I attended my cousin Don’s memorial service today. Don worked for WSB radio and television many years ago. Then he went on to work for CNN for about fifteen years after that. During his early years at WSB he made some great friends, and several of his WSB friends spoke at his funeral today. One of those friends was Don Kennedy. I didn’t realize that my cousin Don was good friends with Don Kennedy. If I had known that when I was a kid, I probably would have begged cousin Don to introduce me to his friend. Don Kennedy was one of my childhood heros. I didn’t know him as Don Kennedy, though. To me – and to thousands of other children in Georgia – he was Officer Don, the energetic and kind and funny host of the Popeye Club.
Once Officer Don brought his traveling Popeye Club to our little town of Ellijay, Georgia. Out of all the children in the audience, I was one of the lucky ones to be chosen to play one of the games on stage. My game was musical chairs, and I WON! My prize was a white cowboy hat with Officer Don’s autograph. I remember getting the cowboy hat, but I have no idea what happened to it afterwards. It was truly a high point of my childhood. Thanks for the memory, Officer Don!
April 8th, 2008 at 12:22 pm
I remember Officer Don coming to Cedartown. I was so excited to get to meet him.
I am so sorry I had to miss the service. I had been sick for several days and was hoping I would be well enough to go, but I wasn’t. I wish I could have been there.
Thanks for sharing and I would love to see some of the pictures of you, your mom and siblings!
April 8th, 2008 at 12:26 pm
I remember meeting Officer Don in Cedartown. I was so thrilled to meet him. I didn’t realize he was a friend of Don’s either.
I was so sorry to miss the service. I had been sick for several days and thought I would feel well enough to come but I didn’t. I wish I could have been there.
Please share some of the pictures of you and your siblings. I would love to see them.
April 8th, 2008 at 12:30 pm
OOPS, sorry about the double comment.
April 8th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
that was a very nice service I thought.
I enjoyed seeing Officer Don too. I shamelessly gushed over him at the reception. He really was a part of the lives of the children of Georgia there for a long time.
April 27th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
July 21st, 2008 at 6:32 am
I was driving in Buckhead in the 1980’s and guess who pulls into the Gulf Station ahead of me: Officer Don. He remembered my Mom worked at the station and we had a nice conversation. He was and is a gentleman. I won on the oooey-gooey game. I won a Bolo-Paddle.
August 18th, 2008 at 9:37 am
September 17th, 2008 at 6:15 am
I grew up in Rome, Ga. where we could get both Atlanta stations and Chattanooga stations, depending which way the antenna was facing. Not to take the spotlight from Don Kennedy but I also watched the BOB BRANDY Show from channel 9 in Chattanooga. Both had long record breaking viewing but the difference between them both was that Officer Don had better games and prizes and showed Popeye cartoons where Bob Brandy was a bit more sedated and the prizes were a bakery product (home of Lil Debbies bakery) and he showed 3 Stooges. I liked Officer Don because he did have a great TV personallity and loved the countdown for the cartoon. To watch channel 2 I had to go outside to turn the antenna from the side of the house, which my parents would complain because I usually forget to turn it back.
I only remember him showing Popeye cartoons, did he show anything else??? Those were fun and wonderful times for local televison. I miss it.
October 31st, 2008 at 10:33 am
To all of the native Atlantans. Look at this site for the photos of the old town!
Went to Mary Lynn EM school in Candler Park. Graduated from Briarcliff High Class of ’69. Went to Nam for the whole year of 1971. My father owned the Avondale and Memorial Dr Theaters in the 50’s & 60’s!
I grew up with Officer Don, in fact watching him all those years prompted me to become an Atlanta Police Officer! I retired from APD in 1985! What a life experience that was!
Note: On the above photograph of Don look on his Lt sleve and you will see the old & current APD Police patch!
October 31st, 2008 at 10:38 am
Sorry! Here’s the site of old Atlanta Photos.
http://www.atlantatimemachine.com/misc/1list.htm
November 23rd, 2008 at 1:58 pm
I just want to say that Officer Don was a delight to watch when I was a toddler in Atlanta, Georgia! My dad used to tease me by doing the popeye music with his mouth and I would run and sit down in front of the TV excited and ready to watch “The Popeye Club only to look up and discover it wasn’t on after all! My Dad would get a good laugh out of it! So I was a fan of the Popeye club since I was a toddler. I have often thought of him down through the years! He was a lot of fun to watch. I was disappointed when we moved to Valdosta, Ga. and couldn’t watch it until one day we got Cable TV and could finally pick up WSB! To the family of Officer Don! Thanks for the memories!
Stan Leverett (Ohio resident now!)
December 19th, 2008 at 9:34 pm
I had the wonderful privilege of being on the TV show twice back in the 60’s. Once was to celebrate my birthday. I would love to have video of those shows. What great memories.
August 10th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
My Brother and I grew up in Atlanta, and always looked forward to Officer Don and the Popeye Club. My Wife, who had also watched the show, and I went to a Glenn Miller Band Concert in Peachtree City last Friday, and had noticed a somewhat familiar face two rows down in front of us. When He spoke, we immediately recognized Officer Don Kennedy! We introduced ourselves and quickly realized He is still the same very nice gentleman we remembered from childhood. It was such a pleasure and a treat to see him again after all these years.
October 9th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
October 21st, 2009 at 9:32 pm
Officer Don was immortalized on network TV by Atlanta natives and Emmy Award winning comedy writers Terry and Bonnie Turner. On their show “3rd Rock From The Sun”, they named Wayne (Seinfeld’s Newman) Knight’s character “Officer Don Orville” as a tribute to Don Kennedy. How cool is that?
November 10th, 2009 at 9:32 pm
My sister still has an original autographed photo of Officer Don and Orville!! I remember the show from back when I was a child, and I used to love the Popeye cartoons that were shown during the show….Officer Don, You are still a hero to many!!
February 9th, 2011 at 1:39 pm
Was on Popeye Club approx. 1960, probably with kindergarden group…located @ Shallowford Rd & I85…We called the proprietor Red Skelton ’cause his real name was Shelton. Back then you could drive the VW Bus while in his lap and no one freaked out. Popeye Club was a favorite show of course…”ooey gooey bag” was the best. O D lived near Oak Grove Elementary, across LaVista. “Dear O D, U R Super Cool!!!”
Long Time Fan,
Matt Leonard (56y.o., Lordy Lordy!!!)
September 28th, 2011 at 8:20 pm
I saw officer Don in Athens, Georgia. I especially liked Popeye and can name some of the cartoons he showed. That was the first time I eer saw a Popeye cartoon in color. I was never on the Popeye Club, but Officer Don showed one of my drawings one day. Vince Dooley was on the Popeye Club once, and as a joke, made an “unflattering” comment about Officer Don to which Mr. Kennedy replied, “Well, Hooray for Georgia Tech!” I liked that. Harry Welch, a voice of Popeye when Jack Mercer was in the Army, was also on the show as was Spencer Williams, the actor who played Andy on the Amon ‘n Andy television show. My wife said she watched the show, but couldn’t stand Orville the Dragon. My mother got really nervous when Officer Don brought his little girl on the show, and allowed her to crawl on top of his desk. What a good time we kids had back then.