Arthur Hill, an award-winning actor of the stage and screen, died of Alzheimer’s disease on October 22 at Sunrise Senior Living, a Pacific Palisades assisted-living facility. He was 84. Born in Canada, Hill established himself as a gifted actor in London and New York theaters and later branched out into film and television roles. His most famous role, as the emasculated, anguished George in the Broadway production of ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?’ earned him celebrity and a Tony award for best actor. He played the role in 664 performances between 1962 and 1964. Hill was best known outside the theater on the television show ‘Owen Marshall: Counselor at Law,’ where he played the lead role as a passionate, small-town lawyer from 1971 to 1974. Hill’s entry into acting was accidental. After serving in the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II, he attended the University of British Columbia to study law. To pay his way through school, he acted part-time on Canadian radio. Seeing a future in acting, he left law school to join a Vancouver theater group that traveled the country. Sensing more opportunity for his career in England, Hill moved to London in the late 1940s, and starred in dozens of plays over the next eight years, before moving to New York. In 1949, Hill married fellow Canadian Peggy Hassard. He began acting on Broadway in plays such as ‘The Matchmaker,’ ‘Look Homeward, Angel’ and ‘All the Way Home.’ After being recruited by director Alan Schneider in 1962, Hill starred in ‘Woolf.’ In 1968, Hill moved to Los Angeles and made film and television the focus of his career. He played leading and non-leading roles in films like ‘The Andromeda Strain’ (1971), ‘The Chairman’ (1969) and ‘Futureworld’ (1976). He regularly ate lunch with friends of his from Hollywood, including Walter Seltzer, Robert Wise, James Karen, Pat Harrington and Lyman Ward. After his wife became ill with Alzheimer’s in 1986, Hill rarely acted again. He looked after his ill wife and his bipolar daughter, Jenny, until their deaths in 1998 and 1995, respectively. He married Anne-Sophie Taraba in 2001. Two years later he began to show signs of Alzheimer’s, and soon after that he moved into Sunrise Assisted Living. He is survived by his wife and a son, Douglas.

Harry Froehlich, businessman, family man and punster, passed away on December 11. He was 85. The older of two sons, Harry (Hans Wilhelm) Froehlich was born to Lisel and Jakob Froehlich on December 15, 1920 in Mannheim, Germany. His family lived in a second-story flat over his father’s wholesale hardware business. His mother was also active in the business, which distributed nuts and bolts to major Mannheim manufacturers, including Mercedes-Benz and Meier Lanz (today known as John Deere), and to the ‘Stassenbahnwerke,’ a streetcar factory. Hans’ life in Mannheim was cut short in mid-1934 because of indignities he suffered as a young Jew in a new school at age 14. His parents sent him to live with his maternal grandparents in Konstanz, Germany, where he lived two residences from the German/Swiss border and walked daily across the border into Kreuzlingen, Switzerland to continue his education. About this same time, discriminatory laws made it increasingly difficult for Jews to conduct business in Germany. Sensing what was to come, Jakob sold his business and, with Hans’ mother and brother Ernst, moved to Konstanz in early 1937. Hans’ father worked at a family member’s corset factory near the Swiss border, eventually taking over. The Froehlichs crossed the border three times a day, coming home for their noon meal. The Swiss would allow Jakob entry into Switzerland only if he guaranteed that his sons would never apply for Swiss residency. Hans, who was approaching adulthood, applied for a quota number to immigrate to the United States. He always enjoyed working with his hands and had a sharp mechanical mind, so while waiting for his quota number to be called, Hans prepared for employment in a new country by learning toolmaking and mechanics at a trade school in Winterthur, Switzerland. Hans’ American visa was issued the first week of November 1938. On November 9, Hans was in his parents’ flat in Konstanz gathering some clothes he wanted to take on his voyage to America. His parents had been warned that something serious and dangerous was about to happen and therefore did not return to Konstanz that night. The warning turned out to be what came to be called ‘Kristallnacht.’ Although the Gestapo did not come to the Froehlich’s door on that infamous night, late in the afternoon of the next day, Hans was seen at the window of the family flat and ended up being taken into custody at Gestapo headquarters. Fortunately for Hans, the Konstanz Jews who had been rounded up the night before had already been transported to Dachau. So this not-quite-18-year-old youth, with a passport and entry visa to the U.S. in his pocket’who would have greatly inconvenienced the Gestapo had they tried to send him to Dachau’was told to leave Germany within the hour, which he did by crossing into Switzerland. Hans arrived in New York harbor on December 9, 1938 and soon changed his name to Harry William Froehlich. He lived for three years in Pittsburgh with Betty (a cousin) and Wilbur Barker, who had provided Harry the necessary affidavit. He worked two jobs at minimum wage and learned English. Harry’s parents and brother arrived in New York on December 7, 1941–Pearl Harbor Day–on the last ship crossing the Atlantic before President Roosevelt declared war on the Axis powers. His family soon settled in Los Angeles and, after a short stint in the U.S. Army, Harry and his father combined their skills (including Harry’s fluency in English) to start their own garment business: Charmfit of Hollywood, which was an instant success and a firm which Harry’s brother Ernie later joined. On December 31, 1946 Harry married his childhood friend and sweetheart, Anneliese Rothschild, in Mexico City where both of them were visiting Harry’s friend and Anne’s cousin, Karlheinz (Carlos) Gimbel, who had played Cupid. Anne, also from Mannheim Germany, had escaped with her family to Australia, where she finished high school and worked in a cosmetics firm until she reunited with Harry in 1946. Harry was able to bring Anne, who had immigrated to Australia, to Los Angeles as a war bride and they soon owned their first home on Butler Avenue in West L.A. Daughter Marion was born in 1949 and son Clyde in 1951. Charmfit of Hollywood thrived and the young Froehlich family later moved into their beloved home on Marinette Road in Pacific Palisades in 1958. Over the next decades, Anne and Harry filled their home with objects of art they collected on their many trips around the world. Harry and his brother Ernie continued in business together for 10 years beyond their father’s death, until Charmfit was purchased by a large New York company in 1967. Harry stayed with that company until 1971 but then ventured out on his own to start his own firm, Radiant Fashions. Harry and Anne were delighted to become grandparents when Jesse and Will were born in the early 1980s and always made time for them. In 1988, Harry sold Radiant Fashions and did much consulting in the apparel industry during his retirement years, most notably in the former Soviet Union. He and Anne always cherished time with their children, grandchildren and extended family, often combining family time with world travel. Harry is most certainly remembered by all who knew him for his sense of humor and linguistic talents. He could not resist making puns, often employing his knowledge of several languages to do so. He could also fool anyone into thinking he came from the country or region he was visiting because of his ability to pick up the local dialect/accent. He was interested in world events, reading the Los Angeles Times every day until his eyes were mostly closed. As he wished, he took his last breath on Marinette Road, in the home he had lovingly created with his beloved wife Anne. His wife Anne preceded Froehlich in death in 2004. He is survived by his daughter, Marion Froehlich of San Diego; son and daughter-in-law, Clyde and Peggy Froehlich of Davis, CA; granddaughter Jesse Froehlich of Davis; and grandson Will Froehlich of Portland, OR. Memorial Contributions may be made to: * Pacific Palisades Democratic Club, P.O. Box 343, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 * American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 1131, Fairfax, VA 22038-1131 * Anti-Defamation League, 605 3rd Ave., New York, New York 10158 * Junior Blind of America, 5300 Angeles Vista Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90043

Longtime Pacific Palisades resident Dr. William J. Dignam, dedicated obstetrician/gynecologist and involved family man, passed away peacefully on December 5. He was 86. Born in Manchester, New Hampshire on August 12, 1920, Dignam graduated from Dartmouth College and Medical School. He earned his medical degree from Harvard University and completed post-doctoral training there and also at the University of Kansas Medical Center and at Duke University Hospital. He served as a Navy lieutenant in the medical corps during World War II. Dignam met his future wife, Wini, in 1941 on the University of New Hampshire campus in Durham, where she was a junior and he was a senior at Dartmouth. The couple married in 1947 after Bill returned from the service. One of the founding members of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dignam joined the UCLA faculty in 1953 and settled in the Palisades. He provided leadership to the department and to the university in many capacities, including serving as chairman of many committees. He was also a research associate at the University of Geneva and a visiting professor at Universite Rene Descartes in Paris, France and at the University of London. Known for his compassion, graceful