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Family, friends mourn Elam By Bill Choy Ashland Daily Tidings While known for his villains and other shady characters in a number of Western films over the years, the real Jack Elam was much more than what was up on the big screen, friends and family fondly recalled. Elam, an Ashland resident since 1987 who appeared in nearly 100 feature films and hundreds of television appearances, passed away at his Ashland home on Monday after battling congestive heart failure for several years. "He was an amazing guy and had a magnificent career," his daughter, Jacqueline Elam of Los Angeles, recalled. "He was the greatest dad in the world and inspired all of us to be creative people." Elam starred in a number of films over the years, including "Rawhide" with Tyrone Power, "Support your Local Sheriff," "Rio Lobo," "The Rare Breed," "Once Upon a Time in the West," and both films in the "Cannonball Run" series. Elam also was featured in a number of television programs including several appearances on the hit show "Gunsmoke." While most records listed Elam at 86, his real age was 82, his family said. He changed his age when he was a young man to get work, his wife of 42 years, Jenny Elam, said. He would have been 83 next month. Elam was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in 1994. "It was an honor to be chosen," Jenny Elam said. Jack Elam's cockeye, which he used to great menacing effect in his movie roles, was the result of a childhood fight when a fellow Boy Scout stabbed him in the left eye with a pencil. Don Rist of Ashland, who sold Elam his home, remained close friends with him over the years. "He was one of the kindest men I ever knew," Rist said. "He made everyone he knew feel special. It didn't make any difference if it was one of his actor friends or someone he just met. He treated everyone the same." Once, Rist had relatives over from Nebraska who were big fans of Elam. Rist called his friend, who met them for lunch. "He was just the greatest," Rist said. The family has received numerous calls from friends locally and in Hollywood offering their condolences, "He was a loved man," Jacqueline Elam said. Jack Elam loved landscaping and helped build a 9-hole golf course on his Ashland property, his family said. His wife said his friends loved to come over and play a round. The course was made challenging by the number of trees on the property. Even the most experienced golfers would bounce the golf ball numerous times off the trees. Jenny Elam said Ashland reminded her and her husband of towns they visited in Switzerland and fell in love with the people and beauty of the area. "He loved it here," she said. "It's a beautiful place to live." Elam was also an avid poker player and could be found most Fridays playing with his friends at the Elks Club in Ashland, his family said. Ed Polish of Ashland, organizer for the Bad Film Society, invited Jack Elam to a showing of "Cannonball Run II" several months ago. Elam accepted his offer. "He got a kick out of it," Polish said. "He was very good natured. ... People were in awe that this legendary Hollywood actor would come to our little meeting." No services are planned, his family said. He is survived by his wife Jenny, three children, three grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -