RIP Paul Baxley

[DaneyDuke]

Credit to Phyllis for this unfortunate news.

Always remember the story your grandson told after his Dukesfest stunt. He could've talked about himself, instead shared a memory about you.

Thank you Mr. Baxley and your loyal crew for all you helped make the Dukes Of Hazzard become when critics said it wouldn't last the first commercial break. All these years later, folks are still yapping about the Dukes Of Hazzard. Thank you!

[RogerDuke]

I'm not sure how much more bad news we can take. We've sure been hit with enough sorrow around here after losing Lulu and Swamp Molly so close together and now we've lost Paul.

I don't really know what to say except I'd like to send my condoences and prayers to his family and fans.

The Dukes of Hazzard wouldn't have been the same without his stroke of genius to guide it behind the scenes. He will be missed.

[John's No 1 Fan]

Thank you for getting this news posted on here. I tried posting it myself but the post never appeared for some reason. Tom Sarmento wanted all Dukes fans to know about the passing of Paul Baxley. RIP Paul.

Phyllis

[DaneyDuke]

Thank you for getting this news posted on here. I tried posting it myself but the post never appeared for some reason. Tom Sarmento wanted all Dukes fans to know about the passing of Paul Baxley. RIP Paul.

Phyllis

You're welcome' date=' Phyllis. I see your post in Dukes Of Hazzard News now. Far as I know, original threads have to be approved in that forum.

[HossC]

I've just been reading Paul Baxley's page on IMDb, and never realised how many movies and TV shows he worked on. His resumé includes some of my favorites like 'Diamonds Are Forever' and 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World', as well doubling for William Shatner in 'Star Trek'. In fact, he worked from 1947 through to 'The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood' in 2000, which is an amazing feat given the nature of his business. What also struck me was the number of times he was stuntman/stunt coordinator on a movie or show but was not credited. It brought to mind the theme from

. Seeing as Paul was stunt coordinator on 'Coogan's Bluff' he truely was "the unknown stuntman that makes Eastwood look so fine".

For those of you who don't know what Paul looked like, check out 'Hazzard County Stunt Team - Reunited and in Your Face!" in the DVD extras on season 5. The following still is grabbed from there:

RIP Paul (1923-2011)

[RogerDuke]

He's also on season one (disc 3) at the 20th anniversary BBQ

[HossC]

He's also on season one (disc 3) at the 20th anniversary BBQ

How could I forget. Thanks for reminding me Roger.

[MaryAnne]

There's an online guestbook for Paul at Legacy.com via the funeral home handling the arrangements. It looks like the funeral service took place this past week.

http://www.legacy.com/guestbook/DignityMemorial/guestbook.aspx?n=paul-baxley&pid=149124979

I lit a candle in Paul's honor.

[Jami Lee Hogg]

Hi guys!

I just wanted to let you guys know that i got this from Phyllis (John's No 1 Fan). I thought other fans might like to do this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi everyone,

I have some news from Tom Sarmento. He has had many people asking him how they can show the Baxley family their expressions of sorrow over the loss of stunt coordinator Paul Baxley. The Baxley family will be having a memorial service later this month for Paul. Tom will be attending. He said that he wants to help the "Dukes" fans so this is what he has come up with.

Tom thinks it best if people who want to do something send cards. That way each person can write whatever they personally want to say on the card. Then mail the card to him at his home address. He will personally hand deliver all the cards he receives by the end of next week (Saturday, March 19) to Paul's son, Craig Baxley, at that service. For those of you who have to mail International and can't get the card to Tom by that date, he will continue to collect for a while and then mail the rest to Craig at a later date.

Tom also has some pictures of Paul from the first couple of DukesFests which Paul attended. Tom is going to have those made into 8X10 prints and give them to Craig along with all of the cards he receives. He wants to do this for the fans since they are wanting to help the Baxley family.

The address to send your card to is:

Tom Sarmento

8719 Milton Morris Drive

Charlotte, NC 28227

Please fill free to give this address to anyone wanting to send a card.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Thanks,

Phyllis

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[John's No 1 Fan]

I just got off the phone with Tom Sarmento. He wanted to pass along how touched Craig, Craig's wife Valerie, and Gary were with all the cards Tom delivered to them yesterday at the ceremony held in honor of Paul Baxley. Tom said that Craig was a little late getting there due to work so he hand delivered the cards to Valerie. She gave them to Craig when he arrived and Craig, Gary, and Valerie were all very touched with the fact that fans had cared enough to send them. They asked Tom to get their "Thank You" out to everyone who sent a card. Tom told me that there were cards from around the world and he was so impressed himself with the outpouring from the fans. He said it is hard to imagine how much those cards meant to the Baxley family but if you were there and saw their faces and heard their voices you would have felt it yourself. They felt the love that was sent in those envelopes and it meant the world to them.

Tom told me that the ceremony was wonderful. It was like a reunion. The country club was beautiful. They ate a luncheon and several people, including Tom, got up and told stories about things they remembered about Paul, Tom said just meeting all the people again was great. He said there were stunt people and stunt coordinators there who he had not seen in thirty years. John, Cathy, and Rick were there from the cast. According to Tom, Cathy is looking good but is still very sad over her loss and John looked good driving up in his new Corvette. Al Wyatt was there and looks great after all of his medical problems he had a couple of years ago. Tom told me that it was very obvious that Craig, Gary, and Al were all very touched by everything that was said and done to honor Paul as they were fighting back the tears.

The cards will be kept by the Baxley family as a reminder of what Paul meant to the fans.

"Thank you" from Craig, Valerie, and Gary Baxley.

Phyllis

[John's No 1 Fan]

Tom Sarmento told me today that he is receiving a lot of phone calls asking him who from the Dukes attended the ceremony last Saturday in honor of Paul Baxley. He thought it best if he just give me the names and let me post them for him.

So here goes....

First I must apologize if I have spelled any of these names wrong. I did my best. I am posting them in the same order Tom gave them to me so they are not in any particular order.

Stuntmen from Dukes in attendance

Craig Baxley

Gary Baxley

Al Wyatt

Henry Kingi

Bobby O.

Jack Gill

Steve Boyum

Corey Eubanks

Russell Solberg

John Cade

Teddy Barba

Lance Turner

John Moio

Cast members from Dukes in attendance

John Schneider

Cathy Bach

Rick Hurst

Tom also told me that he has received 15 more cards in the mail since he has returned home. He is going to wait another week and then package all that he has received since he returned and mail them to Craig Baxley.

I hope this answers everybody's questions.

Phyllis