T&amp;S Carpet Cleaners in Oregon in his final years, and together they made a handsome and striking couple.</p>
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		<title>RIP: Count Billy Varga</title>
		<link>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/01/16/rip-count-billy-varga/</link>
		<comments>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/01/16/rip-count-billy-varga/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Jan 2013 01:26:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finishes (RIP)]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/?p=7890</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[World Wrestling Champion Count Billy Varga passed away January 11, 2013 in Burbank. He was 94. Born in Cleveland, Ohio on January 10, 1919, he lived in Los Angeles for more than 70 years. His father, Count Joseph Varga was a prize Hungarian fighter who inspired his son to enter the ring. Both men went [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>World Wrestling Champion Count Billy Varga passed away January 11, 2013 in Burbank. He was 94.</p>
<p>Born in Cleveland, Ohio on January 10, 1919, he lived in Los Angeles for more than 70 years. His father, Count Joseph Varga was a prize Hungarian fighter who inspired his son to enter the ring. Both men went by the denomination of Count, bestowed upon them as members of Hungarian nobility.</p>
<p>In Count Billy Varga&#8217;s robust wresting career, spanning from the 1930s to the 1970s, he fought in more than 500 matches, defeating over half of his opponents. A few of his most famous titles were: National Wrestling Association World Lightweight Champion, National Wrestling Association Hawaii Heavyweight Champion and World Wrestling Association American Heavyweight Champion.</p>
<p>His popularity and athletic success led to work as an actor, a job in which he often played a pro wrestler, boxing announcer or referee. He appeared in many films including Raging Bull, Miss Sadie Thompson with Rita Hayworth, Oklahoma Crude starring George C. Scott and Faye Dunaway. On TV he made appearances on shows including Matlock, The Munsters and The Jack Benny Program.  In addition, he and his Son Billy Varga the 2nd appeared in 1971&#8242;s National Geographic The Mohave Desert.</p>
<p>Count Billy Varga served in the Navy as Boatswainâ Mate First class UNSR during World War II. When he returned to California after the war, he lived in Burbank, CA, with his family.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2013/01/16/rip-count-billy-varga/countbillyvargarip/" rel="attachment wp-att-7897"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-7897" alt="CountBillyVargarip" src="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/CountBillyVargarip-169x300.jpg" width="169" height="300" /></a>In all of his endeavors, Billy was known for his spirit for life.  Even former wrestling opponents called them his friend, though it was known that inside the ring he was a formidable competitor. Extremely loyal, he developed lifelong friendships with other wrestlers, staying in touch with them as members of the Cauliflower Alley Club.  His friends and family also knew him as a huge practical joker, whom could be, most often then not, passionate and boisterous.</p>
<p>He was married to his beloved wife Rosabelle for more than 50 years, she preceded him in death in 1992. They had three sons, Billy Varga the 2nd, Courtland and Royce, all of whom preceded him in death. He is survived by five grandchildren, who will miss him deeply, Billy Varga the 3rd, Lisa Varga-Hamrick, Eain Varga, Tania Varga and Joseph Varga.</p>
<p>A memorial service celebrating Billy&#8217;s life will take place on Saturday, January 19 with a viewing at 11 am and the funeral at 1 pm at Holy Cross Cemetery 5835 West Slauson Ave. Culver City, CA 90230 For information (310) 836-5500 or go to <a href="http://www.holycrossmortuary.com">www.holycrossmortuary.com</a> to view his obituary.</p>
<p>Greg Oliver has posted a article about Count Billy Varga over at SLAM! Wrestling <a href="http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Movies/2010/05/14/13945556.html">http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/Movies/2010/05/14/13945556.html</a></p>
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		<title>RIP: Past CAC President,Red Bastien</title>
		<link>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2012/08/11/rip-past-cac-presidentred-bastien/</link>
		<comments>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2012/08/11/rip-past-cac-presidentred-bastien/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 12 Aug 2012 02:01:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finishes (RIP)]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/?p=7563</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It is what it was, to employ a slight edit of Red Bastien&#8217;s favorite phrase, it is what it is.  And what it was, was a wonderful life lived by a unique man. Rolland Bastien to his legion of friends, and the uncounted masses who witnessed his ring exploits over the years  passed away in [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>It is what it was</em>, to employ a slight edit of Red Bastien&#8217;s favorite phrase, <em>it is what it is</em>.  And what it was, was a wonderful life lived by a unique man.</p>
