Bumming around town with Bill Bumerton

Bumerton is a retired Navy fighter pilot who had been missing in action for several years while he traversed the globe looking for greener grass. He discovered the grass is only greener here (it’s blue in Kentucky), so he returned to again take charge of his 1954 green Hudson Hornet that had been in storage, refilled his pipe, and is continuing his smokin’ ways. Here is what he recently told us at the Sports Paper.

Hey, Big Dawg, did you realize two little big giants left us on the same day, Sunday? Mickey Rooney, a little runt at five-foot-three, but a big man on the silver screen, and Bremerton’s Patrick Westhoff, about one inch taller than Rooney, who was a giant in the local sports world, both decided to give it up at about the same time.

MICKEY ROONEY

Amazing, isn’t it Big Dawg? It’s a tough pill to swallow to lose them. Rooney, who was 93, was perhaps the best natural actor ever, and lived a life style that was as big as he was on screen. Various stories had him married eight times and fathering from nine to 12 children. He was loved by many. As was Westhoff, 67, who certainly deserves to leave the world stage with Mickey. I’m sure, Big Dawg, that they will name something after Westhoff, won’t they? His life, his name, his legacy, it all deserves to live on to eternity. Boy, he will be missed.