With the recent passing of the legendary Art Linkletter, 97, and John Wooden, 99, it provides the opportunity to reflect on the legacy of their extraordinary lives.

For those of us who had the pleasure of meeting them, it will always be remembered as a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Both men truly radiated exceptional qualities that were at the core of their being and resulted in countless contributions, which will forever now be part of their legacy.

In my interview with Art Linkletter, I remember being so enchanted by his love of family, humanity, and sincere desire to make a positive difference in the lives of others. He was married to his wife, Lois, for 74 years and comically shared his family background by saying, “I have five children, nine grandchildren and fifteen great-grandchildren – all with the same wife, of course!”

But Art’s family life was not without tragedy – he lost a son in an automobile accident, and a daughter to a drug overdose, but did his best to turn these difficulties into positives by reaching out to others facing similar situations and becoming a long-time crusader against drug use.

Art was often asked when he was going to retire and he always said, “To what? I’m doing what I love to do and I’m making a positive difference every day. Why should I stop doing what I’m doing just because I’m a certain age?”

And his schedule certainly reflected his philosophy. Art authored 20 books, was an entertaining public speaker who spoke over 70 times a year, and often traveled 200K miles annually for his humanitarian fundraising efforts that took him all over the world – Africa, Haiti, China, for a variety of charitable organizations.

Art was also an astute businessman who invested in everything from Hula Hoops to sheep and cattle ranches. But my favorite story, and one few people know about, was his partnership with Walt Disney and Disneyland.

“Walt and I were friends from way back and one day he told me about his vision to build a family park full of fun, magic and where dreams come true,” Art shared. “Then he told me the location was Orange County – which in the early 1950s, was nothing but orange groves – no freeways, no roads, just trees!”

While Art recalled he was never one to discourage a man and his dreams, he was genuinely concerned about Walt’s plan to invest all his money in an amusement park in the middle of nowhere. “Who was going to go way down there … and if they did, how would they ever get there?” Art remembered thinking.

As it turned out, Walt forged forward and mortgaged everything he owned to finance his dream. But he also wanted Art, one of the highest-paid and most well known family-oriented celebrities in broadcasting, to host the television show heralding the park’s grand opening on July 17, 1955. As a true friend, Art agreed to do the job, and for only $200, union scale.

“Walt was elated,” Art recalled. “But because he had run out of funds and knew I’d made him a deal, he wanted to give me something more and told me to come up with an offer. I gave it some thought and since I owned a photographic company in downtown L.A. that sold cameras and film, I asked to have the concessions to sell all the cameras and film in Disneyland for 10 years. Walt happily agreed, and the rest as they say is history!” Art said with a smile – and one caught on film, too!

Art loved life and believed in making a positive difference in the lives of others. It was a life well lived, and a man well loved, and one who’s legacy will endure in the hearts and souls of many, forever.

And that’s what life is truly all about.

NEXT ISSUE – Part 2 of this article featuring John Wooden

Kelly Ferrin, gerontologist and author of “What’s Age Got To Do With It? Secrets to Aging in Extraordinary Ways” has been studying aging and retirement issues for over 25 years. She was one of the first to ever receive a degree in this field from the prestigious Andrus School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California, the top school in the nation for age-related studies.

website: kellyferrin.com ••• email: ageangel@earthlink.net