My recollections are from my childhood. I met Perry Como several times as a kid growing up in Port Washington, NY. He used to come to my grade school and sing to us, as my class gathered around him in a large cicle. I once felt his hand on the top of my seven year old head, and he called me "darling." That was 48 years ago and I recall the moment with clarity. Two of his three children were my school friends and his son David was in my class. At Halloween trick or treating, Perry met you at the door and escorted you into a small room with fish bowls full of candy and coins lining the room. You were invited to help yourself. He was always warm and kind with an especially sweet smile. He never seemed to be full of his celebrity. I loved his singing of Ave Maria and I Believe. Goodbye, Mr. Como.

Ellen