Jones Beach Bums Gone, but not Forgotten
| Ronnie
Lancaster |
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At the beach c. 1972...at
a party c. 1974... |
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Ronnie & Joanne at
Uniondale Hotline, 1973 |
Ronnie with his daughters
Michelle and Jenny,
and two of his three grandchildren, Donovan and Davion
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Ronnie and Joanne Lancaster,
a love story for the ages,
with Jenny, the child born of their great love.
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Ronnie Lancaster passed away in early 2009 after
losing a lengthy and valiant fight against liver disease.
He left behind 2 daughters, three grandchildren, two
brothers, many other loving relatives and friends,
and a wife who had loved him since
she was 15 years old. Ronnie was one of the most popular
Beach Bums, and will always be deeply missed by all
who knew and cherished his upbeat, generous, and gentle
spirit.
...Shari
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| Tommy
Rackovitch |
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Tommy was a limitless source of excitement, passion
for living, and enthusiasm and was always one of
the most popular Bums. He introduced us to all his
friends including the Vanderhalls. Tommy loved the
Beach Bums, and we all loved him. In June '72, Tommy
and I hitchhiked all the way out to the Colorado
Rockies together. (Mr. & Mrs. Rackovitch entrusted
me to monitor his medicine and I was so grateful
to them for their blessing for our trip) We camped
in the mountains (and ran into Scotty Weiss) with
hundreds of hippies from the Rainbow Family Of Living
Light, who still exist today. There were other adventures
we shared as fellow Montreal Maniacs. Tommy was
one of the most sincere, trustworthy, decent people
I have ever met, and I will never forget him. My
condolences to his parents and family. May he rest
in peace.
....Uncle Scotty
"He was like my brother...To those who knew
him, they truly saw his spirit and his courage".....Pete
the Freak
"I can't believe he's gone...what a great
person he was. My condolences to his family"...Andy
Gay
"To know Tommy, with his big heart, was to
love him"...Shari
Click here for more pictures of Tom
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| Fred
Botway |
 
Fred (the Bed)
Botway, one of the original Jones Beach Bums, passed
away recently. One reason Fred will be remembered
is that he would try anything, and we mean anything!
There was never an adventure that Fred backed away
from, including hanging from the scaffolding at
Watkins Glen. His penchant for chemistry, his poetic
meanderings, his nude photography, his parrot Taco
and his many amorous adventures are some things
Freddie was infamous for. Fred was part of United
Mutations when he joined the Bums, along with Scott
Weiss and Harlan Sparer... but Fred (and the UMs)
were never quite the same when they met the Bums,
and the Bums were never the quite the same as well.
....Dave T (Mole)
2004
To see some childhood
pictures of Fred, click
here
To see more pictures of Fred, click
here
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| Dave
Beechel |
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| Bonnie
Roth |
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Bonnie
Roth (Uncle Scotty's younger sister) was from Plainview,
a sweet and gentle soul, highly intelligent, a good
and loyal friend. Bonnie was also one of my best friends
in high school (and beyond). After graduating near the
top of her class, she went on to college and excelled
in every subject she studied. Then during a visit to
France she discovered a passion for cooking, so she
studied further at the Culinary Institute in New York.
Bonnie eventually became a chef, living and working
around the country. Unfortunately, she was so busy that
she didn't notice the signs of Hodgkin's Disease until
it was too advanced to be cured. We lost Bonnie at the
age of 29.
...Shari (Friedman) Fuller |
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| Dave
Black |
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Dave
was also a gentle, spiritual soul and a very free spirit.
During high school, his parents split up and moved far
away. The family of Mole (Dave Title) generously allowed
Dave to stay with them so he could finish high school
in Plainview (he eventually became one of my best friends
too). Dave packed a lot of living into his youth, graduating
early and then marrying at the tender age of 17. (There
is a picture of Mike Seifert and me about to attend
his wedding on the Miscellaneous photo gallery.)
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Barely 21 years old, while hitchhiking
in Florida,
Dave was tragically hit by a car and killed. ...Shari
Fuller
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John Ohlrich
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The many faces of Johnny Ohlrich!
John was a lovable, high-spirited partier and huge
fan of the Rolling Stones. John left us at the age
of 17. While hitchhiking, he was struck by a car and
killed, for the first time forcing our tight-knit
group to face the sad reality that even a young, exuberant
life could end in a shocking flash.
"...the day we heard that John O died (was) the
first time I saw teenage boys cry."... Randi
Crovets
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| We
love you all, and wish you were still here... |
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If you have any pictures or memories
that you would like to share,
Please Click Here
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