<p>Rolland Bastien to his legion of friends, and the uncounted masses who witnessed his ring exploits over the years  passed away in Minneapolis, Minnesota on the afternoon of August 11, 2012, at the age of 81.</p>
<p>The genial redhead capped a remarkable and lengthy wrestling career, that spanned carnival AT shows, professional rings from Madison Square Garden on down the list, training of young wrestlers and actively promoting his sport in California, with a seven-year stint as President of the Cauliflower Alley Club.  Through it all, he maintained an amazing zest for life, an infinite capacity to relate to people, an endless supply of good humor, and that unforgettable laugh.</p>
<div id="attachment_7575" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 249px"><a href="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/BASTIENpwhfrip.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-7563];player=img;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-7575" title="BASTIENpwhfrip" alt="" src="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/BASTIENpwhfrip-239x300.jpg" width="239" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Red with the Tragos/Thesz Hall of Fame award</p></div>
<p>Born in Bottineau, North Dakota on January 27, 1931, young Rolland developed an interest in wrestling by his mid-teens. Though a promising swimmer, he foresook the pool for the mat, and bypassed the amateur side of the sport for the rigorous challenge of wrestling in the carnival AT shows against all comers.  He was trained well by several old hookers, the masters of submission wrestling, and in his latter teens went through several years on the gruelling carny circuit.  He was undefeated, depending on his deceptively-small size, rawhide toughness and natural competitiveness to carry him through.</p>
<p>Red, as he soon came to be known, had his first pro match in about 1950, by most accounts. His budding career was interrupted by a stint in the U.S.Navy, attached to a ship repair squad stationed near Naples, Italy.  Resuming his mat ventures, he trained further with old pro Joe Pazandak in Minneapolis.  He also worked on his aerial game particularly, becoming one of the highest-flying athletes of the day.Reds spectacular flying head scissors was one of a kind, and is said to have never been duplicated.</p>
<div id="attachment_7576" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 250px"><a href="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/BASTIENBROSrip2.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-7563];player=img;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-7576" title="BASTIENBROSrip" alt="" src="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/BASTIENBROSrip2-240x300.jpg" width="240" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">The Bastien Brothers &#8211; Lou Bastien (standing) &amp; Red</p></div>
<p>Tag team wrestling became his forte as the 1960&#8242;s dawned.  He worked on top at Madison Square Garden with brother Lou (Klein)Bastien, defeating such teams as the Grahams and The FabulousKangaroos. Billy Red Lyons allied with him as The Flying Redheads, and Spanish strongman Hercules Cortez was his regular partner until he died in an auto accident in Minnesota on July 23, 1971 that Red miraculously survived.</p>
<p>Red became an exceptional wrestler early in his career. An average-sized man at 5&#8242; 10&#8243; and just over 200 pounds, he transcended his limitations to become one of the best of his era inside the ring, in the almost universal view of his contemporaries.</p>
<div id="attachment_7578" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 310px"><a href="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/trainingBastien.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-7563];player=img;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-7578" title="trainingBastien" alt="" src="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/trainingBastien-300x217.jpg" width="300" height="217" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Wrestlers trained by Bill Anderson &amp; Red in Northridge, Ca.(circa 1985) In this photo is Sting (Steve Borden), the Ultimate Warrior (Jim Hellwig), The Angel of Death (Dave Sheldon), Strangler Steve DiSalvo, Garland Donahoe and Mark Miller</p></div>
<p>As Reds active career began to taper off, he worked closely with Big Bill Anderson in training promising new talent in California, including Sting (Steve Borden), Angel of Death (Dave Sheldon), Ultimate Warrior (Jim Hellwig), Steve di Salvo and others. He began promoting as well, in both northern and southern California, and often used smaller men with different styles, such as luchadores, on his cards.</p>
