Hello and Season's Greeting to the Board from Mr. and Mrs. Sam Jones

[Sam]

Over the weekend, I called Gladys and Sam Jones to wish them Happy Holidays. I was actually driving near their home on a trip to my granddaughter's college graduation. The first thing Gladys did was to chide me for not calling in advance so we could get together. Mia culpa.

Both of them sounded in great shape, and they are particularly proud of their 14 grandchildren. They assured me that they are in good health, and we agreed to get together during my next trip to their area.

I twice reminded them how much they still mean to Celtics Nation, because that has been somewhat of a bone of contention with Sam, and they seemed quite touched. I told them about the board, including how unusual it is. They were interested, and they asked me to pass along season's greetings to all members. Consider it done.

These are people who have the gift of being able to make anyone feel like he or she is the most important person in the world. I cherish the opportunity to have basked briefly, once more, in the sunshine they spread, and I thought I'd pass it along to all of you.

Happy Holidays!

Sam

[bobheckler]

Oh Sam! If only you could convince him to become a member!

Could you imagine that? Have an honest-to-God Celtic legend posting on this board!?

Wow.

Still, my warmest thanks and best wishes back at them.

bob

.

[Sam]

Bob,

I don't believe they own a computer. Beside, it would probably interfere with Sam's golf. They live right on a golf course.

I find it interesting that Sam's biggest loves in sports have involved sinking balls into round receptacles. Sam's only complaint is that he never improves on the links. Once a perfectionist.....

It's difficult to describe what a tonic it is to talk with the Joneses. It was a happy circumstance because I returned to find that one of my heroes—owner of the legendary Shakespeare & Company Bookshop in Paris—has died at age 98. Georges Whitman will be buried at equally legendary Pére Lachaise Cemetery amid literary notables such as Balzac. He was our mentor over the years of preparation of our book, and we were fortunate to be granted a final audience at his bedside this past April. His passing has really shaken me, and having talked with the Joneses has helped a lot.

Sam

[Outside]

Much of what attracted me to the Celtics during the Russell years was the quality of their play, but I came to appreciate the quality of certain players' character as well. I'm sure there were others, but to me, Bill Russell, Sam Jones, and John Havlicek were exemplars of how to conduct yourself on and off the basketball court. I wish Mr. and Mrs. Jones the very best this Holiday season, and always.

Sam, I was so sorry to hear about Georges Whitman's passing last week. The LA Times had a very nice article, and I immediately thought of you. If I remember correctly, you visited with him and Sylvia when you were in Paris this year. It doesn't make the sadness of his passing any easier, but to have lived such a long and full life is all anyone could ask for.

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-george-whitman-20111215,0,6588152.story.

Outside

[RosalieTCeltics]

Oh my God, Bob, you would talk his ear off!!!

Sam Jones was the smoothest shooter I ever saw, (and this comes from the leader of the Ray Allen fan club!). He did everything so effortlessly, he was a joy to watch. I, too, wish him a a very happy Holiday season and continued
good health in the new year!

Rosalie

[beat]

Think it would be a hoot if we could get "ANY" former Celtic to join the board. It be an honor just to know them on this level.

beat

[Sam]

Outside and others,

Thanks. Yes, in April, Sylvia told us he was not up to a visit. Then, for some reason, she changed her mind and hunted us down in the store. We didn't ask any questions, just hot-footed it up to George's third-floor apartment where we spent about 10 minutes with George and Sylvia. We even have a video (not more than 30 seconds) that Sylvia took during our visit.

One should never be surprised when a 98-year-old dies, but it's been a very emotional experience nonetheless. If I could afford it, I'd be on a plane to Paris tonight in order to make the funeral on Thursday. It's comforting to know that he'll rest eternally in one of the world's foremost cemeteries in the midst of other notables such as Ocsar Wilde, Balzac, Proust, Colette (George's dog's name), Chopin, and of course Jim Morrison.

Sam

[Matty]

Sam,
on one hand thankyou for the greeting from the Original mr. and mrs. Sam, its good to be able to share an exchange or two from those who've actauly adorned the Green and White.

on the other hand, im sorry to hear about the passing of George, from your book and comments you'e made here on the board i know George was a dear freind, his loss isnt just a personal one, but a loss for the world.

I dont recall who made the comment, or the exact words but the thought has always stuck with me, "be ashamed to die untill you've done something to leave mankind better off"

George Whittman left this world with no reason to be ashamed.

[Sam]

Matty,

I hope that, by this time, you're enjoying married life and will continue to do so for a long time.

Thanks for your thoughts about George. To me, he always embodied the family motto in the Kent Family Chronicles series by John Jakes: "To take a stand and make a mark."

George started taking his stand by leaving the Boston area (he was raised in Salem) and walking across the U.S. and parts of Central and South America. He nearly died in a South American swamp before being rescued and befriended by a local tribe.

All along the way, he immersed himself in local cultures and became fluent in Spanish and Chinese in the process. For a while, he was a cable car operator in San Francisco, where he became friendly with beat poets such as Ginsberg and Ferlinghetti. The S.F. bookshop, City Lights, is a sister store with George's Shakespeare and Company.

George enlisted in the Army during WWII and was trained as a medic. After the war, he used vouchers offered under the GI Bill to open his bookshop. Like the Sylvia Beach's earlier iteration of Shakespeare and Company, the shop offered free lodging to struggling writers—an estimated 40,000-50,000 so far. In exchange, the lodgers had to work an hour a day, read a book a day, and agree to write a brief biography before leaving. (The latter provision was to satisfy French authorities who were suspicious of what he was running and, at one point, closed the store for a while.) He even offered lodging to my wife and me at one point, although we had to decline.

You would have liked George, Matty. He never, never lost his fondness for young, beautiful women. In fact, he fathered his only child at age 67. Named Sylvia Beach Whitman, she's now age 30 and has been running the day-to-day store operations for nearly a decade. She finally succeeded in adding a telephone and a cash register (both against George's wishes) and has established a website, which means she must have smuggled a computer onto the premises.

George was notoriously frugal and even used to trim his scraggly hair by burning it with a candle. You can see this process as well as two of his nubile companions at the following link: http://tinyurl.com/889bybo

As his credo, George adapted a verse from Hebrews in the Bible: "Be not inhospitable to strangers, less they be angels in disguise." He was definitely one of a kind and one of my heroes (almost all of whom are now gone).

I already miss him terribly. Rest in peace, my friend.

Sam

[RosalieTCeltics]

He sounds like quite a man, Sam. In my opinion, you go through life, making friends with people at different stages of your travels. Sometimes, you are lucky enough to make a friend, share life's adventures, and remain friends for a lifetime. This is what it sounds like to me with your friendship with George.

I am lucky enough to have a friend in my life whom I have known since I was 12. She is important to me and I have made sure she knows how much I value her friendship. Yet, I started a job 8 1/2 years ago, and from the minute I walked through the door, yet another person embraced me and became a dear, sweet friend. She passed away this spring, and I still talk
to her every night before I go to sleep.

George sounds remarkable, someone without fear who set out on an adventure when he was young and continued it until he died. God bless him, may he rest in peace, and, you my friend, be thankful you met him in
your travels through life.

[Sam]

Rosalie,

How right you are. Friends are just about the most valuable commodity on earth. And, as much as you have valued the two friends of whom you speak, I'm sure they've valued you at least as much. Friendship is really the gift that keeps on giving.

Happy holidays.

Sam

[Sponsored content]