By MIKE MAGEE
My dad and Arnold Palmer have a lot in common – and neither of them play golf. Both were men of faith and lived into their 80s. My father was Catholic, and Arnold Palmer was Presbyterian. But on the day that Palmer died (September 25, 2016), Benedictine Archabbot Douglas R. Nowicki of St. Vincent Archabbey in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, is in bed.
Nowicki and Palmer’s friendship dates back half a century. He and his wife often attend the 7:30 Sunday Mass at the monastery.
When Palmer died, the Benedictine monk said, “Arnie loved everyone. No barriers, no race, no color, no creed – that never crossed his mind. He welcomed everyone and treated everyone with incredible warmth and respect. .
But eight years and months after his death, Palmer’s daughter, Peg Palmer Wears felt compelled to stand up and defend her father’s honor. At Latrobe Airport, Donald Trump (according to FOX News) “discussed the golf legend’s manliness and how other players reacted to Palmer in the shower.” Specifically, in an attempt to relate to the local audience, Trump said, “He’s all people. This guy is so strong and tough, and I don’t want to say that, but when he takes a shower with other pros, they come out of there; they say, ‘ Oh my god, it’s unbelievable.’
The reaction from his daughter, a registered Independent from North Carolina, was swift. He labeled his words, “disrespectful” and “unworthy” … “appropriating people he admires to improve his own image, people deserve better.” His speech in defense of his father, who is no longer there to speak for himself, reminds Sue’s sister Eulogy of our father. It focuses on the values and qualities in people he admires – honesty, hard work, compassion, integrity, humility, kindness, and love for others.
In one of the turns at Church when our father was buried, Sue said, “He taught us honesty. I was a little girl when my father first reminded me of the importance of honesty. He told me stories about his childhood. He had gone to the store and when paying the seller there was some question about how much change he should pay. He said more. The dealer wasn’t sure, but took Dad at his word because he said, ‘He never knew Bill Magee was lying.’ He finished the story by telling me, ‘Nothing is more important than honesty. People may not like what you say, but if they can believe you they always trust you.’ That’s a lesson Dad taught me over and over again. His honesty and personal integrity cannot be faulted.
I’m sure sisters Sue and Peg will see. Sue said of our Dad, “He worked hard. He was a very careful person. He was a gentleman.” In defense of Mr. Palmer, Peg said much the same. When asked what his father would think if he were alive to hear Trump speak, he replied, “He would think ‘He’s not as smart as he thinks he is’ and walk out of the room. What would my father think about Donald Trump today? I think he would be .”
My father and Arnold Palmer were both lifelong Republicans, conservatives, served in the military, were big admirers of Ronald Reagan, and Catholic Sunday mass attendees. But I’m sure he’s also wise enough to know that no amount of policy benefits — about federal funding for private schools, or restrictions on abortion and contraception, or lower taxes, or conservative Supreme Court Justices — will be enough to rationalize his signature. evil and dishonest people like Trump whose traits he embodies are acceptable to America.
Trump needs to be surrounded by a great sea of MAGA hat wearing admirers to affirm. How antithetical for someone whose name he took in vain last week. In contrast, Archabbot Nowicki recalled a visit with Mr. Palmer at the Bay Hill Golf Club in Orlando, Florida this way: “He gave one of our commencement addresses. He talked about the importance of good manners. He said, ‘It means that when you walk into a room, you have to take your hat off.'” At the club, a man “came into the dining room and put on his hat. Arnie said softly to him, ‘Can you take your hat off?’ He respects them.”
If Bill Magee and Arnold Palmer were alive today, I’m sure they wouldn’t vote for Trump – Never, Never, Never!
Mike Magee MD is a Medical Historian and regular contributor to THCB. He is the author of CODE BLUE: Inside America’s Medical Industrial Complex (Grove/2020).
