Catching up with . . . Don Bandy

BJ Alums blog received this letter from Ruth Burton, niece of retired Beacon Journal rewrite expert Don Bandy, who moved from Aqueduct Street in Akron to Bradenton, Florida in 2006.

To all the many friends of Don Bandy:

Don has been in and out of the hospital at Blake Medical Center since November 2nd. At that time he was admitted for dehydration and depression. He was released on November 5th to my care for four days, then went to live in his condo.

On November 19th he fell in the parking lot while taking out trash and old newspapers. At this point he was taken to the hospital and the X-rays revealed that he had a broken left hip. He had surgery the following day at Blake Medical Center. He received physical and occupational therapy.

Later, he was moved to Heritage Park to receive more services. In the middle of January, Don’s days for the insurance to pay were up. He found an assisted living care facility where he is currently living. He has a few of his favorite things – chair, TV, bed, Ohio State shirts, lamps, pillows, bookcases and pictures of family and friends. (Rather cozy, I might say.)

Don needs your support through cards and letters. Postcards are a good source of communication. He likes to re-read them. He has a cellphone. Please be patient as he must find the phone and then push the right button.

Enclosed is his card with address and phone number.

He wants to hear from you.

Many thanks for your help.

Ruth Burton, a niece
4350 Beckman Place
Sarasota, FL 34235-2286

Address for cards to Don's assisted living facility:

Don Bandy
Emeritus at Bradenton
450 67th St. W Apt. 229
Bradenton, FL 34209

Don's cellphone (in his apartment):

(941) 545-1528

Blake Medical Center is in Bradenton. Heritage Center is a Bradenton rehabilitation facility.


Don, who left Washington Court House for Ohio State and his newspaper career, moved from Akron into the same Bradenton, Florida condo complex with his sister. Their brother and sister-in-law lived in Naples, 130 miles south of Bradenton. Another brother also lived in Florida.

Don threw parties at his Aqueduct home in Akron for his leaf-raking friends. He had an inexhaustible supply.

Don took part in the 2005 BJ reunion in Columbus that included Jim Ricci, who came up with the idea; Mike Cull, who made it happen; Mike Clary, Bill Hershey, John and Georgia MacDonald, Jim and Karen Toms and Larry Froelich. Ricci came from Los Angeles, Clary from Miami, Froelich from Lexington, Kentucky, Bandy from Akron, the MacDonalds from the Washington, D.C. area. The Tomses and Hershey live in Columbus.

Don visited Akron in 2006 when his grand niece was married in Hudson.

Click on the headline to see photos of Don during his BJ reunions in Akron, Columbus and Florida.