<p>As well as being President of the Cauliflower Alley Club from 2001 to 2007, Red was installed in the WCW Hall of Fame in 1994, and the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame at the Wrestling Museum in Waterloo, Iowa in 2007.</p>
<div id="attachment_7592" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 250px"><a href="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/BASTIEN-RDESTROYER1B3.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-7563];player=img;"><img class=" wp-image-7592" title="BASTIEN-R,DESTROYER1B" alt="" src="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/BASTIEN-RDESTROYER1B3-240x300.jpg" width="240" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">&#8220;Flying Red&#8221; with a scissors lock on The Destroyer.</p></div>
<p>CAC introduced the Red Bastien Award at his retirement from the presidency, to recognize those very special fans who have never worked in any major capacity in the pro wrestling industry or been under contract to a major wrestling promotion, but should have demonstrated by deed and word over time a commitment to the people and the welfare of the industry.</p>
<p>Sadly, Red was stricken with Alzheimers Disease, and spent the last several years of his life in an excellent care facility in Minneapolis.  He is survived by the devoted lady in his life for many years, Carol McCutchin, and her daughter Tracy, and by a large extended family in the upper midwest.</p>
<p>The Cauliflower Alley Club extends its condolences to Carol and Tracy, and to Reds family and many friends.</p>
<p>Greg Oliver of Slam!Wrestling has a fine retrospective of Reds life at <a href="http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2010/05/02/13796526.html">http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/2010/05/02/13796526.html</a> , along with an interesting photo gallery.</p>
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		<title>CAC mourns the loss of Chris Drake</title>
		<link>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2011/09/27/cac-mourns-the-loss-of-chris-drake/</link>
		<comments>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2011/09/27/cac-mourns-the-loss-of-chris-drake/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 28 Sep 2011 01:48:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Finishes (RIP)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/?p=6505</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Chris Drake, the long-time treasurer and legal counsel of the Cauliflower Alley Club and beloved wife of vice-president Tom Drake, has passed away in hospice care in Cullman, Alabama. Her wonderful life came to a close on the morning of September 26, 2011, after a lengthy illness. &#8220;Chris was so much more than the treasurer [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Chris Drake, the long-time treasurer and legal counsel of the Cauliflower Alley Club and beloved wife of vice-president Tom Drake, has passed away in hospice care in Cullman, Alabama. Her wonderful life came to a close on the morning of September 26, 2011, after a lengthy illness.</p>
<p>&#8220;Chris was so much more than the treasurer and lawyer for CAC.  She was indeed our treasure, a solid rock on whom we could lean and unfailingly depend,&#8221; said CAC president Nick Bockwinkel.  &#8220;Her wise counsel has done so very much to guide CAC over all these years.&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/DRAKECHRIS22.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-6505];player=img;"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-6518" title="DRAKECHRIS2" alt="" src="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/DRAKECHRIS22.jpg" width="156" height="200" /></a>Christine McKoy Drake was born on November 26, 1938 in Oneonta, Alabama.  She worked for Tom&#8217;s law firm as a legal secretary and paralegal from 1963 until 1981, then enrolled in the Birmingham School of Law.  Graduating in 1985 with a J.D. degree, Chris joined Tom&#8217;s practice and the firm became Drake and Drake Attorneys, offering a broad range of legal services.</p>
<p>Her workload encompassed far more than just being a successful lawyer. An active member of the State Bar, she served for four years on the Alabama State Board of Education, on the advisory board for the University of Alabama in Birmingham, and various committees related to community colleges in the state.  Chris has also been active in politics, including serving in a key capacity in presidential candidate Walter Mondale&#8217;s campaign in 1984.</p>
<p>Chris served for 19 years as the treasurer and legal counsel to CAC, and it&#8217;s very much worth noting that in all that time the Club never received a bill for her many and varied legal consultations and services.  A non-profit organization such as ours often requires legal advice in order to operate effectively and within the rules, and Chris was more than generous with her time and knowledge.</p>
