A Dearly Departed Anniversary Present!

Sometimes strange and wonderful things arrive by US Mail to the Dearly Departed Tours mailbox.  

Today... what a delight!

To celebrate Dearly Departed Tours' 10th Anniversary - "Dedicated Tragical Fans" Bob and Ann Jackson sent us this amazing artwork.  

I am truly touched and cannot wait to display it properly in the Gallery!  Thank you!

January 3, 2015 Jack Ruby's 47th Deathaversary

On this date in 1967, Jack Ruby, the killer of Lee Harvey Oswald, died of Keeansah in Dallas.

The killing of Oswald either

1. Saved the country millions of dollars by avoiding a trial

2. Showed compassion for Jackie Kennedy a gave her a break.

3. Gave exhausting people something to prattle on about for over 50 years.

Ugh.

While in Dallas over last October, my new friends Shane and Paula showed us so many of the cool relevant Death Haggy spots in town.

We went to the Courthouse where Ruby shot Oswald.

We saw an opportunity to slip down the driveway thingy when the gate opened and someone drove in.

We got about 20 feet in when the cow in the car got out and told us we couldn't peek.

So we went to Lee's grave instead.

RIP Jack Ruby

Today is the 18th Deathaversary JACK NANCE

On this date in 1996, Twin Peaks and Eraserhead actor Jack Nance died under fairly unusual circumstances in his South Pasadena apartment.

Nance had a short fuse.  Jack himself said he
popped off" in the parking lot to a couple of Latino guys in the parking lot of the donut shop across the street from his home.  He returned to his apartment and complained of a headache and retired to bed.  He was found dead the next day.  

Cause of Death:  An ugly SUBDURAL HEMATOMA. Sorry!  It was ACUTE and BLUNT FORCE HEAD TRAUMA

Jack was married to Jerry Van Dyke's porn star daughter Kelly (Enemates 4!  Rump Roasts!) who hanged herself while on the telephone with Jack.  Horrible.

Wednesday Addams herself, Lisa Loring is also involved.

Jack's brother reached out to me a few years back and provided a lot of details regarding Jack's life and death.

Read the entire article here

Wanna see his mailbox?

For Thelma

For the past 3 years I've hosted the Dearly Departed Weekend in October.  It's a two-day event that takes place in unusual places around Los Angeles.  We have a cocktail party, tours, celebrity guest speakers and a raffle.  The ultimate goal of the Dearly Departed Weekend is to raise funds to pay for a headstone for an otherwise forgotten notable individual.  It's hard work for the team behind these Weekends, but this makes it worth it.  This year's recipient was actress Thelma Pelish.

On December 14, 2014 we had a short dedication and unveiling.

"...and if you're a Capricorn, you'd better watch. your. step."

The Detroit Packard Plant - What I did on my Christmas Vacation

While visiting family in Detroit for Christmas I had the opportunity to tour the long abandoned Packard Plant.  While snapping away, my brother and I were approached by a kind man who offered us the tour - a tour that most sane people would have refused and could have gone so terribly, terribly wrong. 

"Ever notice how 'What the hell' is always the right answer?"
- Marilyn Monroe

The Packard Plant opened in 1903.  Packard stopped production in the 50's and the building had hosted several businesses (mostly storage) since then.  It's been mostly abandoned since the 90's.

I've had a couple of associations with the Packard car in my life.  My close friend Kathleen owns a 1949 that I've had the opportunity to drive a couple of times.  It's a behemoth, built like a brick house and is just as classy.

(note the DEATH HAG sticker)

A few years back I had the opportunity to slip my fat ass into Jean Harlow's 1937 Packard.

I learned on this trip that my dad worked at the Packard Plant in 1947 as a body pusher.  He would guide the body of these majestic creations to the assembly line, across the iconic bridge over E. Grand Blvd.  My godmother was also an employee for decades.

Human termites known as "scrappers" have been brazenly munching away at the Packard Plant and selling the metal, so much so that the structure is unstable and dangerous.  However, it's also dramatic and fascinating... beautiful in a weird way.  And I'm weird.

Standing mostly empty for so many years, the place has been slowly destroyed by the elements, vandals, the occasional discovery of a corpse and other various crimes.

The great news:  Detroit is coming back.  I never thought it would happen in my lifetime.  There are terrific things are going on in Motown.  I love that, I really do.  But I love the ruins of my childhood home just as much.  I'm from Detroit, my family mostly lives in Detroit, and I visit it a few times a year, but back in 1985?  I couldn't get out fast enough.

The Packard Plant has been purchased by a developer and work has started on destroying some of it and saving some of it.  I've heard he's actually living on the property though I don't believe it.  But it is hopeful.

  Note the sign.

Here are more of my photographs.

Wood bricks were originally soaked in creosote.

heh.

Thanks, Rick!