A CELEBRATION OF FRIENDS

Keeping The Dream Alive & The Family Together

SOME OF OUR SPECIAL GUESTS

Chuck Kennedy, Artist:

Chuck Kennedy (Chuckee) created art for Weird Tales in the 1950s. There are two "Chuck Kennedy Banquet Rooms" in the San Francisco Bay area. The "Stinking Rose" in Beverly Hills has three rooms of his work, one of which is a room of Old Masters done with garlic themes. He also has received two mayoral proclamations and a Chuck Kennedy Day. The Dead Fish Restaurant in Crockett, CA, has a room with hundreds of his caricatures which include Joan Crawfish, Orson Wales, Nat King Cod, Liza Minnow and Judy Gar, Laurel and Haddock, etc. He has created miniatures of headliners in Reno and Tahoe. His work is in the collections of Debbie Reynolds, Shirley MacLaine, Don Rickles, Bill Cosby and dozens of other celebrities. He has done well over 1,000 dioramas for people and places in Holland, London, the Italian Riviera and all over the West Coast. He now lives in Fort Lauderdale, FL, with Dan Doty (Dandee) who has been his partner for over 24 years.

Ramon Lago, Sculptor:

A Hemingway look-alike and Internationally respected artist and sculptor, Ramon Lago will have many sculptures of older portly men exhibited at the Hilton Hotel.

Mr Lago studied at the Newark School of Fine Arts, The Arts Students League In New York City, and The National Academy of Design. He has received many prestigious awards for his craft and creativity.

Collections of his artwork and monuments are located throughout the Northeast, mainly New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, and in the Southeast in Florida. Much of his work is privately collected by art connoisseurs throughout the United States, Canada and in Europe.

John J. McNeill, Phd:

A psychotherapist, a former Jesuit priest, moral theologian, teacher, scholar, writer and lecturer, John has had many articles published in numerous journals, magazines and books. He has been active in the fight for gay and lesbian liberation and rights for over thirty-five years and during that time he has been active in a ministry to gay Christians through retreats, workshops, lectures, publications, etc. In 1974, John McNeill was co-founder of the New York City chapter of Dignity, a group for Catholic gays and lesbians. He was expelled from the Jesuit Order by the pope for his work for gay liberation. His books, "The Church and the Homosexual," "Taking A Chance on God," "Freedom, Glorious Freedom," and "Both Feet Firmly Planted in Midair: My Spiritual Journey," have been a valuable source of liberation, self-understanding and self-acceptance for gays and lesbians and enlightenment for everybody. He is shown with his lover, Charles Chiarelli; they have been together for over 40 years.

PapaBear - The Grandfather of The Celebration:

Dave Silva AKA "PapaBear" worked as a teacher and administrator in the California public schools for 36 years. When he retired, Papa brought "The Family" together by hosting the first meeting of mature men and their admirers' at his B&B "The House of A Thousand Flowers" on the California Russian River. In 1989, Dave was asked to be a Grief Counselor and still continues to do so to the present day. The result of this work is the book: Grief Recovery For Gay Men. Dave lives in Santa Rosa, CA with his partner, Bob, AKA "BabyBear" and continues to write and also works with alternative health medicines, namely magnetic pain reducing aids.

Peter Cowan / Fort Lauderdale Realtor

Peter Cowan has been the Celebration's Liason in Fort Lauderdale since we've moved the event here; attending to local Celebration business all year long. Peter and his business partner, Bill Caruso, are with Prudential Florida First Realty. If you need any help in finding that home or condo in the Fort Lauderdale or the surrounding area, contact Peter on his website: www.cowanandcaruso.com or visit him at his booth in the Vendors area during the event.

Warren Nyback and Michael Witmer

Warren Nyback and Michael Witmer have been long time supporters of Tomcat and his Celebration of Friends and are looking forward to spending time in Fort Lauderdale in June. Warren is a priest in the Episcopal Church, has been active in GLBT issues and, though retired, serves as the Bishop’s Chaplain to Retired Clergy and Widows. Michael is an attorney currently working for the State of California, and is very active in the reconciliation movement within the Episcopal Church. They have been a couple for nearly fourteen years. The picture was taken the night they stood and slept in line in the rain and wind to get married the next morning in San Francisco. Since their marriage was annulled by the California Supreme Court, they frequently introduce each other as "my ex-husband".

LINKS TO SOME OF OUR SUPPORTERS

"A Sum of Two Parts" is provided to A Celebration of Friends courtesy of Stephen Nebel and Musk Ox Music.