Share your other Rufus stories!
1. Register
2. Login
3. Leave a Reply
4. Write your story, and click Submit.
If it’s a long story, you might want to type it offline, and copy and paste it into the site.
Thank you for adding your memories!
Rufus (center) in a college play
rufus used to invite me to the dances at the veterans’ hall in san leandro, where he and the band played. twice i went and took our friend and colleague cathy hammer.
i don’t dance much, but i love jazz and swing, and i always had a good time. rufus was surprised the first time we actually showed up – i don’t think many people from ‘his other life’ at kgo went to his performances.
i used to buy a fistful of raffle tickets because they were for a good cause – and it seems that rufus was my good luck charm. i won a nice cash prize the first time and a portable color tv the second time. rufus couldn’t have been happier for me than if he’d won them himself.
of course, i really loved the music… and the fact that my pal was playing in the horn section…
Rufe was a good friend and a fun companion during those high school and early college years. His friendship extended into our growing family days here in California. Rufe, Shirley and the kids visited us a couple of time when we lived in Barstow, CA. My kids all remember him well. There were some great times and some great stories to tell. He was a year older than the rest of us but we made him an honorary member of our high school gang, The Par-A-Dice Club, along with Rem Ryals, Phil Raekes, Rex Davis, Mel Stratton, Royal West, Joe Wilson and Gary Nield. (all 49ers)
The first play I ever went to was at WSC where Rufe was a lead in The Glass Menagerie. He introduced me to stage shows and the theater. Later we saw Mary Martin in South Pacific in Spokane. One summer, Rem and I drove to Portland in Rem’s mom’s Chrysler, where Rufe was selling Kirby vacuum cleaners door to door. Great fun that weekend. We went to a bar that was a fish tank. Pretty impressive for us local yokels.
Another memory finds Rem, Rufe and I parked along the Columbia River in my ’29 Chevy drinking Oly, playing the uke (he taught me how), and singing the songs of yore. Lots of fun. We harmonized and thought we were the greatest.
Rufe was a well known, respected director for a major TV network in San Francisco, KGO, for a good number of years. My oldest son wanted to get into the business and Rufe was not only kind enough to show him around his studio and gave him sage advice, but also put him up for a couple of nights.
Another memory finds wife, Carol (Tyner-52), and I in San Francisco. We found Rufe, bought a loaf of SF sourdough bread, some imported cheeses and meats, a bottle of wine and sat along the edge of the San Francisco wharf sharing dreams.
There’s more, but I need to take a break. May God bless Rufe Pederson! The world was a better place when he was here.
I met Rufus through B and C almost 14 years ago. One of the first things I remember him doing is positioning himself on a stool in Beth and Cinde’s old sign shop. He pulled out his trombone and proceeded to play. He was center stage as he played. Oh, how we laughed.
Several years after our first meeting, I found myself in a huge transition. My mother had passed away suddenly in Merida, Mexico; Cinde had passed on, and I was getting separated from my husband of 19 years. Needless to say, it took a lot to get a smile to spread on my face. My two boys were in the same shape.
Well, Rufus was in town to spend time with Beth at Christmas. We all decided to get together at my new little cottage on the lake. By the end of the evening, Rufus was again center stage, rubbing his hair frantically as he did when he was excited and telling hilarious story after hilarious story. He gave us the gift of true laughter during a very difficult time. I always smile when I think of Rufus. I always will. Perky