On Sunday, September 18th, during the telecast of the 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles California, the producers of the 57th awards show and David Letterman, as the voice for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, graciously paid tribute to "Tonight" show host Johnny Carson. Last night, the world also said goodbye to thirty other stellar television actors, writers, producers, directors, executives, comedians, ventriloquists, news reporters and sportscasters, including:

Eddie Albert

Anne Bancroft

Mason Adams

Barbara Bel Geddes

William Bell

Shana Alexander

Dana Elcar

Rodney Dangerfield

Greg Garrison

John Fiedler

Ossie Davis

Frank Gorshin "The Riddler"

Perry Lafferty

Howard Morris

James Doohan "Scotty"

Paul Henning

Brian Kelly

Howard Keel

Brock Peters

Christopher Reeve "Superman"

Pat McCormick

Herb Sargent

Chris Schenkel

Danny Simon

Hal Sitowitz

Michael Weisbarth

Ruth Warrick "Phoebe English Tyler Wallingford Matthews Wallingford"

Paul Winchell, the voice of "Tigger"

Jerry Orbach "Detective Leonard W. Briscoe"

The one television icon we lost this year, who had the biggest impact on my childhood years, was Bob Denver.

Denver was the star of the longest running show in the history of television syndication, "Gilligan's Island".

On Friday, September 2nd 2005, Gilligan left this island for a better one.

Bob Denver, the fabulously funny actor who played the role of Gilligan from 1964 to 1967, passed away of cancer at the young age of 70. He died on Friday, September 2nd at Wake Forest University Baptist Hospital in North Carolina of complications from treatment he was receiving for cancer. His family was by his side when he died. His fans celebrate Bob Denver's life and the gift of silliness and laughter that he brought to the world.

When I was a kid, in order to watch "Gilligan's Island" I would have to earn t.v. tickets by doing chores around the house. "Gilligan's Island" and "I Love Lucy" were always my top two "cash-in" choices.

"Star Trek", The Original Series, "The Carol Burnett Show" and "The Andy Williams Show" (1962-1971) were also family favorites.

This past year, in search of worthwhile family television programs, I discovered Gilligan's Island on DVD. The three season series was released in February 2004.

My seven and ten year-old daughters are now hooked. They would rather watch Gilligan's Island than most other shows currently available on tv.

Growing up in the 60's and 70's I was fortunate to be taken on many camping and adventure trips with my sister, brother and parents. Most of the time we would drive. During these long trips with my family we did not measure time by minutes or hours.

"When are we going to get there?" one of the three of us kids would ask. Four hours was a tough thing to grasp for a seven year-old.

"Eight more Gilligan's Islands" my parents would respond.

"Oh, o.k.," we would say. "We get it," we would think in our heads. And back to playing the ABC Game we would go.

In three years, 98 episodes of Gilligan's Island were filmed. I think I saw every one at least 10 times growing up in the 60's except when they were finally saved. After school, my siblings and I enjoyed escaping to an island of laughter and fun. Little did we know we were watching a manmade lagoon created at CBS Studios.

Do you remember when the Skipper thought Gilligan had turned into a monkey?

Or the time Mary Ann had amnesia and thought she was Ginger?

Season One (1964-1965) included guest star Kurt Russell in an episode called "Gilligan Meets Jungle Boy." One of my other favorites was "Voodo Something To Me" co-written by Elroy Schwartz, the brother of Gilligan's Island creator-writer-producer Sherwood Schwartz.

The castaways included:

Bob Denver as Gilligan
Alan Hale Jr. as The Skipper Jonas Grumby
Jim Backus as Thurston Howell III
Natalie Schafer as Eunice Wentworth 'Lovey' Howell
Tina Louise as Ginger Grant
Russell Johnson as Roy 'The Professor' Hinkley Jr., Ph.D.
Dawn Wells as Mary Ann Summers

In addition, Kurt "Jungle Boy" Russell was a guest star when he was a kid. So was Zsa Zsa "Erika Tiffany Smith to the Rescue" Gabor and Don "The Kidnapper" Rickles.

Jim Backus died in 1989 of pneumonia.

Alan Hale Jr. died in 1990 of respiratory failure due to cancer.

Natalie Schafer passed away in 1991 of cancer.

Now, the Skipper's "little buddy" has joined him, Backus and Schafer on a new island.

