Faleceu no último dia 06 de julho um dos membros do Hall da Fama (DeMolay Alumni International), o nosso Irmão Sênior Buddy Ebsen, famoso ator estados-unidense. Ele foi iniciado em 1926 no Capítulo John M. Cheney, em Orlando, Florida, e era membro do Hall da Fama desde 21 de junho de 1996.

Seus papéis mais famosos foram na TV, principalmente na série Família Buscapé, em português, ou Beverly Hillbillies, em inglês.

Grande dançarino, foi parceiro, no cinema, de grandes divas, como de Judy Garland e de Shirley Temple.

Tinha 95 anos, e até pouco tempo atrás frequentava regularmente as atividades da Ordem DeMolay na Flórida.


A mensagem abaixo veio do Supremo Conselho Internacional:

----- Original Message -----
From: "DeMolay International"
To:
Sent: Tuesday, July 08, 2003 5:19 PM
Subject: Sr. DeMolay Buddy Ebsen Dies at Age 95


> July 8, 2003
>
> Sr. DeMolay and DeMolay Hall of Fame Member Buddy Ebsen Dies at Age 95
> ____________________________________________
>
> Buddy Ebsen, best-known as Jed Clampett on the television series The Beverly Hillbillies, died on July 6, 2003 at Torrance Memorial Medical Center in Torrance, California. He had been hospitalized near his home in Palos Verdes Estates for several weeks. His wife, Dotti, children Alexandra, Susannah, Cathy, Bonnie, Kiki, and Dustin, and six grandchildren were by his side at the time of his death.
>
> Ebsen was initiated into John M. Cheney Chapter DeMolay in Orlando, Florida, in 1926. Ebsen was inducted into the DeMolay Hall of Fame on June 21, 1996.
>
> Surprisingly, Ebsen hadn't planned on becoming an actor. Ebsen was studying to become a doctor and had completed two years of pre-med studies at the University of Florida and Rollins College. Then the Florida land boom collapsed. His family lost a lot of money, and medical school was no longer a possibility for Ebsen.
>
> Since Ebsen's father was a dance teacher, all his children learned to dance. With that experience, Ebsen went to New York to try show business. On Broadway, Ebsen's credits include "Whoopee," 1928, "Flying Colors," 1933, "Ziegfield Follies," 1934, "Yokel Boy," 1939, "Showboat," 1945, and "Male Animal," 1953.
>
> Ebsen's next venture was the movies. His principle film credits include "Broadway Melody of 1935," with his dancing partner and sister Vilma, "Broadway Melody of 1938," with Judy Garland," "Born to Dance," the Shirley Temple picture "Captain January," "Banjo on my Knee," "Lucky Star," "Mail Order Bride," and "Breakfast at Tiffany's."
>
> In 1962, while in his mid-fifties, Ebsen became a star when he was chosen to portray Jed Clampett in the television series The Beverly Hillbillies. The story of a hillbilly family that struck oil and moved to Beverly Hills was a hit. After the series ended, Ebsen had several movie roles and television guest roles before landing the title role in the series Barnaby Jones. Barnaby Jones was a mature, folksy, and scientific private eye, and the series was extremely successful. After retiring from acting, Ebsen became a folk artist. He painted landscapes, seascapes, and self-portraits. In 2001, Ebsen began writing, publishing a romance called "Kelly's Quest," that became a best-seller and "The Other Side of Oz."
>
> Ebsen was married to Ruth Cambridge, and they had two daughters. Later, Ebsen met and married his second wife, Nancy, while both were in the Coast Guard. They had four daughters and a son. Ebsen is survived by his third wife, Dotti.
>
> Ebsen continued to play a part in DeMolay, even after his time as an active DeMolay. He was even present at a Southern California DeMolay function in 1995. At the time of his induction into DeMolay, Ebsen said:
>
> "'As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.' Often the values of the influences imposed on us by our mothers and fathers, our teachers and certain friends, are not realized until years later, when we, as a sailor does, look back at our wakes to determine the course we have steered that got us to where we are. Today when I look back, then look around me to see with whom I am standing, I fully realize the influence on my life that must be credited to DeMolay."