Attention John Lear!, page 3

Originally posted by antar
Oh my God John! Did you actually write this off the top of your head and your memory or do you totally document everything?

Everything that you read can be documented with my logbooks and/or voluminous files of receipts, airline tickets or other documentation.

I have to tell you you "are" the brightest neon crayon in this box. That story was incredible and exciting to read. At times I rolled in laughter and at other times I cringed at what would happen next, and then several times I just wanted to wrap you in my heart and just love you deeply. Which leads me to my question for you, what about love and the women that you have enjoyed? You are a remarkable being John and with that much energy you must have had some of the worlds most beautiful and dynamic women.

There were only 2. My first wife, who I met in France, gave me my first 2 girls, Moya and Jill. We were married 5 years and she then married Adam West (Batman) and are still married. I then married Marilee Higginbotham in 1971 we have been married 36 years) and she gave me 2 more girls, Allison and Jacqueline. Marilee lit my fuse. She went everywhere in the world with me and made everyplace we went 'home'. When we lived in Vientianne Laos one day I took her in one of the airplanes and flew her up to the front lines to show her the action. (No, I didn't put her in any danger). She was a very gutsy woman. I believe she and I made 35 household moves during my career. She was always there and rarely complained. She is a former actress with MGM studios and now is a casting director (C.S.A.) and casts most major movies made in Vegas. She did most of the casting for "Casino".

What was it that you needed in your wife and how do you relate with your children and grandchildren after your Father?

She was the master of diplomacy to my utter lack of tact. All of my children are a great source of pride. They have all excelled in life and we all get together often and laugh and joke around about the crazy things that happened when they were growing up. Alli and Jax spent a year in Cairo and were both fluent in Arabic. Alli was 3 when we lived in Beirut at the beginning of the civil war in 1975. I had a penthouse apartment in the Hamra district. There was no service of any kind during the war and all of the garbage was put by the curb and then lit. At night before bed Alli would ask me "See fire Daddy, see fire" I would hold her up to the balcony so she could see the miles of burning garbage throughout Beirut. Allison and Jacqueline live with their husbands here in Las Vegas.

I share your pain John and understand fully how it must have felt to grow up loving life so fully with no real need for money.

On the contrary it was always a scramble and still is for money. My Mom left a huge estate of which I got a portion. Unfortunately her trusted attorneys and accountants ripped off most of it. All I actually wanted from her estate was a limited edition set of the Lewis and Clark Journals she had. The trustee of the estate gave that to a friend of his and told me to take a hike.

But then to be disinherited was a blow you never expected.

On the contrary my father spent most of any conversation we ever had, and in most every letter he ever wrote to me telling me how I was never going to get anything from his estate. It was no surprise to me. As a matter of fact when he passed away all my pilot friends at Van Nuys airport had a party for me at the Skytrails bar where we all used to meet. It was called the "Paupers Party". My fathers will was read where he specifically excluded me at least 25 times and everybody brought a gift. I got a six pack of dog food, a pack of personalized brown paper bags, a roll of 50 pennies, stuff like that.

I am sure you could have made bookoo's had you known or cared to be more financially secure. I am glad to hear that it has only strengtened your total being.

On the contrary I never made nor was I ever capable of making any money (other than working as a pilot). The ability to 'turn a buck' has always eluded me.

There is a very good chance that you have consumed so much energy in this life that there will not be a container big enough to hold your gigantic developing soul.

Thanks Antar. I needed that.