“Fonzie” recalls the late actor John Ritter By: Associated Press - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

FonzFan · 09-19-2003, 07:15 PM

Green Bay - Former “Happy Days” star Henry Winkler said at a scholarship dinner here that some of the funnies moments of his life were with John Ritter.

Winkler, an actor, writer and producer who is best know for his role as Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli, was in town for the Brian La Violette scholarship dinner and auction Tuesday, even though he buried his longtime friend the day before.

Ritter died suddenly last Thursday of an undetected heart problem. He was 54.

“You don’t know when it’s going to hit you.” Winkler said while talking about Ritter before the event. “If it’s walking through an airport and John goes through your mind and you’re thinking, ‘Oh, John...oh yeah, I can’t call him any more.’

“But I know he died happy. All he talked about was how happy he was.”

Ritter and Winkler had worked together on numerous occasions, including TV movies Winkler produced and “Hollywood Squares.”

“Some of the funniest moments of my life were sitting at a dinner table with John and Amy,” Winkler said, referring to Ritter’s wife, Amy Yasbeck.

Winkler said the cast of Ritter’s show “8 Simple Rules” was “inconsolable” at the memorial service.

“John was a dad on and off the screen (to the cast),” he said.

The dinner and celebrity auction were to benefit the Brian La Violette Scholarship Foundation. La Violette, a student at De Pere High School, died in an accident in 1992 at age 15, and his parents memorialized him with a scholarship fund. It now awards more than 30 scholarships each year.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
RIP: JOHN RITTER
September 17, 1948 - September 11, 2003
"Forever Will You Make Us Laugh"

YoliUSA · 09-20-2003, 05:56 PM

Mr. Television · 09-20-2003, 05:58 PM

Stormtracker TF · 09-20-2003, 07:37 PM

We all miss you John.

Susiek415 · 09-20-2003, 09:02 PM

Moonlight Lady · 09-20-2003, 09:06 PM

We miss you like crazy John.

I'm definitely buying the 1st season of TC when it comes out on DVD.

Cactus Jack · 09-20-2003, 09:39 PM

We miss you, like Katie said, like crazy , John

animalcrackers · 09-22-2003, 12:28 PM

My heart goes out to John's family and also to Henry. Can you image Ron, Henry and John and their wives going out every Monday night for dinner back in the early days. I bet they had fun.

09-19-2003, 07:15 PM	#1
FonzFan Member Senior Member Join Date: Sep 13, 2000 Location: Jefferson, WI USA/ just around the corner from the home of HD: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 1,709	“Fonzie” recalls the late actor John Ritter By: Associated Press Green Bay - Former “Happy Days” star Henry Winkler said at a scholarship dinner here that some of the funnies moments of his life were with John Ritter. Winkler, an actor, writer and producer who is best know for his role as Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli, was in town for the Brian La Violette scholarship dinner and auction Tuesday, even though he buried his longtime friend the day before. Ritter died suddenly last Thursday of an undetected heart problem. He was 54. “You don’t know when it’s going to hit you.” Winkler said while talking about Ritter before the event. “If it’s walking through an airport and John goes through your mind and you’re thinking, ‘Oh, John...oh yeah, I can’t call him any more.’ “But I know he died happy. All he talked about was how happy he was.” Ritter and Winkler had worked together on numerous occasions, including TV movies Winkler produced and “Hollywood Squares.” “Some of the funniest moments of my life were sitting at a dinner table with John and Amy,” Winkler said, referring to Ritter’s wife, Amy Yasbeck. Winkler said the cast of Ritter’s show “8 Simple Rules” was “inconsolable” at the memorial service. “John was a dad on and off the screen (to the cast),” he said. The dinner and celebrity auction were to benefit the Brian La Violette Scholarship Foundation. La Violette, a student at De Pere High School, died in an accident in 1992 at age 15, and his parents memorialized him with a scholarship fund. It now awards more than 30 scholarships each year. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~ RIP: JOHN RITTER September 17, 1948 - September 11, 2003 "Forever Will You Make Us Laugh"
	__________________ *~~FonzFan~~* ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Let me tell ya, it's a lot of fun in La-La land! -Fonz ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest spells. We'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox." - Professor Severus Snape (HP and the Chamber of Secrets)

09-20-2003, 05:58 PM	#3
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132
	__________________ Sonny

09-20-2003, 09:06 PM	#6
Moonlight Lady Member Forum Star Join Date: Aug 18, 2002 Posts: 16,052	We miss you like crazy John. I'm definitely buying the 1st season of TC when it comes out on DVD.
	__________________ [

09-20-2003, 09:39 PM	#7
Cactus Jack RonFingSwanson Forum Idol Join Date: Dec 09, 2001 Location: Santa Rosa Beach,FL Posts: 103,099	We miss you, like Katie said, like crazy , John
	__________________ Id Love to help you Tracy, but I cant have sex with a black guy, Id lose my endorsement deal with NASCAR-Jenna Maroney,30 Rock April 17,2009 9:02 PM : 100,000th post!

09-20-2003, 05:56 PM	#2
YoliUSA Fan of the Classics Forum Veteran Join Date: Jun 13, 2002 Location: In a galaxy far, far away... Posts: 5,290

09-20-2003, 07:37 PM	#4
Stormtracker TF Happy Easter! Moderator Forum Idol Join Date: Jul 19, 2002 Location: Detroit, Michigan Posts: 102,598	We all miss you John.

09-20-2003, 09:02 PM	#5
Susiek415 Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Sep 12, 2003 Posts: 26

09-22-2003, 12:28 PM	#8
animalcrackers Member Senior Member Join Date: Jul 24, 2002 Location: The Backseat Of Fonzie's Bike Posts: 1,603	My heart goes out to John's family and also to Henry. Can you image Ron, Henry and John and their wives going out every Monday night for dinner back in the early days. I bet they had fun.