Tom and Ray, laughing as always
Because I sometimes have a morbid mindset, every so often while listening “Car Talk” I would think, “Someday one of these guys is going to die, and that’s going to be a real bummer.”
Well, here we are. Tom Magliozzi, longtime co-host of “Car Talk” on NPR with his brother Ray, passed away yesterday at the age of 77. One of the comments on the NPR web site says “I never felt so sad over the loss of someone I had never met,” and that about sums it up.
How many hundreds of hours have I spent over the years listening to those two guys giggle? If laughter has any medical value, Tom and Ray have extended many of our lives considerably. It was always a pleasure to hear two people take such joy in entertaining themselves, each other, and incidentally whoever happened to be listening.
And of course we will continue to hear them, as NPR has a gazillion shows in the can. But it makes the world a little drabber to know that Tom and Ray will never crack each other up again. Well, that’s life. Give somebody you love a hug why dontcha.
Actually the obit I read said that they retired in 2012, and ever since NPR has been replaying old shows. It’s my Saturday morning custom to prepare our weekly cooked breakfast & eat it while Car Talk is going on. I don’t know what I’ll do if Car Talk ever disappears entirely!
I was rather saddened to learn that Tom passed due to complications of Alzheimers. Didn’t know he had the disease.