BY 1950, I needed somewhere between fifteen to eighteen more credits to graduate from UCLA where I had been a part-time student since 1948. The radio bug had bitten me and I really didn’t care much for college studies. In retrospect, it was not to bright of me to have quit college, but I thought that as my business career advanced, I would someday return to school.
Marjie and I were married at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Glendale. Not many people know it, but it is one of the most beautiful places for a wedding. Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman were married there. We had about 150 people at our wedding and a lot of great memories.
We soon moved into a small apartment on Elm Street in Burbank. When Marjie started as a CBS switchboard operator, she made $55 a week. Now as a secretary, she made $90 a week. That was more money than I was making at the time. We didn’t have much, but we were in love and we stretched to make ends meet. Our weekly budget for meat was $10, and whenever we could, we went out to enjoy the nightlife.
Marjie Bennett writes:
“When we moved into our apartment on Elm Street in Burbank, we had very little money and no furniture. We decided to have a Halloween party for the people at KTTV-TV. We took in a wooden patio table from outside and used it for our decoration table. A lot of people showed up that night and one woman remarked to me, “Oh how nice, you moved all of your furniture outside so we can have a Halloween party.”
Mitzi Mccall and Charlie Brill, friends, write:
“Way back when the Bennetts were newlyweds and struggling, they invited us to dinner at their modest home in Burbank. Marjie is a world-class cook and that evening had prepared a beautiful prime rib. Everyone was in the den when we saw through the corners of our eyes our dog dragging the expensive prime rib across the floor. Even though the Bennetts were gracious and forgiving over the incident, it sure put a damper on the evening.”
One month after we were married, my mother died and the circumstances surrounding her death were very traumatic. I had not heard from her in two or three days and I thought that was rather unusual since we were always in close contact. Edna Dunn, who was a friend of the family, called me and asked me if I had recently seen or been in contact with my mother. I told her no and she suggested I should maybe go over to her house and check on her.
I drove over and opened the door to the house and walked in calling her name. There was no answer, so I walked around the house and then went upstairs where I found my mother dead on the floor. I was in such a state of shock that I was frozen, but somehow I managed to call the police. She had died of natural causes but it was a great and utter shock to Marjie and me. She had no symptoms of any kind and no recent illnesses that anyone could point to. She was only forty-one years old when she died.
My mother was my dearest friend and was very important to me. She was an outstanding woman in many ways. I only wish we could have been together more during her short life. The times we spent together were fabulous. She was always funny and optimistic. She was the life of the party and many people sought out her company. She was beautiful in the way Ginger Rogers was beautiful. She lit up any room and was always the center of attention. People liked to talk to her and she liked to talk to them. I have many vivid memories of dancing with my mother when I was about eighteen years old. My grandparents adored my mother. Needless to say, my mother’s death was a very tragic moment for all of us.
Marjie and my mother were the best of friends and always got along well, especially since they shared a mutual love of sports. My wife is a big Lakers fan. During baseball season in Pittsburgh, my mother always had box seats. I would come down on the streetcar from school and meet her at the games. She and baseball in Pittsburgh became one. This was so much the case, that for three or four seasons in a row, my mother’s picture was always on the front page of the newspaper with the announcement, “Baseball Season Opens Today.” We always knew a lot of baseball players and I considered myself one lucky kid. They were great days for me with lots of wonderful memories.
Bud Shaffer, friend, writes:
“I remember one very special time when Bob and his folks were living in Pittsburgh; his family went to New York City for the week. Bob’s grandmother and I went by train to visit with Bob. His grandmother was a really great lady and was always very nice to me. The highlight of the week was when Bob and I went to Forbes Field to see the Pittsburgh Pirates play. Bob’s folks had a private box at the field and I thought it was really something very special to be able to be in Forbes Field watching my favorite team play. Bob was grinning from ear to ear. He was such a great host and enjoyed showing us around as much as he could.