Brooks Robinson - Robinson played 23 years in the Major League Baseball from 1955 to 1977, all for the Baltimore Orioles. Even though he played while I was old enough to be a baseball fan, he actually was just a bit before my time and I have no recollection of watching him play. However, he was part of two World Series champions, won 16 Gold Golves for his fielding excellence, and was voted as the 1964 American League MVP. He was enshrined in the baseball Hall of Fame in 1983. His reputation is one of being a class act and a good man. On October 6, 2015 Robinson announced that he was selling all of his personal baseball memorabilia to raise money, not for his own personal needs, but to give 100% of the money to charity. That is a great story and Robinson modeled for us how we are to give unselfishlessly.
Jerry Parr - On March 30, 1981 an assassin's bullet nearly killed President Ronald Reagan. Outside the Washington, DC Hilton, John Hinckley took 6 shots at Reagan from only about 10 feet away, with one of the bullets richocheting off the President's limo and striking him in the chest. One of the Secret Service agents on detail that day was Jerry Parr, who risked his life to safe the President. In an amazing bit of coincidence, Parr was motivated to become a Secret Service agent after watching the 1939 movie "Code of the Secret Service", starring actor Ronald Reagan. Jerry died of heart disease on October 9, 2015.
