OT: Who is/was your most famous/successful blood relative?

[Travelman6]

I've had posts liked by @Chief00

Oddly enough, not this one, at least not yet...Chief?

 

[Husky pride]

My Dad was a successful professional welterweight boxer in his own right and was also a key sparring partner, to Jack Dempsey, who outweighed him by a hundred pounds and was the heavyweight champion of the world!!

 

[storrsroars]

My wife's family goes back to the Prescotts (Mayflower, Sam Prescott midnight ride of Paul Revere), I'm not sure exactly which ones. She's so thoroughly Irish otherwise that it's like a badge of shame.

That would make you something many times removed, to being part of the Bush clan.

 

[storrsroars]

Bret Michaels.

The very same Bret Michaels who back in 2013 played the famous Mt. Lebanon Galleria?

 

[Pgh2Storrs]

The very same Bret Michaels who back in 2013 played the famous Mt. Lebanon Galleria?

The one and only. He’s fallen way off the star map and is usually good to play a few local fairs/festivals every year in the area.

 

[storrsroars]

The one and only. He’s fallen way off the star map and is usually good to play a few local fairs/festivals every year in the area.

Just throwing shade. Was never a Poison fan. But figured you might appreciate the dig.

 

[Pgh2Storrs]

Just throwing shade. Was never a Poison fan. But figured you might appreciate the dig.

The Galleria is high class compared to the Butler County Farm Show or whatever other “just above the bottom rung of celebrity” appearance he’s made locally in recent years

 

[KingOPancakes]

According to 23andme I have a 3rd to 6th cousin named Donald Sutherland. I'm 94% sure it's not THAT Donald Sutherland, but I imagine this guys life must be exhilarating sharing a name with the original Hawkeye Pierce.

 

[storrsroars]

The Galleria is high class compared to the Butler County Farm Show or whatever other “just above the bottom rung of celebrity” appearance he’s made locally in recent years

Spent a lot of time there in my fall from grace between demoing appliances at Willliams-Sonoma and bartending/delivery for China Gate. Bret's got nothing on me when it comes to managing a career, lol.

 

[storrsroars]

According to 23andme I have a 3rd to 6th cousin named Donald Sutherland. I'm 94% sure it's not THAT Donald Sutherland, but I imagine this guys life must be exhilarating sharing a name with the original Hawkeye Pierce.

Obligatory.

 

[jdb50]

As a kid I saw Jake Gibbs hit a homer at the old Yankee Stadium in 67 or 68 against the Washington Senators. Frank Howard and Joe Pepitone were not in the lineup that night unfortunately. The Yankees won. There might have been 15,000 people in the stands. My paternal grandfather was a dentist in Middletown back when they put gold in peoples teeth for fillings. My maternal grandfather worked until he was 83 as a cobbler repairing shoes, fixing leather handbags, zippers in leather boots, selling shoes, workboots and sneakers and at one time shining shoes in his shop which was fascinating. This was before the throwaway culture.

 

[Tenspro2002]

My great-grandfather was a big-time judge in NYC who resigned amid a corruption scandal in the 30's.

My wife is second cousins with Jimmer Fredette. Gigantic French-Canadian family who came over in the early 1900's. I don't know if they ever met, but it's a slam dunk that they're cousins.

 

[temery]

I took one too. It was really hard. I had to remember 5 words in order.

“person,” “woman,” “man,” “camera,” “TV,”

I aced it though.

I was tested for hyperactivity when I was in elementary school. I asked to go to the bathroom, and on my way back the bell rang. I thought it was for lunch, so I went home (we went home for lunch). Got distracted on my way back and forgot to go back to school.

They never finished the testing and just put me on Ritalin.

 

[boba]

Apparently my father was the first in our family to walk erect as previous generations were snakes. I have since abandoned that awkward gait and rely on postdocs to bear me in a litter.

 

[Dove]

My mom's dad was an iron ore miner in Mineville, NY. Won 22 Miner of the Month Awards. And 2 consecutive MOYs.

Sadly, that's all I know about.

 

[temery]

Apparently my father was the first in our family to walk erect as previous generations were snakes. I have since abandoned that awkward gait and rely on postdocs to bear me in a litter.

that was a lot creepier before I clicked the link.

 

[dbmill]

I don't know of anyone famous in my family tree. However my wife has a saint in her family tree. Saint Brother Andre Bessette, a very well known Catholic figure in Montreal, who I believe is a great cousin to my wife's father. Brother Andre is largely responsible for getting St. Joseph's Oratory built in Montreal, and he has quite a reputation as a healer.

André Bessette - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[jimva]

Not blood, but by marriage. Craig Silverstein

 

[XLCenterFan]

I have a distant relative who carved the statue of Noah Webster in West Hartford Center. Same guy was carving Chief Crazy Horse into the side of a mountain in South Dakota. Also related to a gangster from many past eras in the Bridgeport/NYC area. He went by the name Lou Dewey. No links available for that one!

This Mural to Noah Webster Had a Spelling Error

The tribute to the founding father of the American dictionary managed to spell "cemetery" wrong.

www.atlasobscura.com

 

[XLCenterFan]

My great aunt, Katherine Paterson, won the Newbury Award (twice), most notably for her 1977 book Bridge to Terabithia.

I read that book!

 

[StllH8L8ner]

My car was in the first Spiderman with Toby Maguire.

 

[Stainmaster]

One grandfather played an exhibition tennis match against Bill Tilden back in the day; as the legend goes, Bill was quite impressed. The other was a calligrapher as a "side hustle" and his work made it before both President Eisenhower and King Gustaf V of Sweden.

If we expand things to include marriage, my uncle is a 9 or 10 times great-grandson of Abraham Lincoln.

 

[Sphinx]

I have a distant ancestor who was drummed out of Attila's army for conduct unbecoming a Hun.

More recently, I am great-uncle to Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Steven Brault, better known for his hitting than his pitching. Had eight hits in nine consecutive at-bats last year and two years ago when 29 straight at-bats without a strikeout. Most notable mound achievement was giving up 10 earned runs in one inning to the Chicago Cubs last year.

 

[Mr. Wonderful]

T. T. Ponds

 

[IllinoisHuskie]

Princess Diana is a distant cousin. She and I share the same set of 7th great grandparents. Also, I am a descendant of Mayflower passenger Isaac Allerton and 16th century resident of the Tower of London, Saint John Fisher.