A long and full life lived by Hugh Hefner, he died yesterday at the age of 91.
He was many things to many people but among them a champion of free speech and and proponent of living the dream of one’s choosing: “Life is too short to be living somebody else’s dream”.-Hugh Hefner
As some of my old Vista Bomber teammates will attest, he was also a very gracious man. We were fortunate enough to get to attend some of the annual events at his home, the famed Playboy mansion, where he rolled out the red carpet for all who attended, be they celebrities or like us, not. I recall one instance in particular where a large group was jostled a bit by his bodyguards as he made his way through the crowd to the bar. We both wound up waiting for the same bartender. As I motioned my best “no, you first“, he countered with his own. His home, his party, but I (like everyone else there) was his guest. It is but a small anecdote of someone who lived a larger life than most, but it stayed with me in my view of the man. Generous, gracious. He was often surrounded by celebrities but remembered from whence he came.
RIP Mr. Hefner.