Felix Silla

 "Over the years, I have met a handful of people whose work I really admire. Most of the time, I try to get an autograph or a photo with them. Then there are the very select few whom I have admired all my life but didn't get either. In those cases, the one thing I do have is the memory—and there are few things I like more than sharing those memories.

Let’s go back to my childhood. Most of my positive memories involve my Granny. During summers, holidays, and sick days—pretty much anytime I was out of school—I was at her house. She had her 'shows' and we had 'our shows.' My favorite of our shows was The Addams Family. Even though it originally aired a little before my time, I watched it and loved every second. While I enjoyed every character, Cousin Itt was at the top of my list.

Cousin Itt was portrayed by the great Felix Silla. Mr. Silla appeared in so many of my favorite productions: Bakshi’s The Lord of the Rings, Buck Rogers, Spaceballs, and Return of the Jedi, to name a few.

Fast forward to 2019: my son, Joseph, and I went to meet my friend Mike Quinn, who was in town for a charity drive at a local toy store. While we were talking, Mike signed a couple of items for me. Dominic Pace was also there, though we only exchanged a hello and a handshake. But Felix Silla was there as well. He spent time talking to me and playing with Joseph. I was so excited to meet him; I shook his hand and expressed my admiration. I didn’t want to take up more time than necessary because they were there for a charity event. Mike signed my items and took photos with Joseph and me. Well, guess who took all of those photos? It was none other than Felix Silla himself.

It was a truly memorable experience. Today, it was announced that we lost Felix to pancreatic cancer. I never did get his autograph or a photo with him, but I will take the memory of meeting him over those items any day. He gave me a personal trifecta of memories that ties together my childhood, my Granny, and my son. RIP Felix; you will be missed."

James "Jimmy" Hampton

 

        "Though he was born in Oklahoma City, he was raised here in Dallas from an early age and was as Texan as any of us. Personally, I became a fan of 'Jimmy' (as he’s known by his friends) when I was very young. My fandom started with his appearance on The Dukes of Hazzard and the awesome movie Hangar 18, not to mention watching reruns of F-Troop with my Granny. I have never met anyone who hasn't seen a production that Jimmy was a part of.

About 20 years ago, I wrote a letter to Jimmy asking for his autograph and telling him how much I loved Hangar 18. He sent me a wonderful photo of him and Gary Collins, signed specifically to me, which I still have today. A few years later, I had the wonderful opportunity to meet Jimmy and his wife, Mary, at a local convention. After lengthy conversations over the years, a true friendship was formed.

Every year, Jimmy, Mary, and I would exchange Christmas cards. We always kept in touch—either by email or Facebook if meeting in person wasn't possible. A while back, I was informed that Jimmy’s health was declining and he would no longer be able to attend conventions, but I still checked in to see how they were doing. Though we weren't as close as some, I still considered them good friends.

Sadly, Jimmy passed away yesterday. I would be lying if I said I didn't start crying when I found out. He was a wonderful person, and he will surely be missed. It was an honor to know him in the time that I did. My best to his family. In lieu of flowers, his family requests that donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.