Sadie Delany, Had Her Say at Age 103

Sadie Delany and her younger sister Bessie never let racism stop them from acheiving their goals. Born the daughters of a slave, Sadie became the first black person allowed to teach domestic High School Science in New York City. Her sister Bessie was the second black woman licensed to practice dentistry in New York State. The two never married, and lived together for decades. In 1991 they became famous with the publication of the book "Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters First 100 Years." At the time of publication, Bessie was 101 and Sadie was 103. Sadie passed away in January 1999 at age 109. She signed this for me in May of 1998. The actual author of their book Amy Hill Hearth also signed it. I'm still surprised that at ge 108, her handwriting was much better even than mine!

Dick Clark- American Bandstand

Dick Clark made a name for himself as the longtime host of American Bandstand, a show which served as the launching point of countless of iconic Rock and Roll artists. Many classic performances were recorded on his show, and Bandstand was THE place to be if you wanted to check out all the latest dance crazes as well. He continues to appear on his famous New Year's Eve program, despite suffering obvious physical setbacks due to a stroke several years ago. My dad met him once at an American bandstand restaurant that used to be near by- He had Clark autograph his Bandstand Yearbook from 1955, when it was still a local Philadelphia program. Despite his celebrity status, he still made himself accessable to his fans- something that isn't common with today's "big" names.

Bill Erwin- Veteran Character Actor

Notable people who pass away in the last days of December always get overlooked in all the year-end "Celebrity Memorial Tributes" you see on TV etc. Bill Erwin passed away Dec. 29, 2010, and as I expected, I saw barely a mention of it.

Erwin had just turned 96 earlier in the month, and had been acting up until 4 years ago. He is probably the only actor who appeared on television from 1948 through 2006 continuously. One of his memorable film roles was in the film "Somewhere in Time" starring Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour, and he is widely remembered for a guest role on Seinfeld where he plays a cantankerous old man who Jerry is visiting as part of a Foster Grandparent program. He was always grateful and appreciative towards his fans, and will be missed!