<div id="attachment_6519" class="wp-caption alignright" style="width: 250px"><a href="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/DRAKECHRIS42.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-6505];player=img;"><img class="size-medium wp-image-6519" title="DRAKECHRIS4" alt="" src="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/DRAKECHRIS42-240x300.jpg" width="240" height="300" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Charlie &amp; Lou Thesz with the Drakes</p></div>
<p>&#8220;To describe the contributions that Chris made to the CAC would be more difficult to describe than the value the sun has to flowers,&#8221; executive vice-president Karl Lauer, who consulted with her an untold number of times, points out.  &#8220;Over the 19 years she has been the legal mind and adviser to the CAC, many times I would get the credit, but it was Chris Drake who advised me first.  I know there are many ladies that are as good as Chris, but I doubt if there are any, any better. She will be missed for a long, long time.&#8221;</p>
<p>Th<a href="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/DRAKECHRIS31.jpg" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-6505];player=img;"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-6521" title="DRAKECHRIS3" alt="" src="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/DRAKECHRIS31-300x240.jpg" width="300" height="240" /></a>e Cauliflower Alley Club extends its deepest sympathies to Chris&#8217;s husband Tom, sons Tommy (Kimberly) and Whit (Katherine),  daughters Mary (Ron) Pate and Christy (Ben) Lowe, her six grandchildren, and her brother Jim.</p>
<p>Visitation will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, September 28, and the funeral at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 29, at Moss-Service Funeral Home Chapel, 1901 &#8211; 2nd Avenue North West, Cullman, AL 35055, telephone (256) 734-1821.</p>
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		<title>Things You Might Not Have Known About Jack Brisco</title>
		<link>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2010/02/03/things-you-might-not-have-known-about-jack-brisco/</link>
		<comments>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2010/02/03/things-you-might-not-have-known-about-jack-brisco/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:11:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finishes (RIP)]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/?p=3491</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[(I received this email in a chain of emails about Jack Brisco. After trailing it back to the original owner, Mark Nulty, I contacted him and ask his permission to post this on the CAC site. I would like to thank Mark for allowing us to use his material that describes Jack Brisco to a [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>(I received this email in a chain of emails about Jack Brisco. After trailing it back to the original owner, Mark Nulty, I contacted him and ask his permission to post this on the CAC site. I would like to thank Mark for allowing us to use his material that describes Jack Brisco to a &#8220;T&#8221;.)</em></p>
<p>I sit here writing this in my University of Texas Longhorn sweat shirt. Somewhere, Oklahoma Sooner fan Jack Brisco is giving that unique chortle that only he did, â??Hahâ?, and rolling his eyes while giving the upside down Hook â??Em Horns sign in defiance.</p>
<p>I feel sorrow that Jack has passed. But I also feel lucky that I got to know him. Here are some things you might not have known about one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time.</p>
<p><em><strong>Jack Brisco was the most self assured person that I ever knew</strong></em></p>
<p>Jack never displayed any ego in all the time I knew him. He was the most comfortable person in his own skin I ever met. He always exuded a quiet confidence and never felt any need to impress on anyone his status as a champion or celebrity. He loved professional wrestling and was proud of his career. But he never let his professional wrestling or his accomplishments define him as a person.</p>
<p>Jack would talk about his career, but only if you asked him. Never once did I ever hear him start a sentence with â??when I was championâ? or â??when I was wrestling.â?</p>
<p>Brian Blair had a great line that perfectly described Jack. We asked Jack once about his NCAA Championship Trophy. Jack said he had it somewhere but wasnâ??t sure where. Brian told me, â??If I had won the NCAA championship, the trophy would be the centerpiece of my house.â?</p>
<p>Jack never lived in the past.</p>
<p>He was having too much fun in the present.</p>
<p><em><strong>Jack Brisco never met a stranger</strong></em></p>
<p>Jack seemed instantly comfortable around everybody he met. It was always a warm smile and big handshake.</p>
<p>Jack and Greg Goode had become friends through the Internet. At the Cauliflower Alley Club, as Greg put it, Jack kind of took Greg under his wing and made sure he was introduced to everybody that wanted to talk to Jack.</p>