and kind interaction with patients, students, staff and faculty, Dignam was a dedicated clinician. He was devoted to his patients and estimated that he had been the attending physician at 30,000 births. One of his great passions, and a particular focus of his work after attaining emeritus status in 1991, was medical student and resident education. He trained dozens of leading physicians in his field, many of whom came to UCLA specifically to learn from him. Dignam also held leadership positions in many national organizations, including serving as president and then chairman of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He was the humble recipient of numerous international honors including Honorary President of the Society of Gynecology of France, Consultant to the Royal Australian College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, and Charter Day speaker at the National Maternity Center in Dublin, Ireland. At UCLA, he was honored on several occasions for his teaching with the Sherman Mellinkoff Teaching Award, the Golden Apple Award, Excellence in Education Award, and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Award for Teaching and Mentoring. Last year he was honored with the ICON Award of the UCLA Center on Aging and by the creation of the William J. Dignam Award for Excellence in Obstetrics and Gynecology, which will be given annually to the outstanding graduating medical student. Dignam was a member of Corpus Christi Church and ‘practically lived at the park’ while involved with each of his four girls’ activities. He and Wini celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2002 with family and friends in New Hampshire. In an interview with the Palisadian-Post at the time, Bill shared his opinions on achieving a successful marriage. ‘In the first place, live long enough, and in the second place, just get the best girl in the world.’ Dignam is survived by his wife, Winifred Kennedy Dignam; his two sisters, Lenore Macartney and Margaret Donovan; his four daughters, Brett Dignam of Connecticut, Kevan Husky of Pacific Palisades, Erin Dignam of Los Angeles and Paris, and Meighan Garnsey of New Hampshire; and 14 grandchildren. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the UCLA Foundation for the William J. Dignam Memorial Fund, David Geffen School of Medicine, 10945 Le Conte Avenue, Suite 3132, Los Angeles, CA 90095.

Betty Mae Emerson, a former 46-year resident of Pacific Palisades, died on November 22 at the age of 82. Born in Ohio on May 8, 1924, Betty moved to California with her older brother Bobby and her parents, Saul and Ida Klein, when she was a little girl. They settled in Hollywood, where Betty attended Cherimoya Elementary School and Hollywood High. She followed her brother to UCLA, but transferred after one year to UC Berkeley, where she met her husband, Donald Emerson. Betty and Donald both graduated and married in 1946. Their daughter, Nancy, was born six years later. While Donald was doing his master’s at Stanford, The Rand Corporation hired him and the family moved to Los Angeles, then to Santa Monica. The Emersons bought a large view lot on Quadro Vecchio in Castellammare in 1951 and their “Casa” was finished in 1952. “My parents created a wonderful home, so sweet with beautiful furniture and a cute playhouse my Dad built for me,” Nancy Emerson recalled last week. “They planted a wonderful tree for me to climb in, and we enjoyed 360-degree views of the ocean, the city and snow-capped mountains.” Betty had a wide range of interests and skills, including interior design and real estate sales (from Malibu to Brentwood in the 1960s and early ’70s), modeling and acting (as Maria Del Mar), and helping the homeless. She was a delegate for John Kennedy at the 1960 Democratic Convention in Los Angeles and later worked at the Getty Villa. “My parents went their separate ways when I was six,” said their daughter. Betty remained in the Palisades until 1999, when she moved to the seaside city of Carlsbad. She loved Hawaii and craved visits to Oahu, where her daughter Nancy is a professional surfer and surf instructor. “My mum loved to swim in the ocean, walk along the beach, collect shells, play tennis, and go to the horse races and car races,” Nancy said. “She adored art-show openings, going to her Hollywood High reunions, traveling the world, and visiting the Laguna Design Center. ‘She was truly a giver to the needy and cared very much for her fellow man.’ In addition to her daughter, who lives in Coolangatta, Queensland, Australia, and works in Hawaii, Betty is survived by her nephews, Robert Nicholas Klein II, Jeffery Klein, Fletcher Klein, Jordan Klein and Robert Klein; and nieces Lauren Klein and Ali Klein. She also leaves her adopted niece Alison Golway and her adopted daughter Nancy Hathaway. A celebration of Betty’s life was held on the beach in Carlsbad, then at Castle Rock beach in the Palisades, where dolphins, seals and pelicans visited.