JOHNNY SEKKA PASSES AWAY

Another of the B5 family has passed away. Dr. Benjamin Kyle from the
Gathering, Johnny Sekka,passed away on September 14 of lung cancer.
He was 72 years old. Here is a note from JMS on his passing:

"I'd heard word about this last weekend, from a B5 cast member to Doug
then to me, but wanted to wait for confirmation before putting it on
the net. Then, unfortunately, I got hit with the Martian Death Flu and
have been totally out of action all week...so I wasn't able to post
about this sooner.

It's a great loss, and he was a fine man. His health was always
problematic; even back during "The Gathering" there was concern about
his health and lungs. He was noticeably fragile, and would often run
out of steam in the middle of a scene, especially if there was any
action involved. This was ultimately the reason we couldn't in all
good conscience bring him back for the series, though we kept that to
ourselves in hopes that things would eventually improve and he might
be fit enough to one day return to B5 or work for other shows. But it
didn't happen, and B5 was the last thing he worked on that I know
about. Which is so unfortunate, because he was a vastly talented man
whose compassion was evident and sincere in his eyes, even when his
voice was sometimes so low that you could barely hear it on the track.

It's a genuine loss all around."

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Sekka at a convention in
California. He was a tremendously sweet man, a gentleman who cared
about people and was truly amazed that fans had enjoyed his work in
The Gathering so much. He had the greatest eyes. They could show
more emotion -- and pleasure -- than most. Your eyes are a window to
your soul -- and that was very true of Mr. Sekka. I have always
treasured our brief meeting and with his passing, it will be
even more precious.

There is more information about Mr. Sekka and his career at
<http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117950308?categoryId=25&cs=1>

Be safe,
Sandy

Sandra Bruckner
Editor/Publisher
ISN News: The Zocalo Today
http://www.isnnews.net