<p>Jack and Greg were sitting at the bar one night having a drink and a fan came up to them. The fan was obviously a little nervous about approaching them. Before the fan spoke to Jack he looked at Gregâ??s balding scalp and asked, â??Are you Verne Gagne?â?</p>
<p>Without missing a beat, Jack replied, â??No, this is Greg.â?</p>
<p><em><strong>Jack Brisco was a wrestling fan like you and me</strong></em></p>
<p>Well, except for the fact that he was offered a football scholarship to the University of Oklahoma and he could tie every other wrestling fan in a knot if he wanted.</p>
<p>It was a real feeling of kinship hearing Jack talk about marveling about the wrestlers he watched on TV as he grew up.</p>
<p>Jack admitted that as a kid he got yelled at by store owners, â??Are you going to buy that magazine? Itâ??s not a library!â? It was the same rite of passage every wrestling fan from that era passed.</p>
<p><em><strong>Unlike you and me, Jack Brisco shared a stage with Waylon Jennings</strong></em></p>
<p>Through his travels, Jack came across many athletes and entertainers that were wrestling fans. A lot of them gravitated to Jack.</p>
<p>One night, Jack was at a Waylon Jennings show in Florida. To his surprise, he was invited on stage. No one was suggesting a career change, but somewhere there is a great picture of Jack and Waylon Jennings sharing a mic.</p>
<p><em><strong>Jack Brisco liked a great gimmick</strong></em></p>
<p>When you think of Jack Brisco, you think of a great amateur wrestler and one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all time. You think of him in the same classic style that you think of Lou Thesz, Tim Woods, Danny Hodge, Verne Gagne, or Kurt Angle.</p>
<p>When you think of Jack, there is an assumption that his tastes were conservative in how he thought wrestlers should be presented.</p>
<p>Imagine my surprise when I asked him what wrestler that he always wanted to work with that he never got a chance. â??The Great Kabuki. That was the best gimmick in wrestling.â?</p>
<p>Jack was a fan of professional wrestling, not just guys that wrestled like him.</p>
<p>There was a special place in his heart for David Allan Coe</p>
<p>I canâ??t listen to <em>YouÂ Never Even Call Me By My Name!</em> without thinking of Jack cranking up the volume on his stereo, throwing back a Miller Lite, and belting out the chorus. And now Iâ??m going to get a little choked up when I hear it.</p>
<p><em><strong>Jack Brisco may not have known how good of a shooter he really was</strong></em></p>
<p>We were having a few beers with one of Jackâ??s oldest friends in the business, Chief Jay Strongbow. They were talking about guys that they had wrestled over the years.</p>
<p>The name Pat Oâ??Connor came up.Â  Oâ??Connor was NWA Champion in the late 50s and early 60s and was a great amateur from New Zealand</p>
<p>â??I couldnâ??t stand that sonofabitch, â?? Strongbow exclaimed. Strongbow complained about a move Oâ??Connor would catch that would stretch his opponent.</p>
<p>â??Yeah, he tried that with me when I wrestled him,â? Jack remembered. â??I sat out, reversed and rubbed his face in the mat. He didnâ??t do that anymore.â?</p>
<p>Strongbow just looked at him. â??Jack, not everybody won the NCAAs.â?</p>
<p><em><strong>Jack Brisco was a great sports fan</strong></em></p>
<p>Particularly of college football.</p>
<p>For a few years, it was a tradition that I went to his house for the Texas-Oklahoma game.</p>
<p>Unfortunately for me, most of that time was during the Chris Simms era and Jack got to gloat about another Longhorn beatdown.</p>
<p>Jack was such a college football fan that he had Tampa Bay Buccaneer season tickets â?? during the 80s.</p>
<p>He loved NASCAR and was a huge Dale Earnhardt fan.</p>
<p>You could try making a lunch bet on a college football trivia question. But you would probably end up needing to bring your wallet.</p>
<p><em><strong>Jack Brisco was a fan of todayâ??s wrestlers</strong></em></p>
<p>Even after he retired, Jack was a fan of wrestling. Some retired stars would complain about the current generation. Not Jack.</p>
<p>Just like when he was growing up, he still marveled at the athleticism and showmanship of todayâ??s wrestler.</p>
<p>While some wrestlers from his generation may have been resentful of the money current stars earn, Jack was delighted.</p>
<p>He loved the growth of wrestling, that it was getting bigger stages, more exposures, and the wrestlers were earning comparable money to other athletes and entertainers.</p>
<p>In Jackâ??s mind, it was the way it should have been along.</p>
<p>Again, it went back to how self assured Jack was. He was so comfortable with who he was and what he accomplished that he never had to compare himself to others.</p>
<p><em><strong>Jack Brisco was one of the few wrestlers that retired and meant it</strong></em></p>
<p>Itâ??s a famous story, but bears repeating here.</p>
<p>Jack was on tour with the WWE when it first went national. Jack saw one snowstorm too many while at an airport.</p>
