REMEMBERING STEVE MCQUEEN WEEKEND!

Winding down two days of pure joy with Barbara McQueen and our friend Mike Jugan, who was Steve's personal LearJet pilot. It had been 28 years since Mike saw Barbie, and needless to say there was much love and healing. The group of we guys called ourselves "The McQueen Orphans" and for good reason. Each of us traveled to Santa Paula to honor the memory of the person Steve grew to become; it was not Steve the movie star, or the motorcycle and car racer that was foremost in our minds that weekend. It was the person Steve became. Many do not know that Steve earned his pilot licence and flew bi-planes. More importantly, Steve found peace with God before his diagnosis with Mesothelioma. He had clarity about where he had been in his life, and where he wanted to go. He wanted to start living again. While we all love the 30 films Steve made in his spectacular career, it was Steve's personhood that we found ourselves discussing and sharing laughter over! It was, in fact, a celebration of Steve's life. I think he would have loved it. I know he must have been smiling upon us in Heaven.
Jimi Jet is a professional stunt man who as a teenager was an assistant to the film crew of Steve's documentary film on motorcycle racing, "ON ANY SUNDAY". A terrific friend with a sense of humor, we traded jokes all weekend!

This was the hangar where The McQueen's lived in for 6 months while their ranch house was being remodeled. In Barbie's book, "Steve McQueen: The Last Mile" there are never-before seen photos of Steve enjoying his time at the hangar with some of this antique cars, motorcycle's and antique toy collection.

With my good friend Mike Jugan, who was Steve's LearJet pilot towards the end of his life. Today, he flies for a worldwide airline. Mike Jurgen and I walked along the airport grounds for hours and we kept telephoning his wife back home and sending her photos like these via cell phone. I was able to give my best "Layman's" tour of the 1968 Mustang GT 390 Fastback replica on display commemorating the epic film, "BULLITT". I'm sure that Mike has ordered the DVD by now!

When I saw this car, I said "Stop everything. That's my baby!" When you acquire the DVD of "BULLITT", a second CD is included featuring the documentary, "STEVE MCQUEEN: THE ESSENCE OF COOL". It is heartwarming, and gives you a good retrospective of Steve's life and career. Barbara appears in the film as well. I strongly recommend it. There isn't a serious actor who hasn't studied "BULLITT" time and time again to watch Steve's physicality in every scene. He had the gift of infusing so much life into even the most mundane actions. And then of course, there is the car chase...endlessly imitated, but unequalled by anyone since 1968.

I must say, there were only two emotional moments for me, personally: visiting and walking with Barbie and our small group through the ranch house where she lived with Steve (which I found tender and heartwarming), and in the moments after this photo was shot in front of Steve's hangar. This is where Steve sat and "held court", chatting it up with the residents of Santa Paula who loved Steve and miss him to this day. For reasons of privacy, I will not be sharing photos of the ranch house (and I beg your understanding).

They say "God works in mysterious ways". It is clear to all of us that were it not for journalist Marshall Terrill, it is inconceivable that we would all be brought together to California last weekend. Like me, Marshall has been a reporter, a news journalist and is today a well known author. He is the Co-Author with Barbara of the book "Steve McQueen: The Last Mile". He came across my "Annual Steve McQueen Film Festival" and this was how we met and became great friends. A generous person, each of us agreed that we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Marshall.

Lastly, it was clear to we guys why Steve McQueen fell in love with Barbara. Her infectious sense of humor, her sweet spirit and her generosity in sharing with us intimate memories of her late husband meant the world to us. She is as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside, and I must tell you...she is so down-to-earth. I really enjoyed spending time with her. MWAH!