Arthur Ashe, A Man Who Touched So Many Lives!



Posted: Tuesday, November 08, 2011

by Iris Taub

I had the pleasure of meeting a truly wonderful person back in the early 70's who was one of the first athletes who believed in giving back to the community.

I met him when I was working as a certified medical assistant for an internist on seventy second street in Manhattan and he was just one of many of the doctor's celebrity patients.

Unlike many celebrities that might have let their fame go to their heads and definitely their egos, he was down to earth, easy to talk to and more importantly, was grateful for his success and felt he could make a difference to other kids who were talented but had no means to pursue their interests and fulfill their dreams.

He started a camp for kids who were interested in Tennis and although there was not much publicity at the time about his program, I am sure he changed the lives of many talented and hopeful athletes.  He gave these kids a chance to succeed and was a positive role model to inspiring athletes.

The first time I met him I was nervous and addressed him by calling him Mr. Ashe.  He then turned told me and said " Please Iris, call me Arthur ", and he showed me that fame was a state of mind and did not define him as a person.

A tragic turn of events came to pass when this gentle soul received a blood transfusion after open heart surgery that later showed was tainted with the AIDS virus and this wonderful individual died of complications from this disease.

He left behind a loving wife and at the time a young daughter.

Although I didn't know Arthur well, he death affected me on a personal level because I remember his kindness to others and how he truly made in difference to so many people.

Last year for Martin Luther King day, my granddaughter was asked to write about a Black American who contributed something to the history of this country and of course I told her about Arthur Ashe and what a wonderful person he was.

She wrote about him and got an A on her report!

Iris S. Taub
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