WE ALL GATHER HERE IN OCEANSIDE TODAY

AT THE FRANCISCAN MISSION OF SAN LUIS REY

TO REMEMBER OUR GREAT GUY WILLIAMS

HE WILL NEVER EVER BE FORGOTTEN BY

HIS FANS’ HEARTS WHERE FOREVER HE ABIDES.

FROM NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA

AND CONTINENTAL EUROPE WE FANS DID FLY,

TO PRAISE OUR WONDERFUL & HANDSOME HERO.

BOTH GENTLEMAN AND DASHING ROGUE

HE WAS THE ELEGANT MASKED AVENGER,

THE MAN IN BLACK SILK, EL ZORRO.

TODAY WE ARE FILLED WITH JOY NOT DREAD

AND MERRILY CELEBRATE HIS LIFE INSTEAD,

FOR YES INDEED HE WAS A MORTAL MAN.

HE HAS OUR ETERNAL LOVE, HE IS OUR FRIEND

LET NOT OUR SOULS FEEL ANY DESPAIR

INDEED GUY WILLIAMS WAS A MAN SO RARE,

SO PERFECT IN PHYSIQUE AND DRESS;

TAKEN FROM US SO SOON ‘TIS NOT FAIR.

YET LET OUR FACES BE WARM & BRIGHT,

CHEERY AND THIS DAY FULL OF DELIGHT

BECAUSE WE TRULY LOVE GUY WILLIAMS

AND HE IS BEAUTIFUL IN OUR SIGHT.

I CANNOT THINK OF A BETTER TRIBUTE

FOR ARMANDO CATALANO, FOR NO ONE CAN REFUTE

HIS IMPACT ON THREE GENERATIONS OF

KIDS IN HIS ROLE AS THE DARK KNIGHT,

THE SHADOW MAN, THE FOX -- I CANNOT DISPUTE.

DEAR GUY WILLIAMS, I KNOW FOR A FACT

YOU ARE HERE WITH US NOW, OH SEXY MAN IN BLACK

WHO ONCE THOUGHT HE WAS UNDESERVING

OF A STAR ON A FAMOUS HOLLYWOOD TRACK.

WHATEVER NAMES WE MAY CALL HIM: GUY,

DIEGO/ZORRO/DAMON/MILES/SINBAD/

WILL/JOHN ROBINSON, WE JUST DEEPLY SIGH

AND SWOON WHENEVER WE SEE HIM ON OUR TV’S.

WE CAN PROUDLY SAY THERE GOES OUR HERO

OUR GUY WILLIAMS, ARMANDO CATALANO.

GAIL MANFRE