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Remembering Gregory
Peck
Gregory Peck was born on April
5th, 1916 in La Jolla, California and grew up hearing
stories of his father’s Irish childhood. Peck’s
maternal grandmother, Katherine Ashe, a native of
Dingle Co. Kerry raised her son—Peck’s
father, partly in her native county.
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As a teenager Peck lived in
Killarney for a time with his parents and often visited
Ireland when time allowed. In the spring of 1939,
Eldred Peck skipped graduation at UC Berkeley and,
with $160 and a letter of introduction in his pocket,
took a train to New York. Three days later, he stepped
off the carriage in Manhattan as Gregory Peck, the
actor.
Growing up in San Diego, he
says now: “I never liked the name Eldred. Since
nobody knew me in New York, I just changed to my
middle name.” Within five years, he rode that
name back out to California as one of Hollywood's
most promising new stars. The film career of Gregory
Peck is a matter of record. “Twelve O’clock
High’, ‘Roman Holiday’, ‘Moby
Dick’, ‘Cape Fear’, ‘To Kill
a Mockingbird’… the cream of his 55 films
are American classics. For many, Peck was a symbol
of the American man at his best–a pillar of
moral courage and a constant defender of traditional
values. As General MacArthur, Melville’s Captain
Ahab, and Atticus Finch, he presented audiences with
compelling stories of strength and masculinity. Peck
was best known for roles of dignified statesmen and
people who followed a strong code of ethics: a magazine
reporter confronting anti-Semitism in “Gentleman’s
Agreement” (1947, a best picture Oscar winner)
and a military officer in “The Guns of Navarone” (1961).
His life was as dignified as
his most notable film roles. He served as president
of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences
and was active in the Motion Picture and Television
Fund, American Cancer Society, National Endowment
for the Arts and as a Life Trustee of The American
Ireland Fund.
In April 2000, the National
University of Ireland in Dublin, conferred Peck with
an honorary doctorate in literature. He was named
The American Ireland Fund honoree at the Los Angeles
Dinner 2002. Unfortunately, Gregory Peck was unable
to attend being ill with bronchitis. His wife Veronique,
accepted his Lifetime Achievement Award on his behalf,
from longtime friend Charlton Heston. She spoke of
his “strong ties to Ireland” and his “support
of numerous arts organizations there.”
When talking about Ireland
Peck has been quoted as saying: “The Irish
influence has been a big thing in my life. Kind of
an anchor–it means a lot to me,” and “I
feel drawn to Ireland; I feel a sense of coming home.” Gregory
Peck passed away on June the 12th, 2003, at the age
of 87, leaving his wife of 48 years Veronique Passani,
four children and several grandchildren
It was really great to have
Greg on the Board of The American Ireland Fund–ever
willing to help, unfailingly courteous in all his dealings
and constantly fascinated by the projects we fund.
My abiding memory was of him patiently sitting through
4 hours of presentations during our conference in Dublin
and then galvanizing an exhausted audience with a series
of Yeats’ poems. They don’t make the like
of him anymore.
— Kingsley Aikins, President & CEO,
The American Ireland Fund
The mellifluous and sonorous
voice of Gregory Peck was matched by the simple charm
of his personality and that of his most elegant wife,
Veronique. He was an icon among icons, and we were
honored that he felt so deeply about Ireland and
his native Kerry.
— Sir Anthony O’Reilly,
Chairman, The Worldwide Ireland Funds
This article first appeared
in Connect -Winter 2004 issue
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