Who Goofed? Healy’s Death Leaves Big Hole in the L.A. Commute

For more than 20 years, I have scheduled my appointments before or after 5:30. I have tried not to return telephone calls between 5:30 and 6 p.m., and leave work as close to 5:30 as possible for one reason--Jim Healy.

Jim had an extraordinary talent that this town might never see again. I didn’t always agree with Jim, but I never once stopped enjoying that wonderful half-hour of sports.

HAL BRAND

Lake Forest

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The drive home at 5:30 will never be the same for Jim Healy fans, knowing he will never be back.

He made us laugh in traffic instead of curse. Jim’s tapes took care of all the cursing.

GLENN KOLLMAN

La Crescenta

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What’s my opinion of Jim Healy’s performance?

Jim didn’t succumb to this phony baloney, politically correct, brainwashed, boring, unrealistic, “you’re not sensitive to my needs,” do it for the kids, we’re all role models, just say no, “he needs counseling,” super patriotic hogwash. It’s no coincidence that Jim’s audience was primarily white male over 25.

He didn’t come here to act monkeys for everybody.

CHARLES OKONSKI

Moopark

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I lived in Los Angeles for 27 years. I moved to Utah two years ago and I’ve told people the only things I miss are the L.A. Times and Jim Healy.

My parents sent me a copy of Bill Dwyre’s commentary on Jim’s passing, and I laughed aloud with a sizable lump in my throat.

He was unique, he was the best and he will be missed . . . but not forgotten.

MIKE M. MILLS

Sandy, Utah

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Somewhere in a more advanced world, it is 5:30 p.m. and lucky souls are finding out who is going the Leonard Tose route and what Lasorda thinks of Kingman’s performance.

WILLIAM V. FERRARO

Seal Beach

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With the passing of Jim Healy, the Southern California sports audience loses one of the announcing legends of our time. In addition to being right on top of the fast-breaking sports story of the minute, Healy also made it entertaining. But perhaps his greatest contribution to his thousands of radio listeners was his overflowing generosity. When my son turned 21, Healy sent him an autographed picture, personalized with his famous “blow it out!” refrain. To his family, please know one very important thing about Jim Healy: We truly loved him.

JERRY MALUGEON

Fountain Valley

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What are the chances that Jim Healy will be forgotten? “Slimski and noneski.”

ARTHUR LEON

Los Angeles

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So many have told us they thought of him as the sports world’s Wizard of Oz, the man behind the curtain (or, in this case, radio booth) pulling the levers and pressing the buttons, creating a magic world of fact and fantasy, heralded by the recurring question: Is it true?

That so many enjoyed tuning into Jim Healy’s world every day is a lasting comfort to us.

For all those who shared their feeling and offered their kindness since his passing, our deepest gratitude. And we wish to extend special thanks to the nurses and staff of the Oncology Hospice at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for the comfort they brought to his final days.

Finally: Our compliments to The Times sports department--in particular Larry Stewart and “Journalist Bill”--whose insightful words pulled back the curtain and revealed the essence of the Jim Healy we’re sure his friends and listeners will long remember.

Is it true? Always.

PATRICIA AND PATRICK HEALY

Burbank