<p>He looked at his brother Gerald and said, â??See that plane? Itâ??s heading south. Iâ??m going to be on the next one headed that direction.â?</p>
<p>And true to his word, Jack came home.</p>
<p>He was a true rarity. A wrestler that stayed retired. Bookers and promoters would call him but he wasnâ??t lacing up the boots anymore. He was offered special referee gigs for big matches and other non-wrestling roles but refused. He was retired and happy.</p>
<p>Jack never let professional wrestling define him as a person.</p>
<p><em><strong>Jack Brisco was a great professional wrestler in the ring but an even better person outside the arena</strong></em></p>
<p>OK, you probably already knew that one.</p>
<p>*Please visit <a href="http://www.JackBrisco.com">www.JackBrisco.com</a> to learn even more about one of the all time best.</p>
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		<title>Dawn Marie &#8211; In Memory of Steve Williams</title>
		<link>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2009/12/31/dawn-marie-in-memory-of-steve-williams/</link>
		<comments>http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/2009/12/31/dawn-marie-in-memory-of-steve-williams/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 01 Jan 2010 06:22:39 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Morgan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Finishes (RIP)]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/?p=3019</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[IN MEMORY OF STEVE WILLIAMS May 14, 1960 &#8211; December 29, 2009 We always talk about the angels up in heaven, and how they are there watching and guiding us. We always look up into the sky when we talk about angels and their work.Â  The truth is the real angels are here on earth [...]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;">IN MEMORY OF STEVE WILLIAMS</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">May 14, 1960 &#8211; December 29, 2009</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/SteveWillaimsDawn-Marie.gif" rel="shadowbox[sbpost-3019];player=img;"><img class="size-full wp-image-3020  aligncenter" title="SteveWillaimsWR" src="http://www.caulifloweralleyclub.org/wp-content/uploads/SteveWillaimsDawn-Marie.gif" alt="" width="178" height="94" /></a></p>
<p>We always talk about the angels up in heaven, and how they are there watching and guiding us. We always look up into the sky when we talk about angels and their work.Â  The truth is the real angels are here on earth walking amongst us.Â  They are the ones that were placed on earth to guide us and help us through our stay.Â  Doc was an angel of this earth and only those who he has touched can truly understand what I am about to say.Â  Docs work here is done and now God has rewarded him with peace and eternal rest.</p>
<p>I did not have the pleasure of knowing him when he was an adolescent, a great football player, or an amazing wrestler. I met Doc many years later after he retired and I had left the business and started Wrestlers Rescue.Â  I started to receive these emails and letter in my mailbox from a young lady named Melonie.Â  She wrote to me religiously begging me to find away to help Steve receive a hands free voice box.Â  Her mail and emails haunted me.Â  I could not get them out of my head.Â  One night at about 4am in the morning I was lying in bed and I couldnâ??t sleep.Â  I didnâ??t know why but I just seemed too preoccupied to relax enough to fall off to sleep.Â  Finally, out of nowhere it all came clear. I realized that I was supposed to do something with the letters.Â  I can remember that night.Â  It was just one of those nights that seemed like so many others.Â  But today I remember it as if it were just last night.Â  I remember texting my friend and right hand person with Wrestlers Rescue Marty â??Are you awake?â?Â  He instantly answered â??yes I canâ??t sleepâ?.Â  How ironic right?Â  I started to tell him of these letters I was receiving from Melonie and how I canâ??t seem to get them out of my head.Â  I then told him Iâ??m supposed to do something with this.Â  I am being told do something!Â  We continued to talk and we came up with the 1st draft to the Dr. Death Campaign.Â  By this time it was about 7am and I knew I couldnâ??t call this stranger that early in the morning to tell him of the plans we had just come up with.Â  Finally, it was late enough in the morning to call and I did.Â  I remember this raspy voice answering and saying â??helloâ?.Â Â  I then introduced myself and told him of the foundation and what we would like to try and do to help him.Â  Little did I know that this was going to be about how he was going to help me.Â Â  As the days followed I started to learn about him.Â  You see I had only met him once in my career and it was at an appearance in NJ.Â  That day I walked over to him and introduced myself, handed him my card and explained briefly what the foundation was about.Â  I believe the foundation was only a few months old at that time.Â  He placed his thumb over his stoma and said sweetheart it was a pleasure to meet you.Â  He followed with digging into a bag he had on the cafeteria table with the rest of his stuff and pulled out a card for me and said â??Sweetheart â?¦if ever anything I can do for youâ? and placed it in my hand.Â  I then peered down at his card and it was peaceful it had this giant hand absorbing a beam of light.Â  I never saw a card like this but it looked like a safe place to be.Â  Again, not knowing this man was going to be carrying me in his giant hand and showing me the light one day.</p>
