THE PASSING OF NANCY REAGAN…
(…a truly classy First Lady)

Not many folks remember much about her today as First Lady, after Ronald Reagan got elected President, other than those who were part of his administration, or, who were part of the press-hound pack covering the White House.

At the time she was often subjected to undeserved, even unkind, criticisms about her personal style and ways, which were seen as being too old-fashioned and straight-laced, mostly by latter-day hippies from the ’60s who were still cruising on pot-fuelled memories of ashrams, Woodstock, birkenstok sandals, and Hare Krishnas, not to mention acid, free love, and rock and roll, and of course her “just say no” perspective about drugs, which was deemed as being hopelessly out of touch with new-culture realities.

Like many others before and since, Reagan’s presidency had its share of controversies and public outcries about his policies. Old Ronnie himself also being the butt of stand-up comedians’ jokes and political cartoonists’ acid caricatures (a few of these coming from our pen as well). But through it all Nancy Reagan never wavered in her support and defense of her president husband, or from her sense of gracious decorum while doing so.

Well, we did have our own personal memento of that graciousness and style…in the form of a brief thank you note she sent back to us…for a special gift card we sent her on the occasion of one of her birthdays, featuring one of our original pen and ink cartoons of her in her newly set up office in the White House, behind her desk, looking up at a smiling portrait of another classy First Lady named Dolly Madison…with the following caption…”Breaker, Breaker…Top Tomato to Top Banana…nice touch…big guy!” Per her note she apparently enjoyed a number of giggles from it (sadly, we seem to have misplaced or lost that note from our archives).

Such are our recollections of another era, and now the passing of Nancy Reagan…a truly classy First Lady.

CENTURION