Cesareo Paelez

BEVERLY — Cesareo Pelaez, the charismatic Cuban who escaped his native country and created the world's longest-running stage magic show in a renovated Beverly theater, died Saturday of congestive heart failure. He was 79.

Pelaez suffered a stroke in 2005 and stopped performing his role of Marco the Magi in 2006. Since then, he would appear on stage at the end of each performance of Le Grand David and His Own Spectacular Company in his wheelchair, acknowledging the cheers with a wave of his hands. He made his last appearance Feb. 18 for the company's 35th anniversary show.

Pelaez began receiving hospice care at home in November. He was taken to the Kaplan Family Hospice House in Danvers on Wednesday and died there Saturday at 3 a.m., according to David Bull, who plays Le Grand David in the show.

Bull said he received several messages from magicians pointing out that Saturday was Houdini's birthday. The magicians called the timing "Cesareo's final trick."

Pelaez and a group of friends started Le Grand David in 1977 after pooling their money to buy the Cabot Cinema, a 1920 vaudeville theater on Cabot Street, paying $110,000 in cash to owner E.M. Lowe.

The show featured classic magic tricks, such as a floating table and doves snatched out of the air, with the troupe performing in exotic handmade costumes amid the grand arches and ornate murals of the restored theater.

Over the years, the show drew national and international attention. The troupe performed at the White House seven times. Pelaez was named Magician of the Year by the Academy of Magic Arts in Hollywood, and the entire company performed at the awards banquet at the Beverly Hills Wilshire Hotel.

Pelaez, who also worked as a psychology professor at Salem State College for 25 years, oversaw the entire production, from the custom-made sets to ticket sales to the hot chocolate served in the balcony.

"It takes a genius to put on a show like that," said Raymond Goulet, who runs a magic museum and art studio in Watertown. "Very few people can do everything, but Cesareo could. I considered him a miracle man. There hasn't been a show in the history of magic that ran so long and had such a successful run."

With Pelaez's health declining, Le Grand David has been on hiatus since the 35th anniversary show last month. Bull said the show will resume April 15 with the first of six previously scheduled performances, but he is not sure if it will continue beyond that.

"That is really a question that needs to be answered," he said.

Pelaez was born in Santa Clara, Cuba, on Oct. 16, 1932. As a boy, he attended the traveling magic shows and music revues that came to town. In high school, he formed his own theatrical company, using a chicken coop as a stage, according to the 2007 book "There Will Be Wonderful Surprises" by Avrom Surath, one of Le Grand David's original cast members.

Pelaez won a scholarship to the University of Kansas and came to the United States for the first time in 1956. He returned to Cuba and got a government job with the Ministry of Education, organizing intelligence tests for public school students. The country was rising up against dictator Fulgencio Batista's oppressive regime, and Pelaez worked secretly with the local underground movement to defeat Batista's army, according to "Wonderful Surprises."

In 1959, Pelaez helped direct traffic as Fidel Castro and his men passed through Santa Clara on a triumphant march to Havana.

Pelaez remained in his government job but soon became fearful of persecution under Castro's Communist government. According to "Wonderful Surprises," Pelaez's best friend was shot to death while standing by his side.

After two failed attempts to escape the country by boat, Pelaez, disguised as a priest, gained admission to the Colombian embassy and was flown to Colombia.

Pelaez spent a year teaching psychology at the University of Bogota before coming to the United States to stay. He wrote to Abraham Maslow, the famed psychologist who was teaching at Brandeis University and whom Pelaez had studied in Cuba, and became his teaching assistant.

In 1968, Pelaez started a "growth center" in Dublin, N.H., a 95-acre retreat that featured daily tai chi classes and meditation seminars. When it closed after 18 months, Pelaez traveled to Europe and studied theater, the circus, puppetry and opera — "every conceivable form of entertainment," Bull said.

In 1972, Pelaez was hired as a psychology professor at Salem State. His teaching methods, which encouraged students to think for themselves, made his classes among the most popular on campus, said Patricia Markunas, chairwoman of the school's psychology department.