<p>I started to call wrestlers from his era and started to inform them who I was and what Wrestlers Rescue was trying to do for their friend and fellow worker.Â  By the time I had finished my conversations, I had realized they all had a common thread.Â  They all gushed about what a great man he was, what a tremendous worker he was, how respected he was, how people looked up to him and were so proud of him on how he faced Cancer and won.Â  I used the word faced because I feel after talking to those people CANCER didnâ??t have a fighting chance.Â  By the end of the month and hearing multiple stories that all sounded like the first I had to called Steve right away.Â  I remember I was driving down the highway in my car and I called.</p>
<p>I started our conversation by telling him, â??Docâ?¦. I have never ever heard so many nice stories about one human being in my entire life or about anyone in this crazy business of oursâ?.Â  I said â??usually you bring up someoneâ??s name and you either get a great story or you get there okâ?.Â  Of Which the OK means they donâ??t care for you and would probably say worst if the wrestling world wasnâ??t so political.Â  I proceeded to tell him how much everyone loved him and that people just gushed over him whenever his name came up and that I felt like I have known him for years.Â  I also told him â??I feel like I was right there with you throughout your career I have heard so muchâ?.Â  He was so happy he even began to cry a bit.Â  He was so overwhelmed that people felt that way about him.Â Â  I think it was so overwhelming to him because he never thought what he did or how he interacted with people was anything special.Â  He was just himself without motive; no reason other than he was a genuine person and human being. He treated others better than he probably expected other to treat him.Â  I am so happy I took the time to tell him that day because he was such a humble person I donâ??t think he would have realizedÂ  how so many people loved him, respected him and looked up to him.Â  I realized after that phone call that he was the type of person I wanted to be.Â  Through this period of time I spent with Steve I learned to love the business again.Â  He showed me why I started in the first place. He gave me my business back.Â  This business is usually only given to someone once if they are lucky enough.Â  This is when we are learning and striving to become someone great.Â  The veterans of the business chose you and take their time to give you there knowledge to help you achieve what is in your heart.Â  The first time I was given this business it was from Jimmy Snuka.Â  He took the time to teach me his love for his business.Â  Somewhere along the way I got lost and lost it.Â  Through working with Doc I found that love for the business and the people in it again.</p>
<p>Recently, God directed him back to me to teach me my final lesson.Â  He had an appearance here in NJ again, where I live and that I also happened to be appearing on.Â  This was only the second appearance in my career we ever crossed paths.Â  The first was where we met and the second was our good-bye.Â  I just didnâ??t know it yet.Â  We made plans to spend some time together while he was here. We talked about him coming to my home and meeting my children.Â  But as usual, life got in the way and I was called off to work somewhere else immediately after the show so I had to rush off.Â  We never did get together and he never had the chance to meet my babies or as he use to call them blessings when we talked about them in our many conversations throughout the campaign.Â  That day came and went and with the hustle and bustle of the day I only had moments with him.Â  Had only I known they would be my last.Â  I feel that the last lesson I needed to learn from him was to slow down, live in the moment and enjoy your blessings!Â  Doc, you were my angel.Â  It is pretty ironic because you use to call me angel and never Dawn and I know in many interviews you also referred to me as that. But the truth was you were mine.â?¦I not yours.Â  You taught me many of lifeâ??s lessons in our too short relationship.Â  I hope one day when my jobs here on this Earth are done, you will be one of the set of eyes there welcoming me and telling me thank you for hearing me and enjoying your life.</p>
<p>Â <br />
<em>Dawn Marie</em></p>
<p>Wrestlers Rescue</p>
<p>Web: <a href="http://wrestlersrescue.org/">http://WrestlersRescue.Org</a></p>
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