News of the death of Jerry Van Dyke is sad, indeed. He was 86. With reruns of COACH just showing up, you'll remember Jerry as the assistant coach to Craig T. Nelson. Jerry was a huge talent in his own right, the younger brother of Dick, always playing a great second banana.
My personal memory of Jerry is intimate and at once sad and very funny. Jerry shambled. He walked as if the world and a bag of oats were on his shoulders. Shambling..
Another actor many would know but not by name, Bob Ridgely, a really wonderfully talented guy.. died. His memorial was held in the six hundred seat theater at the DGA in West Hollywood. In attendance were many of the 'second bananas' who had been the guys who made the first bananas funnier. Jerry was one of them in the audience.. As the two hour memorial came to a close.. most of us in tears from laughing at the really funny stories that came from Ridgely's pals.. Jerry Van Dyke shambled all the way down the aisle to the stage from the back of the house. He mounted the stage with a little difficulty.. and, stood in front of his peers and just shook his head and paused.
He sighed and then, looking out over the audience, he said slowly.."Well... I always thought that I was Bob's best friend! But, evidently, everyone in this room thought so, too." (Indeed Ridgely had a way of being totally present with everyone he spoke with) "Well," Van Dyke said, "This is awkward...I feel just like the time I found out that my girlfriend had been fuckin' the entire football team!" He shambled back up the aisle to gales of laughter.
Jerry Van Dyke made a great living .. only slightly in the shadow of his older brother, Dick.. and wore his mantle with pride.
Watch an episode of COACH and see what grace notes bring to make a funny sitcom even funnier.
So long, Jerry.
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