Art Linkletter Dead at 97. From Hobo to Radio to TV and Writer

Art Linkletter died Wednesday at the age of 97. This legend of radio and tv was a self proclaimed optimist and enjoyed his life to the fullest. When one looks back on Art Linkletter's life, you wonder how the man endured some of the tragedies that befell he and his wife. His daughter Diane Linkletter committed suicide by jumping off a building when she was 20 in 1969. His son Robert Linkletter died in a car accident in 1980 and his son Jack Linkletter died from lymphoma in 2007.

Art Linkletter's response? "Life is not fair ... not easy," Linkletter said in a 1990 interview by The Associated Press. "Outside, peer pressure can wreak havoc with the nicest families. So that's the part that's a gamble. "But I'm an optimist. Even though I've had tragedies in my life, and I've seen a lot of difficult things, I still am an optimist," he said.
Art Linkletter was married to his wife Lois for 74 years. She and 2 daughters, Dawn Griffin and Sharon Linkletter, as well as seven grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren survive Art.

Art Linkletter was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and had the name Arthur Gordon Kelly. His unwed mother gave him up and he was adopted. At age 7 his folks and he moved to San Diego. His father was a "one-legged" preacher and Art thought that the religious faith that he learned from his father was a great gift and that it helped him throughout his lifetime.

At 16 Art Linkletter left home to become a hobo. He rode the rails and enjoyed seeing America while working many many odd jobs along the way. He was a typist and ended up going to college after being let go from that job. In college Art Linkletter was known for his basketball skills and for his ability to entertain. He was called by a radio station and offered a job and from there his career started to really take off.

Beyond his accomplishments in TV and radio, Art Linkletter had some very notable and famous friends. Some of his best friends were Ronald Reagan, Walt Disney and Cary Grant. Linkletter was a conservative and the Wall Street Journal had this quote from him. About Barack Obama, he says: "He's intelligent, a born performer and ambitious, like I was, but that spending bill [the stimulus] is the most terrible mistake in our history. I never thought I would see so much debt."

Art Linkletter was also said to be quite passionate about the state of Social Security and where it was headed and how much it was going to cost Americans. He was still passionate about this cause at the ripe age of 96.

Art Linkletter left us with a smile each week after his shows "House Party" and "Kids say the Darndest Things". His many books filled with comments from kids and adults are guaranteed to put a smile on face and chuckle in your throat.

Art Linkletter was a fine man and great entertainer. Thanks Art!

sources:
WSJ
Yahoo News