Howard Drummond - Page 2 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Mike82 · 01-28-2019, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ramirez412001

Just watched this segment again...I'm willing to bet he had Asperger's Syndrome. (More functional than Gordon Page Jr.) A lot of his idiosyncrasies would fit under that diagnosis.

Think along the lines of Sheldon Cooper in the early seasons of the Big Bang Theory.

I always thought that Gordon Page Jr, Howard Drummond seemed very normal to me, except for hoarding that extreme amount of money. Being able to eat the same food every day for every meal is my idea of heaven. If I wasn't married I would probably eat 2-3 things tops. Gordon Page Jr. in particular looked like an extreme version of me, right down to memorizing the baseball stats! I do that to this day only with hockey.

Nickolas086 · 01-28-2019, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike82

I always thought that Gordon Page Jr, Howard Drummond seemed very normal to me, except for hoarding that extreme amount of money. Being able to eat the same food every day for every meal is my idea of heaven. If I wasn't married I would probably eat 2-3 things tops. Gordon Page Jr. in particular looked like an extreme version of me, right down to memorizing the baseball stats! I do that to this day only with hockey.

Gordon Page Jr couldn't hold a job or take care of himself because of his disability hence why he was put into a special home. Whatever Howard Drummond had was mild or on the border. He was a civil servant for the state/city after all

Mike82 · 01-29-2019, 08:38 AM

I sometimes wonder if Gordon was identified as Autistic today how we would have turned out. I think back to the husband of a former coworker: he was a brilliant scientist but because of his now obvious Asperger/Autism traits could only get a job at McDonalds for years.

It almost makes me cry thinking about how if I was properly diagnosed as a child, I wouldn't have had such a miserable childhood and been chronically underemployed because of my inability to read social cues or make eye contact. I could have been helped into a field I would have excelled in rather than throw to the wolves. I imagine Gordon would have been one of MLB's best statisticians if he was given the chance.

Hambone2421 · 05-25-2022, 12:08 PM

Does anyone else wonder what became of his gym bag that he was always seen with? And what the key to that locker held? I know nothing about train station lockers but I assume they're checked somewhat periodically to the point that there is almost no way that whatever he had in that locker is still there.

Gelatinous Goo · 05-26-2022, 07:50 AM

I think it was pure speculation that such a locker even existed. Howard was always alone. How does anyone know that he even used the supposed locker? Was someone tailing him to the train station? I doubt it. Once he received his daily allotment of mooched rubber bands at the post office, do you think he said, "Well, off I go to the train station to lock up my valuables."? Of course not.

Hambone2421 · 05-26-2022, 08:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gelatinous Goo

I think it was pure speculation that such a locker even existed. Howard was always alone. How does anyone know that he even used the supposed locker? Was someone tailing him to the train station? I doubt it. Once he received his daily allotment of mooched rubber bands at the post office, do you think he said, "Well, off I go to the train station to lock up my valuables."? Of course not.

I believe a train station locker key was found in his apartment. I could be wrong but I'm fairly positive that's where the theory of the gym bag being in the locker came from.

Gelatinous Goo · 05-27-2022, 07:27 AM

Correct, but again, it's just speculation that he was using such a locker at the time of his passing. He was a hoarder, so he could have just as easily found the key on the ground and added it to his hoard. Perhaps it was something he used a long time back in a different place. At this point, it's just a meaningless key.

Would they not have actually gone to all locations in the city which offered the rental of such lockers and checked with each place? If not, that's shoddy work on their part. Howard was a pedestrian, so if the key was local to the area, it would have been a locker close to the Y where he lived. Doesn't seem like that would take much detective work to solve.

sdb4884 · 05-27-2022, 12:15 PM

I love this case, what a curious fellow.

Gelatinous Goo · 06-13-2026, 10:43 AM

It's been a long time since we've had any action on this thread. I know we have a lot of Howard Drummond lovers here!