We will always remember the Gilligan's Island Theme Song called "Ballad of Gilligan's Island" by Sherwood Schwartz and George Wyle, vocals by the Wellingtons.

Gilligan's Island Lyrics

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale,
A tale of a fateful trip,
That started from this tropic port,
Aboard this tiny ship.

The mate was a mighty sailing man,
The skipper brave and sure.
Five passengers set sail that day,
For a three-hour tour, a three hour tour.

The weather started getting rough,
The tiny ship was tossed,
If not for the courage of the fearless crew,
The Minnow would be lost, the minnow would be lost.

The ship set ground on the shore of this uncharted desert isle,
With Gilligan, The Skipper too, the millionaire and his wife,
The movie star, the professor and Mary Ann,
Here on Gilligans Isle.

So this is the tale of the castaways,
They're here for a long, long time,
They'll have to make the best of things,
It's an uphill climb.

The first mate and the Skipper too,
Will do their very best,
To make the others comfortable,
In the tropic island nest.

No phone, no lights, no motor cars,
Not a single luxury,
Like Robinson Crusoe,
As primitive as can be.

So join us here each week my friends,
You're sure to get a smile,
From seven stranded castaways,
Here on "Gilligan's Isle."

When my father turned 60, we used the "Gilligan's Island" tune to create our own set of lyrics to celebrate another Bob. Bob King. That was ten years ago this fall. My brother, Brad, the ham in our family, played the role of Gilligan. I was Ginger. My sister was Mary Ann. And Tim was the Professor.

Now my kids are considering being Gilligan, the Skipper, Ginger or Mary Ann this Halloween.

The fun and laughter live on even after Bob Denver's passing.

Bob Denver was born on January 9th 1935 in New Rochelle, New York.

He graduated from high school in Brownwood, Texas.

He was a graduate of Loyola-Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. At Loyola he studied pre-law.

He and his wife of twenty-six years lived in Princeton, West Virginia. Dreama and Bob co-hosted a syndicated radio show, "Weekend with Denver and Denver."

On Denver's fan club site, BobDenver.com, his family wrote:

We mourn the passing of Bob Denver, the finest human being we've ever known - devoted husband, adoring father, doting grandfather to beautiful Elana and kind friend to the people who were lucky enough to be part of his life.

Bob passed away on September 2, 2005, peacefully and easily, surrounded by his family - Dreama, his wife of 28 years, and his children Patrick, Megan, Emily and Colin.

He gave us the gift of love and laughter, even in his passing. He taught us by example the real definition of courage in the face of diversity. Our lives will never be the same without him. There is not way to describe how much his wisdom and gentleness will be missed.

Dream, his wife, said, "Bob was and always will be My Everything. To be loved so completely was his greatest gift to me and there are no words to express the joy and pride I feel to have been his wife. I love you, Bob Denver."

Dawn Wells, known as Mary Ann to us, said on her site, DawnWells.com:

Bob, as an actor, saw the world through the eyes of a child. As a man, he had the wisdom and intelligence of an old soul. The world will miss a great comic actor, but the heavens will be filled with smiles and laughter and when I see a rainbow, you will be shining down on us. I will miss you my dear friend.

Russell Johnson, who remained a close friend, as did Dawn, said on his site, "To his friends/fans the world over, we share our tears with you."

In April, Denver underwent cancer surgery to remove his voice box, leaving him speechless.

At the time, he also was diagnosed with artery blockage and underwent quadruple heart bypass surgery in May.

The family asks that those interested in honoring Bob's memory to send a donation to The Denver Foundation, in lieu of flowers or gifts.

Your gift can be sent to:

The Denver Foundation Inc.
PO Box 931
Princeton, WV 24740

To the Denver family and all of Gilligan's fans, we share your sadness. What a loss!

We are grateful for the laughter Bob Denver brought into our lives thirty - forty years ago, and the fun he is now bringing into the lives of our kids, a generation later.

Fortunately, Gilligan and Bob Denver will live on forever -- thanks to a little black box called the television.

Inspire & Be Inspired.

Here's to healthy, adventuresome, soulful, "timeless" living!

~ Jennifer Carolyn King, Rugged Elegance, LLC

Rugged Elegance Disclaimer: Before purchasing DVDs from our marketplace please make sure the artist you are interested in seeing is, in fact, tied to the production identified in the search results. Thank you.

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