Bill Hickey remembered

Bay Village -- Bill Hickey claimed to have taught a famous singer to sing, roomed with a famous actor and covered a Korean football game called the Sake Bowl.

This much is sure: Hickey, who died Friday, March 19,2010, at age 83, wrote several books, churned out countless articles, won many awards and made many friends during 36 years at The Plain Dealer.

The journalist and goodwill ambassador staged shot-putting tournaments, judged a "Most Pleasant Voice" contest for receptionists, underwent charity roasts and filled in for an ailing Bob Neal on an Indians' broadcast. He also reviewed restaurants under the pen name of Forchette Escargot and called the cafeteria of the rival Cleveland Press "efficacious."

Hickey died at his long-time home in Bay Village from complications of cancer.

For the rest of Grant Segall's Hickey obit click below:

http://www.cleveland.com/obituaries/index.ssf/2010/03/bill_hickey_was_a_plain_dealer.html

Hatch is back

After several years in his home town of Altoona, Pa., former PD reporter and Guild Executive Secretary Steve Hatch is returning to Greater Cleveland. Rumor has it that after being a night club owner (and chef and bouncer and customer), he developed a proprietary formula for men's grooming products and started an online business to market them. He's moving his growing business empire back to Northeast Ohio. His email is shatchsr@gmail.com.

David Dugan, Irma's husband, dies

David R. Dugan, 93, husband of former PD garden editor Irma Bartel, died March 1, 2010, after a lengthy illness.



He had served as Lake County deputy nursery inspector, a Cornell University extension specialist and, in 1956, he became president of the family-owned and operated Dugan Nurseries, Inc., in Perry, Ohio. The wholesale nursery, consisting of more than 200 acres in Lake County, was founded by his father and uncle in 1919 and continued in operation until 1992.



Memorials may be forwarded to St. Thomas Lutheran Church, or to Judson Retirement Park, 2181 Ambleside Drive, Cleveland, OH 44106, where he and Irma lived.


A memorial service for Mr. Dugan will be at 1 p.m. March 14 at St. Thomas Lutheran Church, 21211 Detroit Road, Rocky River, Ohio, with visitation prior to the service from noon to 1 p.m.