Paul Newman, 1925-2008

For me, there is sometimes a slight twinge of pain or a double-take at a headline when someone "famous" passes away but this morning, it was more than that when I read the headline "Screen-actor Paul Newman Dead at 83." I was online checking out news on the debates and saw this news instead.
Paul Newman probably wouldn't refer to himself as a hero but he is. He worked to generously give to children with cancer and families that fell under unfortunate hard times, and in doing so, gave to the world. Everytime a shopper picks up a bottle of dressing or spaghetti sauce at the grocery store, a little more hope is spared for a kid that would get to attend summer camp like any other kid, cancer aside. "Newman's Own" is one of the best charities when it comes to actually getting the money to the cause. All profits go to the cause. There was no selfishness or vanity in it for Newman other than the use of his mug to sell everyting. The products speak for themselves. They are delicious and go to a cause no one could question.
As an actor and personality, Newman displayed a wonderful dramatic depth with a lovely sense of humor. My favorite film is "Cool Hand Luke" as it was the gateway film for me and I was hooked on Newman. "The Sting" and "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" offer great fun because Newman is teamed up with Robert Redford who bacame his close friend. They were famous for playing pranks on each other. When "Indecent Proposal" was released, Newman said something like, "Hell, I'd sleep with Redford for a million dollars," or so the joke goes.
The irony in the illness that took Newman is clear. He fought to help kids who suffered cancer and in the end it took him. It seems he went privately and quietly and unless his privacy is compromised, me will never know how he suffered but it can be imagined from pictures that cancer did ravage him before it let him go.
I worte a paper on Newman's charitable works during college. Before writing the paper, he was a great film actor that I had a crush on who also sold salad dressing. After researching and completing the paper, he was one of my heroes for the man he was beyone the beautiful face or the films, and he will be missed.