Heather Booth's recollection of Al Booth:
Al Booth, as so many have said, lived his values, with great spirit, infectious optimism, big dreams and the tenaciousness to often turn those dreams into reality. He had a breath of interest in so many areas.
Because of our shared activist spirit and progressive
values, he would often call to conspire on some social change idea he would
think up. How to get instruments to
the poor children in
So I often got a phone call that might start, “How can you get in touch with Nelson Mandela to….” “When you call Bill Clinton, can you tell him to…..”
A few years ago he told me he would have one of the people
in the nursing home (though it may have been someone who came to visit another
resident in the nursing home) call me about working in an election.
But rather than calling to discuss a specific plan, this friend of Al’s
started by saying, “Do you know how wonderful your uncle Al is?
He is full of life. Even now,
he is intellectually challenging. He
is an exuberant spirit. It is such a privilege to know him.”
How true that is. And that is how I
will remember him.
Alyse Booth (extract of email to Louise and Nancy):
Your dad was unique as were all the Booth boys and girls but without diminishing the others, he was very very special! I am so appreciative of the moments I had with him. His giving me away at my wedding was the most important to me. What would I have done if I hadn't had Uncle Al to give me to Steve (the best decision I ever made!)? I can't imagine. And his being there for my mother for so many years after my father died and especially being at mom's bedside with me when she was dying. There are many more memories. I loved his fire and commitment and recall with admiration his fervent effort against the Vietnam War. (I am sure he would have done the same for this tragic war had he been able.) It reminds me that being of the Booth clan is truly unique!
Don Booth (email extract):
I first met Uncle Al at the reunion in Kentucky. No, that's not true. Al was the most fun when we had dinner at Poppy's house (Poppy was Gooch (Sam's) wife. Poppy used to have dinner for the Booth's from time to time and I always wanted to play some sort of cowboy game with Al who I knew as Elias. But it was not until Kentucky that I discovered his show business side - something that I share.
Daniel Booth (email extract):
I just want to express my own sadness at the
passing of "Uncle Golias". That was
his name 65 years ago when I was 2 or 3 and that's how I still picture him--the
young, tall, handsome, "cheerful uncle" who greeted you with a big
smile. There
was laughter in his voice when he said hello and sometimes lift you up to his
eye level--yes, way up there!!! He gave many many people a "lift" and
a loving
smile during his long life. What a tribute to Al if we could all bring some of
that into our own families and circles of friends, colleagues and strangers,
too.