I was shocked to hear of the passing of actor Paul Newman last week. Newman, 83 (can that possibly be right - 83?), lost his fight against cancer, dying at home with family and friends nearby.

Funny thing about movie stars -- we see them in films, where they never will age, never will truly die, and we lose perception of the realities of life and death.

To say that Newman was a complex man is a gross understatement. A three time Oscar winner: once for Best Actor for "The Color of Money" in 1986, a lifetime achievement award in 1985 and a humanitarian award in 1993. He was a political activist, race car enthusiast, entrepreneur and humanitarian.

You would be hard pressed to find an actor or actress today that could meet all of those criteria. Perhaps one, maybe two be never three or all four.

When Newman's name is brought up, I immediately recall the first film I saw him in as a child, 1969's "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid." Saw it in a second run movie theatre that is probably closed, the film broke twice, and, as a nine-year-old kid, I loved it. The more I have seen it, the more I have grown to appreciate the film. So many layers of comedy, drama and action.

The 1960s gave rise to the "anti-hero," the bad person that was basically good, or a bad person fighting against a corrupt establishment. Newman played many of these roles during his career: a convict that wouldn't give up in "Cool Hand Luke," a con man seeking revenge in "The Sting," a player-coach trying to save his team in "Slap Shot," a washed-up lawyer seeking justice for a wrongful death in "The Verdict."

If you haven't seen any of these films, I would highly recommend them.

Many younger people know Newman as a face on food packaging. Everything from spaghetti sauce to salad dressing to popcorn. The Newman's Own brand was born in a basement when the actor and a friend, making sauces for friends as Christmas presents, decided to try their hand at mass marketing, with all profits going to charity. In the 26 years (yes it has been that long) that Newman's Own has been producing product, the company has given away a quarter-billion dollars to charities. Yes, that billion with a "b."

Newman's passion for racing led him to become a partner in a racing team, Newman/Haas, that had father and son Mario and Michael Andretti drive for them. According to the elder Andretti, had Newman begun racing when he was younger he would have been just as good a driver as he was an actor. This month, Newman took his Corvette out for a final spin around a local racetrack.

Everything you read about the man carries the same theme: a common man seeking to use his talents to improve the lives of others. His numerous charities have helped terminally ill children at his Hole in the Wall camps, established research centers to help with drug and alcohol abuse and helped to restore historic theaters.

I haven't even mentioned his 50 year marriage to actress Joanne Woodward. Can you imagine any of the movie stars of today having marriages that will last even half as long? The couple had children, but I can't tell you anything about them, because the Newmans kept their private lives private.

Newman should be remembered as an excellent actor, one who something positive with his celebrity, and a common guy who used his fame to improve the lives of children and people that didn't get the same opportunities he did.

I doubt we will see the likes of him again.

As always, I welcome your comments. You can reach me by email at tstangl@lemarscomm.net, telephone 712-546-7031, x40 or toll free 1-800-728-0066 x40.

Thanks for reading, I'll keep in touch. Feel free to do the same.