I received a telephone call from Jean Thornton last night. She called to tell me Marty Leshaw had died.
Very sad news.
Jean and I had been very tight friends with Marty for years. Part of the Chart Room crowd during our time. Included Che Cohen, English Peter Bamberger, Sheila Cullens, David Hecht, Valerie Chelley, and Steve and Cindy Thompson. Several others whose names now escape me. For years, we met every evening at the Chart Room. Between 5 and 6. Some evenings to be spent at the Chart Room till late. Others a few drinks and then some of us would wander off to have dinner somewhere.
I dined most evenings with Marty. It was rare when we did not. Our favorite haunts were La Trattoria, Antonia’s, Hot Tin Roof, Pier House, and La Te Da. Some evenings Jean and/or Che would join us.
My time with Marty began many many years ago. Before Trump was even a popular political figure. Marty was an arch conservative. He would have been a Trump supporter these days.
I learned early on to avoid political discussions with him. He was one tough guy to have a political discussion with. He and Che used to have frequent political arguments at the Chart Room Bar itself. Two hard asses going at it.
Marty made his living as a court stenographer. Began his career in January 1963. His primary residence was a lovely spacious home in Fort Lauderdale on the intercoastal. He ran a steno business in the Fort Lauderdale and Miami areas as well as in Key West. The entire time I knew him, he maintained a second residence in Key West. It seemed like he was in Key West more than his northern quarters.
His last Key West residence was upstairs above the Woman’s Club on Duval Street.
He was married to Donna. He lucked out and found a lovely French woman to be his bride. The two were blessed with many children and grandchildren. Marty was proud of them all.
Marty left Key West many years ago. Gave up his residence here. I only would see him when he came down to do an occasional stenographic job.
Our relationship died a slow death. I suspect it was my fault. Marty invited me many times to visit he and his wife in Fort Lauderdale and at his home on stilts somewhere on a sand bar in the Atlantic Ocean. For no reason at all, I neve made the trip. I suspect Maty became insulted and stopped even telephoning after a while.
Two weeks ago, I received a telephone call from Marty. I had neither seen nor heard from him in more than 10 years. I thought he was calling to ask about my health. My recent heart surgeries I had reported on in my blog. Not the case. In fact, he did not know I had the surgeries and told me he stopped reading my blog years ago.
Why then the call? He had no reason. Just made the call. We chatted for an hour. About the old days and the Chart Room. Told me he had sold the big house on the intercoastal and he and the wife had moved into smaller quarters. No new invitation to visit was made.
After Jean called last night, I wondered if Marty knew he was dying and called for that reason. I may never know. He was a good guy. The type hard to replace. If the Lord is a liberal, Marty is going to have a hard time bargaining his way into Heaven. He’ll make it though. God knows good people when he sees them. Marty was a good person.
I wish I had visited him.
Enjoy your day!
Maybe your friend Marty realizes the stench that comes attached with being a Republican and trying to call yourself a conservative nowadays, and has decided he’s not THAT dishonest and wants nothing to do with that anymore, but hasn’t yet figured out how to behave in what’s left in what he always thought America was, or should be.
At least he’s keeping his mouth shut, which is a start
You dishonor the dead. We may have been politically miles apart. However he was a first class person and citizen. We argued. He did not disrespect. Just as he did not believe I was disrespecting him or his position when I always disagreed with him. I viewed our exchanges as democracy in the extreme. I did not expect everyone to agree with me nor he with him. Though he would have been a Trump supporter, he was not the nut Trump is.
No, but he enabled Trump and without him or people like him endorsing Trump, and trying to encourage you to do the same, Hitler (oops, I meant Trump) could Never have come to power.
Are you saying that Andy was wrong and that Marty should NOT be dishonored for arguing in favor of Hitler, sorry again, I meant Trump, just because he (Marty) died?
Are you also saying we should also not dishonor anyone who criticizes Hitler himself, because he too is dead?
Lou, would it be OK to say Marty was wrong and that ended up causing the rest of us to feel dishonored about our president and our country, but it’s not meant to sound like Marty should be thought dishonorable because Marty died?
I think dishonoring the dead is ONLY wrong when that person was NOT dishonorable while living
Where did this Hitler thing come into play? I think some of you are sick! Decidedly so. You are as bad as Trump with the way you think.
Lou, I don’t think Marty has to worry about if the Lord is a Liberal, but more about if he, Marty, was an unrepentant sinner.
Being a staunch and vocal Republican today requires a good deal of lying and racism. All sins resulting in purgatory, according to the nuns I knew.
You may have liked Marty and thought of him as a “good guy” but heaven is another place and far more demanding. Marty and so many others can’t run from the Lord because some choose to overlook everything when they die. That’s when things you do actually start to get real important.
Trump has repeatedly praised Hitler AND Nazis – Republicans have not reputed ANY of that! Both are a matter of record. That’s how this Hitler thing come into play. If you think some of US are sick! Decidedly, so and as bad as Trump with the way WE think. I at least, suggest you look within yourself for clarity. What is wrong with YOU?
Trump (and most Republicans) count on everyone to overlook the hate they spout and support him anyhow, regardless.
When I grew up, one of life’s greatest mysteries we all talked about was, how did the people of Germany allow Hitler to exist, let alone prosper and rule. I personally will not be quiet about this with anyone, you included. We cannot allow or whitewash this sickness to go any further. Please don’t feed it, please fight every inch of it.
Lou, thank you for your lovely tribute to Marty Leshaw and sharing your memories of a good man. It saddens me to see some of these responses from people who do not know him but are so quick to condemn him based on being a repulican!?. He and Donna are/were my friends and neighbors in Fort Lauderdale. He loved to debate and get a response out of you. I do think Marty had come to terms that it was his time and he was ready to go. Up until a few weeks ago you would still see him and Donna heading out in the golf cart for a night on the town. RIP Marty