beamjockey: Drawing of Bill of the Heterodyne Boys by Phil Foglio. (Default)
beamjockey ([personal profile] beamjockey) wrote2007-12-12 11:26 pm
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The other day we attended a birthday party for my Uncle Benny. He just turned ninety.
Benny the Bairn 289p x 520p 100_2204
Benny the Bairn, Stevenston, Ayrshire, Scotland, 1918.


Benny & Great-Granddaughter 100_2226
Benny 89 years later, with second-youngest great-granddaughter.


He's my father's older brother, hence Chief of the Clan (unfortunately, thanks to one young granddaughter unclear on the concept, this title is more usually rendered as "Chief Clam.")

Uncle Benny is vigorous. He had no trouble blowing out the candles (nine of them, one per decade).

A very impressive number of relatives was assembled in Naperville: cousins and cousins-of-cousins, many of whom I hadn't seen in decades, plus spouses and children I met for the first time. I got to hear lots of stories about Rochester and New York City and the Auld Country. It was a truly grand occasion.

Willy Benny & Margaret 1918
Grandpa, Benny, and Grandma, 1918.

tmhclose
My dad.

John M Higgins, the slightly famous journalist
My brother John.
WSH Pagoda 320
Me.


I've recently seen, for the first time, photos of my grandpa Willy as a young man. I only knew him in his white-haired years. In these younger photos, it's striking how much he resembles my dad. And my brother John. And my late cousin Mike. And my cousin Bill. And me.

[identity profile] tceisele.livejournal.com 2007-12-13 03:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Actually, I'm struck by how much (aside from the chin) your dad looks like Fred MacMurray in that picture.

[identity profile] pnh.livejournal.com 2007-12-13 04:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Wow, your uncle is just a few days older than Arthur C. Clarke, who turns 90 this coming Sunday.
ext_63737: Posing at Zeusaphone concert, 2008 (Default)

[identity profile] beamjockey.livejournal.com 2007-12-13 06:27 pm (UTC)(link)
This has not escaped my notice, as Clarke is my all-time favorite SF author.

[identity profile] daddy-guido.livejournal.com 2007-12-13 06:10 pm (UTC)(link)
there does seem to be a certain "stamp of Higgins" on the males of your lineage.