[obituary group on FB. Full text]
Ray Arthur Tregembo
From screenwriter Carl Gottlieb
Friends, an advance notice of an obituary submitted to the NY Times and
Variety, David's favorite news sources:
OBITUARY NOTICE:
Entertainment writer David Axlerod died December 12, 2021, at Jackson Memorial
Hospital in Miami, Florida. He was taken ill while on vacation in Aruba, and
died in a Miami hospital, from complications and fatal sepsis.
He is survived by his wife, Lisa Monitto Axlerod.
Axlerod was a native of Buffalo, New York, graduated Syracuse University in
1959 and came to New York, where he worked on "Captain Kangaroo."
With Sam Pottle, he wrote dozens of songs for Sesame Street, and AMERICA, BE
SEATED, performed at the New York World's Fair in 1964.
He also created special material for Marlo Thomas and wine magnate Ernest
Gallo.
He and Ms. Monitto, were inseparable for decades until his passing. They moved
from the Upper West Side of Manhattan to Madison, Connecticut, where he
collected books, coins, and esoterica.
A life-long member of ASCAP, Axlerod worked with Pottle on the 1964 stage
musical MONEY, co-writing book and lyrics with Tom Whedon. His other credits
include the Dean Martin Roasts and a senior staff position on George Burns
Comedy Week for Universal Studios. He co-wrote the feature film CHARLIE CHAPLIN
AND THE CURSE OF THE DRAGON QUEEN with Stan Burns, and was on staff for the
short-lived ABC-TV Series SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE, hosted by Howard Cosell.
He contributed material to the National Lampoon production LEMMINGS, was a
staff writer for The Dick Cavett Show on the ABC Network, and two Mary Tyler
Moore variety series. He worked on the children's series HOT HERO SANDWICH,
winning a Daytime Emmy Award.
A lifelong devotee of the NY theater, he was happiest every new Broadway
season, and amused his friends with meticulously crafted original satirical
lyrics for classic pop hits, written out of sheer exuberance for the
songwriting craft.
In lieu of flowers, donate in his name to the ASCAP Foundation and the Writers
Guild Foundation.
_____________________________________________________
Knowledge may be power, but communications is the key
dan...@panix.com
[to foil spammers, my address has been double rot-13 encoded]
