Fond memories of actor Fess Parker

I will be 70 next year, and when I was about 14 I first became friends with Fess Parker. My parents belonged to the Balboa Yacht Club at the time, and so did Fess and Buddy Ebsen. Even with the age difference, Buddy seemed to act almost like an older brother to me at times. After several years I went off to college and then got married and didn’t see Fess much.

In 2007, my wife and I were enjoying a bottle of Fess Parker wine in our patio area.

I read the label on the back and saw an e-mail address for Leslie or Debra and decided to send an e-mail and carbon copy Fess. Less than two hours later, my wife came running over to me yelling, “It’s Fess Parker on the phone for you.”

We talked for about half an hour. He asked that I bring my family to Los Olivos to drink a bottle of wine and catch up on old times.

My wife, Pat, my son Jon, my daughter-in-law and I traveled to Los Olivos later that year and spent several hours on two occasions with Fess. We had breakfast one morning with Fess and Pat. In the afternoon of the same day, Fess picked all four of us up in his Hummer and he proceeded to give us a tour, including seeing some ranchland where he asked my advice on building a new resort.

Fess spent a good part of that day with us and treated me and my family like royalty and long-lost friends combined. I can’t say enough about how kind and wonderful a man he is in my heart.

LARRY COURTER lives in Costa Mesa.