I Googled Howard and this came up. Check out the comments section for first-hand recollections of meeting Howard! The best comment came from a worker at the YMCA:

"I worked at the YMCA front desk and was the one who actually checked him in. I was also working the night that someone, I believe it was him, accidentally set their mattresses on fire. I grabbed the mattresses and ran it down the stairs outside and tossed it on the ground. The fire department came and put it out. I recall they said he had money in his mattresses. I wasn't working there when he passed away but was shocked and surprised when I saw the unsolved mystery."

Because, of course Howard Drummond stuffed money in his mattress! The coffee jars were see-through and provided no security whatsoever.

The next best tidbit was that someone shared the name of the wonderful actor who portrayed Howard: Marion Stutes.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1376...0376822484587/

bigted12 · 06-13-2026, 11:15 AM

I remember this case, it's actually more common than you think. people who live as if they have nothing, yet all the while are squrilling away a fortune.

i wonder what howard thought, getting to that age, why not live a little more comfortably knowing he can't take it with him?

Gelatinous Goo · 06-13-2026, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigted12

i wonder what howard thought, getting to that age, why not live a little more comfortably knowing he can't take it with him?

As I believe I've mentioned years ago, it was extremely likely that Howard was on the autism spectrum. He also survived the Depression and was fired from at least one job that we were told about. All of these factors likely made him extremely worried about his financial security and led to his very frugal life of penny pinching.

It would be so wonderful to piece together his life prior to arriving in Michigan. Did he spend decades living in YMCAs in other parts of the country? Also, why did he move to Michigan? My guess is he likely did live in other YMCAs, being the stickler for routine that he was.

bigted12 · 06-13-2026, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gelatinous Goo

As I believe I've mentioned years ago, it was extremely likely that Howard was on the autism spectrum. He also survived the Depression and was fired from at least one job that we were told about. All of these factors likely made him extremely worried about his financial security and led to his very frugal life of penny pinching.

It would be so wonderful to piece together his life prior to arriving in Michigan. Did he spend decades living in YMCAs in other parts of the country? Also, why did he move to Michigan? My guess is he likely did live in other YMCAs, being the stickler for routine that he was.

the autism theory makes sense, i remember he had a really rigid routine in what he would he eat, when he would pay his rent, autistic people depend on these routines... didn't he also keep a really detailed collection of notes about radio shows?

i once took a job at a flight center when i was at college, a guy would come in every year, old timer to book a flight so he could pay his respects at normandy being a vet...always wanted the cheapest seat, cheapest rooms... when he died it turned out he had a fortune.

Gelatinous Goo · 06-13-2026, 06:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigted12

the autism theory makes sense, i remember he had a really rigid routine in what he would he eat, when he would pay his rent, autistic people depend on these routines... didn't he also keep a really detailed collection of notes about radio shows?

i once took a job at a flight center when i was at college, a guy would come in every year, old timer to book a flight so he could pay his respects at normandy being a vet...always wanted the cheapest seat, cheapest rooms... when he died it turned out he had a fortune.

Yes, everything screamed ASD with Howard.

-The rigid routine
-Eating the same meal three times a day, every day,
-The obsession in writing down headline news from the TV in his room
-Wearing the same clothes every day
-Having many identical copies of the same clothes
-Needing the receipts for his rent payments stapled to a particular piece of paper (in the same way each time)

I wonder what happened to that gym bag he carried everywhere he went. One theory could be that someone else in the Y discovered him dead before anyone else and grabbed the bag.

tvscript124 · 06-14-2026, 03:41 PM

I feel for him because ASD was not even talked about back then.

ghosthouse · 06-15-2026, 08:13 AM

Reading thru this thread there is a post from about 15 years ago that mentioned his parents(?) -- i had never heard any of his family had been found and any info i knew about HD was from the UM.

So with only my UM knowledge over the years - based on the description of his "hobbies" -- monitoring the news in great detail, the English Royal Family...reading Soviet Life magazine...I always wondered if he was some sort of super low level Russian spy tasked with giving the Kremlin information on the overall Zeitgiest of America. Maybe I was just overthinking it LOL.

