WHEN I FIRST MET JOE GELETKO, HE was 70 going on 50. (People always tell him they want to be in his shape when they’re his age. I’d like to be in his shape now!) Joe was collecting recyclables in a big bag and then went bodysurfing! He said he collected the bottles and cans only when he wasn’t making movies. I didn’t believe him, but I didn’t care. He was that charming.
I saw Joe at the beach often because he goes surfing almost every day, even in the winter. And while he rarely gets a speaking part, he has appeared in movies. Lots of them. And TV shows and commercials. Not bad for a retired mailman who started in show biz at the tender age of 55. I was so impressed I wrote a column, “Life begins at 70, just bring your wetsuit.”
It turned out Joe and I shared a love for UCLA and a loathing for neo-cons. We’ve gone for bike rides debating the greatest movie of all time and the worst president. (“Citizen Kane” and George Bush.) As it happens, I’ve managed to stay in touch with many people I’ve written about. They’ve been open enough to share some of their life and I’ve tried to be faithful to their story.
I’ve stayed in contact with Ebba, the septuagenarian Senior Olympic gold medal winner who can still stand on her head, and with Scott and Kate, after I wrote about the last days of their beloved Buck, a lovable German shepherd with a big heart. And Jenna, who owns Tails of Santa Monica on Main Street. With my buddy Oscar, I drop in for Yappy Hour on Thursdays. I get e-mails from Alexandra at the Edgemar Center for the Arts letting me know what’s going on. Having written about the stand-up comedy shows at the World Cafe, I’ll go and visit with the MC, Jay. And I often see Malin, the princess of Nordic walking, about whom I wrote as she lives right around the corner from me.
And I stay in touch with readers: Norm, the walking Wikipedia, sends e-mails with invaluable political and historical info; Mary, the sports maven who’s vacationing in Europe, is probably grieving over the Clippers not making the playoffs; Tim, who was duped last fall into participating in the infamous TV ad slamming Kevin McKeown, has a great Web site I frequently check (http://www.mindjazz.blogspot.com.) And there’s Eric, who agrees with me about John Wooden and Andre Agassi, but is still in favor of the Iraq war. We’ve finally agreed to disagree. (I still hope he saw Bill Moyers’ “Buying the War” on PBS this past Wednesday with part two tonight.) So it wasn’t unusual last December when I called Joe to wish his family happy holidays. Christmas is a joyous time at the Geletko home as Joe, his wife Kathy and their adult children get together to celebrate. But Joe wasn’t feeling well, and more troubling, given his outgoing nature, he was having difficulty finding the right words. Finally, Kathy insisted Joe see a doctor and lucky she did. The news was devastating. Joe had a malignant brain tumor that required immediate surgery. But let me quickly point out that last week Joe did an episode of “Desperate Housewives” in which he walked past Nicolette Sheridan. That’s great news on two fronts. The surgery was a complete success, and as Joe jokes, doing a scene with Nicolette Sheridan ain’t bad either.
To me, Joe and Kathy are Santa Monica. They’ve owned their house for 43 years, their kids — Joan, Jane, Janet, Judy and Joe Jr. (I sense a “J” theme) — all went to UCLA, and Joe delivered mail here for 30 years. To keep in shape, he surfs, jogs, walks, rides his bike and recycles. But sometimes bad things happen to good people. None of us know how long we have, which is why Joe’s infectious appreciation of every moment is inspiring.
Joe attributes the success of his operation in January to the brilliant skill of his surgeon, Dr. Pikul, and his family’s constant support. On Valentine’s Day, he began radiation treatments, but he and Kathy still went to their favorite restaurant — Home Town Buffet in Westchester, which has a Valentine’s tradition of photographing couples married 50 years. When the manager heard about Joe’s surgery, he insisted they be photographed even though they were married a mere 48 1/2 years.
Joe’s about ready to resume surfing and working out. (He’s already talking about impeaching Cheney, then Bush.) And on some days he gets to spend time with Nicolette Sheridan.
Some guys have all the luck. Some guys deserve it.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 27, 2007. Read the original PDF.