(My absolute favorite photo of them – so happy and in love)

106 years ago, in a small town called O’Fallon, Illinois, William Franklin Beedle, Jr. was born, the son of a teacher and a chemist. When he was four, his family moved to Pasadena after his father accepted a job at Gooch Laboratories. While a student at Pasadena Junior College (now Pasadena City College), he joined the drama club and was cast in a play that eventually made its way from campus to a local theater. It was that performance which caught the eye of a talent scout for Paramount Pictures who extended him an invitation to screen test at the studio. He became a contract player for $50 a week, dropped out of school, and the actor we know and love as William Holden was born. The movie “Golden Boy” put him on the path to stardom, and as some would say, “the rest is history.” However, for him, this was just the beginning of a life full of wonder and passion. He was a man of the world, a lover of art, music, culture and nature, a gentleman hunter whose life was transformed to that of a conservationist after killing an antelope whose doe eyes reminded him of Audrey Hepburn (which whom he’d had an ill fated relationship). in 1972, he and Stefanie Powers (who had briefly met him several times prior to the start of their relationship) became a couple. Their shared passion for travel and the natural world forged a bond between them that lives on to this day. That level of respect, shared interest, dedication and love is eternal. Ms. Powers has often said that everything he wanted to teach her, she wanted to learn and I feel the same way about her. In carrying on his legacy of conservation and education, she has changed many lives, including my own. I always say it hurts my heart they never had their “happily ever after” but today I celebrate his legacy, the one which inspired this blog and all the research I have put into it, and how Ms. Powers has shared his legacy with all of us. Happy heavenly birthday, sir, we love you.