01-29-2019, 08:38 AM	#18
Mike82 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Oct 19, 2017 Posts: 299	I sometimes wonder if Gordon was identified as Autistic today how we would have turned out. I think back to the husband of a former coworker: he was a brilliant scientist but because of his now obvious Asperger/Autism traits could only get a job at McDonalds for years. It almost makes me cry thinking about how if I was properly diagnosed as a child, I wouldn't have had such a miserable childhood and been chronically underemployed because of my inability to read social cues or make eye contact. I could have been helped into a field I would have excelled in rather than throw to the wolves. I imagine Gordon would have been one of MLB's best statisticians if he was given the chance.

05-25-2022, 12:08 PM	#19
Hambone2421 Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 08, 2009 Location: Texas Posts: 2,067	Does anyone else wonder what became of his gym bag that he was always seen with? And what the key to that locker held? I know nothing about train station lockers but I assume they're checked somewhat periodically to the point that there is almost no way that whatever he had in that locker is still there.

05-26-2022, 07:50 AM	#20
Gelatinous Goo Member Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 14, 2010 Posts: 575	I think it was pure speculation that such a locker even existed. Howard was always alone. How does anyone know that he even used the supposed locker? Was someone tailing him to the train station? I doubt it. Once he received his daily allotment of mooched rubber bands at the post office, do you think he said, "Well, off I go to the train station to lock up my valuables."? Of course not.

05-27-2022, 07:27 AM	#22
Gelatinous Goo Member Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 14, 2010 Posts: 575	Correct, but again, it's just speculation that he was using such a locker at the time of his passing. He was a hoarder, so he could have just as easily found the key on the ground and added it to his hoard. Perhaps it was something he used a long time back in a different place. At this point, it's just a meaningless key. Would they not have actually gone to all locations in the city which offered the rental of such lockers and checked with each place? If not, that's shoddy work on their part. Howard was a pedestrian, so if the key was local to the area, it would have been a locker close to the Y where he lived. Doesn't seem like that would take much detective work to solve.

05-27-2022, 12:15 PM	#23
sdb4884 UM Meme Guy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 01, 2008 Location: Perth, Western Australia Posts: 1,235	I love this case, what a curious fellow.

06-13-2026, 10:43 AM	#24
Gelatinous Goo Member Forum Regular Join Date: Apr 14, 2010 Posts: 575	It's been a long time since we've had any action on this thread. I know we have a lot of Howard Drummond lovers here! I Googled Howard and this came up. Check out the comments section for first-hand recollections of meeting Howard! The best comment came from a worker at the YMCA: "I worked at the YMCA front desk and was the one who actually checked him in. I was also working the night that someone, I believe it was him, accidentally set their mattresses on fire. I grabbed the mattresses and ran it down the stairs outside and tossed it on the ground. The fire department came and put it out. I recall they said he had money in his mattresses. I wasn't working there when he passed away but was shocked and surprised when I saw the unsolved mystery." Because, of course Howard Drummond stuffed money in his mattress! The coffee jars were see-through and provided no security whatsoever. The next best tidbit was that someone shared the name of the wonderful actor who portrayed Howard: Marion Stutes. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1376...0376822484587/

06-13-2026, 11:15 AM	#25
bigted12 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Aug 07, 2019 Location: NY Posts: 250	I remember this case, it's actually more common than you think. people who live as if they have nothing, yet all the while are squrilling away a fortune. i wonder what howard thought, getting to that age, why not live a little more comfortably knowing he can't take it with him?

06-14-2026, 03:41 PM	#29
tvscript124 Member Forum Regular Join Date: Nov 01, 2024 Posts: 528	I feel for him because ASD was not even talked about back then.

06-15-2026, 08:13 AM	#30
ghosthouse Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Dec 03, 2019 Location: Amish Country Posts: 300	Reading thru this thread there is a post from about 15 years ago that mentioned his parents(?) -- i had never heard any of his family had been found and any info i knew about HD was from the UM. So with only my UM knowledge over the years - based on the description of his "hobbies" -- monitoring the news in great detail, the English Royal Family...reading Soviet Life magazine...I always wondered if he was some sort of super low level Russian spy tasked with giving the Kremlin information on the overall Zeitgiest of America. Maybe I was just overthinking it LOL.