"He had a way of bringing out the best in people, of getting people in particular to explore their artistic and creative side," Markunas said. "He had the magician's air of mystery that made you want to know more about him. The Magi is the wise man, and he was the wise man. You wanted to be with him whether it was in psychology or magic or just someone to know."

While running and performing in his magic show and teaching at Salem State, Pelaez and his company bought another old Beverly theater four blocks away on Wallis Street and introduced a second show, "An Anthology of Stage Magic."

"He was just a whirling dervish of energy and creativity," Bull said. "Shows and designs just poured out of him. This dream that he had from his childhood, this was the time, this was the place, and he wasn't going to miss the opportunity."

Markunas credited the restoration of the two theaters with helping improve Beverly's economy and revive its downtown.

Bull said several prominent magicians, including Doug Henning, David Copperfield and Harry Blackstone Jr., visited Pelaez over the years and raved about his show.

"Henning said to us, 'You people are doing what I dream about, having your own theater, your own show,'" Bull said.

Bull said that Pelaez, who became an American citizen in 1967, loved his adopted country. His insisted that his corporation, White Horse Productions, remain a for-profit business because he did not want the government having a say in its operations.

"He saw what happened in Cuba where, with the stroke of a pen, Castro could nationalize businesses," Bull said.

Pelaez's sister and father eventually came to the United States from Cuba but have since passed away. Pelaez never married.

Bull said a prominent magician from England and several of Pelaez's Cuban friends from Florida will fly to Beverly to attend the services. The wake will be held Friday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Campbell Funeral Home, 9 Dane St. The funeral is scheduled for Saturday at 9 a.m. at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church on Cabot Street.

 

Ken Krenzel

Ruth Ann (Fonda) Pitts

Broken Wand - Leo Haglund

Haglund, Leo Gunnar 83 March 24, 1928 Nov. 25, 2011 Leo is survived by Willamae, his best friend an loving wife of 62 years; sons, Lee and Linn, their wives, Trudy and Deby; and grandchildren, Gunnar, Samantha and Olivia. An avid snow-skier, woodworker, swimmer, boater and magician, Leo enjoyed Timberline Lodge, was a longtime member of Multnomah Athletic Club, Hayden Island Yacht Club, The Society of American Magicians, and the Masonic Lodge. Memorials may be made to the charity of your choice . Private committal services held at Willamette National Cemetery. By Leo's request a "party" will be at the Beaverton Elks, Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011, at 2 p.m. 

Broken Wand - Ed Kirk

Ed died peacefully on Saturday, October 8, 2011, at the age of 82.  He was born in Pine Grove, WV on October 18, 1928. He proudly served our country in the U.S. Army and worked as an electrician in the diesel shop at National Steel in Weirton, WV, for 32 years.

Ed was a magician for 60 years and did clowning for 33 years.  His clown name was Kirk the Magic Clown.  His interest in magic started at age 16 with a neighbor buying magic and Ed reading how to do it and teaching the neighbor’s son.  He loved entertaining children.  No matter where he went, he carried magic in his pocket.  He was also a great balloon maker and carried some balloons with him wherever he was.  He donated his time for the Cancer Society, Heart Association, and nursing homes.  He helped start many people in Magic.  He was a member of the Mystic Magicians of Beaver Valley, PA (Assembly #157), the International Brotherhood of Magicians 28366m, Masonic Lodge 22 of New Cumberland, and the World Clown Association

William Andrews

Hank Moorehouse

Hank Moorehouse, Past National President, and iconic influencer and promoter of the art of magic around the world, has died in China while on tour with a troop performing close-up magic.

There are few details at this time, and with the American Embassy in China being closed over the holiday weekend, more information will not be available until later next week.

Our National Convention in Pittsburgh has long been planned to honor Hank and celebrate his life. According to S.A.M. Ambassador Brad Jacobs, P.N.P., Jackie Moorehouse has requested that the Convention proceed with a celebration of Hank's life.

Hank's incredible vision, international network of magicians, and tremendous creativity helped shape and propel the S.A.M. into the 21st Century. We honor him as a Compeer, Past National President, and of course, the long-time Executive Producer of our Convention shows and lectures.

