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Public Commentary
It is appropriate that he is ensconced in what we affectionately call "the west wing" of our small Babylon Village Historical Museum, because for a time, Bob Keeshan, who played Captain Kangaroo, lived in the Village of Babylon. The year my husband and I joined a local yacht club, our children were delighted to discover that Captain Kangaroo was the Commodore. It was their first brush with celebrity. My eight-year-old formally introduced herself to him and gave him a rave review of his program. Bob Keeshan, much like the character he played so well, was a gentle, caring man. From his early years in show business through all the seasons he portrayed "Captain Kangaroo", he epitomized the very highest standards in children's television. When the figure of Captain Kangaroo was donated to our museum, it was badly in need of repair. It had sustained a long crack down the center of the face and chest. We were asked to restore the Captain who had been washed and cleaned by another member of the historical society. My husband took his putty knife, Spackle and sandpaper and went down to remedy the situation. "How did it go?" I asked him after the first session. "It was strange", he said. "After I started working it seemed he was smiling at me. It seemed only natural to talk to him and it was a very pleasant experience." I smiled at the fact that being alone in the museum had had such a whimsical outcome. That was the first time he went down to work on the captain. The next time he reported the same thing. "It's a very funny thing", he said. "He's beginning to feel more and more real." The following week it was my turn. I was to paint over the patches, matching the skin color which was a rosy tan, copying the red of the jacket, the color of the mustache and hair. I gathered my paints and brushes and went down to finish the repair job. The Captain sat quietly in his chair waiting for me. As I worked mixing the colors the Captain's smiling blue eyes seemed to sparkle. It wasn't long before I was chatting with the Captain. As I matched the red of his jacket and the blue of his pants I told him about the changes in the Village since he had moved away. I spoke about the yacht club where his kids and mine had enjoyed the swimming pool. We were buddies by the time I left and he looked much more fit than when he had arrived at the museum. He is there now, waiting for visitors. Todays' kids might not remember him but their parents and grandparents certainly will. After giving so many hours of joy to families with his creative and high caliber program, he became an active lobbyist on behalf of children's television in his retirement. Beside all that, if you knew him, you always found him to be a gentleman in every sense the word. When I packed up my paints and locked the door of the west wing in the museum, I gave him a wave goodbye. I'm sure I saw him give me a friendly wink.
Joan Holmes, Babylon
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