Tucker died. He and his then partner, Chuck, and I were close friends in the 50's and 60's, but as often happens, we drifted apart. Chuck, who later on preferred to be called "Charles", became an alcoholic and Tucker joined Al Anon: better to cope and understand Chuck's alcoholism. Through the past years I rarely saw Tucker and the last time was in a coffee shop. He said "Larry, there aren't many of us old friends left".
I am now reminded of Sondheim's song from Merrily We Roll Along: Old Friends.
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I mourn the death of my good friend, Tucker Fleming, who in my life, took the place of my adopted father (and good friend of Tucker), Lon McCallister.
ReplyDeleteIt is unfortunate that at the end, people we did not know took over when Tucker was dying. There has been no obituary in the LA Times and no notice of a memorial service.
--Avery McCallister
Tucker seemed to surround himself with his AA friends. After Chuck's death he became obviously lonely. He would attend a party and leave shortly after arriving, not really communicating with any of the other guest. Strange, there has been no obituary.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I haven't been around the program for a few years but I still remember sitting down to dinner with Maxwell Thomas, Tucker, and Charles, Tucker's partner. Three of merriest pranksters and nicest guys I ever met, and I lost touch after Maxwell passed away -- that's my own fault and it was a damned mistake. I was young in my early twenties and nothing but a mess of inner torture and self-hate when I met them and they were gracious enough to spend a little time with me lightening my burden. I am a happier man for having gotten to know them all, even if only a little.
ReplyDeleteGreat stories from all of them. As I recall, they were all Yalies, and they all had nothing but great stories. One dinner I had I remember Maxwell regaling me with stories about working for Clay Shaw the fellow Tommy Lee Jones played in JFK who some felt (and feel) to this day was connected to the assassination. To hear them talk about it, it just sounded like another example of the cops rounding up the usual suspects: and being gay back in those days, people just figured you were a deviant and all deviants were suspect -- of something.
I seem to recall a great story about Tucker walking up the beach in Cannes in the nineteen sixties and running into Maxwell right on the beach.
I recall Maxwell said that even though Charles wasn't sober, he could be so nuts at times without the booze that even sober to Maxwell at least, as I recall, he seemed to indicate to me it worked out for the best regardless in the mixed up crazy adult way sometimes life has a way of reconciling us to our own foibles. Charles had the same shrink for forty years or more and they had nothing but good stories about that too.
I don't know how Tucker felt about it after all those years of Alanon, I simply never knew him much, but as a young gay fella in Weho, I was impressed and grateful to see a Tucker and Charles, an older gay couple lasting for so many years and found it inspiring.
They don't make these boys like they used to. Here's my salute to all three. Long may you rest in peace fellas. A holy triumvirate if I ever met any.
Thanks for the post.
Best,
Jack K.