With heavy hearts, but grateful for his friendship, and blessed by his artistry,

Mark Weidhaas, National President
Rev. Michael Douglass, P.N.P, National Chaplain

Kim Zimmerman

Sidney Radner

HOLYOKE – Sidney H. Radner, an amateur magician who built one of the world’s largest collections of Harry Houdini memorabilia died Sunday at the age of 91. The New York Times is reporting the cause of death was cancer. He died in his hometown of Holyoke.

Radner was the president of the American Rug Company of Holyoke, which was started by his father and is being operated by his son today. He became fascinated with magic at the age of 9 when he read a book about it. He later became proficient at escaping from handcuffs and straight jackets. He also became an expert on gambling and cheating and often lectured on how to identify crooked gamblers.

By the time Radner was 16, the Holyoke boy was billing himself as “America’s Foremost Juvenile Escape Artist.” That same year, 1935, Sidney met Harry Houdini’s brother Hardeen at the Kimball Hotel in downtown Springfield.

One of Radner’s more recent projects was to create an interactive museum at 147 High Street in Holyoke. About four years ago Radner started working with a Mount Holyoke College student on the project. Radner had sold much of his about 1,000-piece collection at auction for about $1 million, but he did keep some of the items that he had acquired.

He had been married to Helen Cohen Radner for 64 years until she died in March. The couple had two sons.

Dr. Leonard J. Elmer, Sr

Dr. Leonard J. Elmer, Sr., retired dentist, born in Hammond, Louisiana on 8 May 1917, and a native of New Orleans, La died on 6 June 2011 after complications following open heart surgery.  His death was unexpected and he had anticipated taking trips to Russia, Dallas, Orlando and Las Vegas with his family this summer. His will to live life to the fullest was exemplified in his daily activities and involvement in the community.

He was a graduate of Jesuit High School (1933) and Loyola University (1938).  He was a full-time instructor in Loyola University Dental School from 1938-1942.    He was attending medical school prior to being pulled to teach dentistry full-time during WWII.

He served in the Army Dental Corps in World War II (1942-1946) and was stationed overseas in India and the South Pacific.  He was in private practice in New Orleans from 1946-1950  and entered the U.S. Air Force at the outbreak of the Korean war in 1950.   During his active duty military experience, he met his wife, Beverly Kathleen Elmer, and married her in 1959.   He decided to the make service a career and retired from the USAF in 1967.  While active duty, he was head of the dental clinic at McCoy AFB in Orlando, Florida and also the dentist assigned to a select B-29 squadron during WWII.   He, in fact, was recently interviewed by the National World War II Museum to discuss his dental service during this time period.

He devoted himself to his two children and his wife, Beverly (also a USAF officer (nurse)) and was the epitome of what a father should be. 

He was a life member of the New Orleans, Louisiana and American Dental Associations.  

His life-long interest in conjuring kept him very active and engaged in magic.  He was a member of The Society of American Magicians and the International Brotherhood of Magicians (IBM).  He has been awarded the Order of Merlin Excelsior (for those members with over 60 years of membership; he had 65) by the IBM. He also recently reunited with Ring 27 of New Orleans.  He was known as an avid photographer and has gone to great lengths to get the “perfect shot”.  He took his camera wherever he went and loved taking pictures of his family.

He is survived by his devoted and grateful children: daughter Dr. Kathleen B. Elmer and son, Leonard J. Elmer, Jr.  He has a sister, Mary Alice Long (currently residing in California) and 3 granddaughters:  Sarah K. Parks, Rachel C. Elmer, Stephanie L. Elmer. 

Visitation and Chapel Mass will be held at Lakelawn Funeral Home in Metarie, La, and internment will be held at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas. 

He loved his wife dearly and her loss in 2007 affected him profoundly.  Despite his loss, he continued to care for his granddaughter, Sarah, with whom he lived and shared his wisdom and love for life and magic with her.  His loss cannot be measured and his contribution to his family is profound.   His legacy of love, life and gusto for making every day count are remembered by his actions. 

Visitation will be held at Lakelawn Funeral Home in Metarie, La  (Monday, 13 June, 0900-1100) with Mass to follow. He will be interred at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery in San Antonio, Texas at 1pm on Wed, 15 June.  In lieu of flowers, Masses are preferred.