I
nside
Retirement Living Guide pages 13-23
Northwest Prime Time
SERVING THE PUGET SOUND REGION SINCE 1986
FREE Celebrating Life After 50
www.NorthwestPrimeTime.com
VOL. 16 NO. 3 APRIL 2016
Ron Reagan
Longtime Seattleite pays tribute to his mother and father
R
on Prescott Reagan spoke movingly of his mother, Nancy Reagan, at her memorial service last month. The son of Nancy and President Ronald Reagan was inspired by his parents’ unfailing devotion to each other during their half-century marriage. First Lady Nancy Reagan riding a tandem bicycle with son Ron Reagan on the south grounds of the “I don’t think they ever White House, Washington DC, April 22, 1981 spent a day apart where they didn’t call, speak on the phone,” Ron Reagan said on supported by them. Much of that NBC’s Today show. “He wrote love is apparent in his New York her letters all her life, all his Times bestselling memoir, My life. They were in love, and they Father at 100, written in 2011 stayed in love for 52 some-odd on the anniversary of his father’s years.” centenary. It’s a telling book Nancy Reagan died in March about the relationship between at the age of 94. She was a fierce father and son and is filled with protector of President Reagan, family anecdotes and history. As and redefined the role of First a young child, Ron describes his Lady. She later became a staunch father as one of his favorite and advocate for stem cell research most reliable playmates. Shared and research on Alzheimer’s experiences of horseback rides, disease, a disease that afflicted swimming matches and throwing her husband. the football provide an insider’s look at President Reagan as a father. “His only rule [when it Ron Reagan was came to playing football] was that inspired by his he would be the quarterback for teams. He was scrupulously parents' unfailing both fair about distributing the ball.” Ron Reagan described his devotion to each father as having a fundamental other during inscrutability, but “someone so naturally sunny, so utterly their half-century without guile, so devoid of cynicism or pettiness as to create marriage for himself a whole new category Ron’s tribute to his mother of strangeness.” was eloquent and touching. He Ron Prescott Reagan was spoke of both his mother and his born May 20, 1958 and knew his father, how they each “possessed father first as a Hollywood star, great individual talents but as one who starred in more than a couple, they were more than 50 movies. Ron was only nine the sum of their parts…they when the family moved into the complemented one another.” He Governor’s mansion during his described Nancy’s fierce loyalty father’s two terms as California’s to Ronald Reagan. “If my mother governor. He was a very young had one great talent, it was to man when his father became love.” President. While many of Ron Reagan’s In the book, Ron shares what liberal views were in opposition life was like with his famous to those of his more conservative father, but it contains more than parents, he did feel loved and memories. His research included
Ron Prescott Reagan
visiting the towns that shaped his he brought the Seattle KIRO father while he was growing up. AM radio audience to attention Altogether, the book illustrates with his own midday show with a unique portrait of a young its mix of local, national and “Dutch” Reagan through the end international issues. He still of his life. appears on many programs, Although Ron and his father including MSNBC’s Hardball with had different political outlooks, Chris Matthews, and has served as they didn’t disagree all of the a special correspondent for ABC time. “My father was a sterling News. character Although in many, best known many as a political ways. He, commentator, of course, his breadth became of interests a really can be seen powerful through person, but earlier work I never saw hosting dog him abuse shows for that power Discovery’s personally,” Animal he said Ronald and Nancy Reagan with their children, Ron Planet, and Patti, outside their Pacific Palisades home, in an interviewing circa 1960. Photo courtesy The Ronald Reagan interview entertainment Presidential Foundation with The icons such Hill. In the same interview, Ron as Elizabeth Taylor and Mikhail said he started challenging his Baryshnikov, and explorations of father’s political beliefs at a popular culture. young age. Ron was considered Ron has written for national something of a rebel and was magazines and since his father’s expelled from high school for death from Alzheimer’s in 2004, a minor infraction because the he has been speaking out on the administrators felt he was a “bad subject of stem cell research and influence on the other kids.” He advocates increased research and later dropped out of Yale after federal funding. one semester to pursue dance Ron Reagan continues to with the prestigious Joffrey be active in causes he believes Ballet. in and is part of Creative Ron Reagan is now known as Coalition, a first-rights a political commentator and has amendment group. He has lived had his own national radio and ...continued on page 24 television programs. Before that,