Now that 2018 has drawn to a close, Alta celebrates the lives of people who quietly had an outsized impact in their chosen fields. Those we honored with an “Appreciation” during the year included an architect, editor, gardener, magician, racecar driver and screenwriter.
RUTH BANCROFT: GARDENER OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS
Ruth Bancroft’s carefully tended and much-admired cactus and succulent garden in Walnut Creek became the late 109-year-old’s legacy. By Johanna Silver
DAN GURNEY: LIFE IN THE FASTEST LANE
Remembering the late Riverside race driver Dan Gurney, who enjoyed great successes — both on and off the track. By Jean Jennings
RICKY JAY: THE PLEDGE. THE TURN. THE PRESTIGE.
Known professionally as Ricky Jay, Richard Jay Potash was a master of illusion and widely considered the world’s most gifted sleight of hand artist. By Tom Zito
FRANK McCULLOCH: A JOURNALIST’S JOURNALIST
Frank McCulloch was a journalist’s journalist, editing most of the state’s biggest newspapers and training a couple of generations of journalists. by Mark Potts
JEB ROSEBROOK: 60 YEARS OF SCREENWRITING BEGAN WITH A RODEO WINNER
Jeb Rosebrook’s first script, “Junior Bonner,” was directed by Sam Peckinpah and starred Steve McQueen. It opened to lackluster reviews but is now considered a classic. By Paul Seydor
GIN WONG: MOD MILESTONES
Seminal California architect Gin Wong spent so long designing our idea of the future that it eventually became the past, but his buildings are all the better for it. By Adam L. Brinklow
