First and foremost shalom to Stan's lovely wife Karen, his beloved son Matt and beloved daughter Debbie who I had the pleasure of meeting in 1977 during my first wild adventure with Stan The Man on the Universal feature, "The Wiz" directed by Sidney Lumet, starring Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, and Nipsey Russell.

Hollywood is full of stories both in front of the camera and behind. This article is just one of many that illustrates the unique and unforgettable essence of a special Hollywood icon, Stan Winston, may you always rest in peace, as we never forget the ties that bind.

While attending Stan's funeral and reception, I was overwhelmed by the incredible love that filled the air for this unique man. The mood was deep and the stories brought laughter and sorrow. How blessed I felt as I listened intently to the warm and choking words of our industry friends Steven Spielberg, Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron, and Tom Arnold. Their words captivated my heart, mind and soul as I traveled back in time and back to the present reminiscing all the special and unique moments with Stan - The clown, the businessman, the artist, the family man, the friend.

Steven Spielberg recalled a touching story of his childhood where his father surprised him with his first Schwinn bicycle and how he was reminded of this touching and overwhelming event during the pre-production of Jurassic Park. During one of the many visits to Stan's FX Studio, Steven was asked by Stan to follow him, unbeknowst to Steven, Stan was about to reveal the completed Tyrannosaurs Rex.

Stan asked Steven to keep his head down as Stan positioned him for this exhilarating reveal. Upon lifting his head, Steven was filled with excitement and a moment of wild terror as he gazed upon the immense 35' prehistoric beast.

As the story of this event continued Steven commended Stan on his many wonderful contributions to the industry and how the passing of Stan marked the passing of hand made monsters as the industry now heads towards computer generated digital creations.

Arnold Schwarzenegger lifted the heavy mood to a place of warm laughter as he recalled the many antics of Stan. Stan loved his toys and always enjoyed out doing his friends with a smile and a chuckle. Arnold spoke of a time where he invited Stan to see his new humidor that held approximately 750 cigars, well it wasn't to long before Stan invited Arnold to his office to share his new humidor that held 1500 cigars. Arnold then shared another humorous motorcycle story about how he and James Cameron showed up one day at Stan's with their motorcycle engines completely chromed.

Well wouldn't you know it, it wasn't to long before Stan showed up with his motorcycle that was completely chromed. And if that wasn't enough, Arnold and James decided to purchase their own unique Hummers, James bought the military style and Arnold the big black one. In just a few weeks, Stan drove up with his Hummer that was covered with a plethora of lights and all the fancy trimmings.

James Cameron slowly moved toward the podium to express his warm memories of Stan. James shared a few touching stories through moments of emotional delay and then proceeded to direct the attention to the many fans that appreciated Stan and his wonderful contributions to the world of entertainment. James began to read numerous comments from stories he had printed off the Internet, how touching it was to hear the emotional words of those people who observed Stan and his creations from the many movie theaters and industry periodicals. Stan's contributions were far reaching and these stories were testimonial to that fact. Wow, I was blown away!!! The audience will surely miss Stan and his creative genius.

As the service continued I would never forget the final words of Stan's son Matt as he shared the last hour of Stan's life. How Stan struggled to breathe even though a special masked had been stretched over his nose and mouth forcing his lungs to function.

How Stan's eyes remained closed while he squeezed the hands of his loved ones in reply to their comments. And then as the moment of departure arrived, Stan opened his eyes looking upwards toward heaven as the words of the Beatles played in the background "Once there was a way to get back homeward...Once there was a way to get back home, sleep pretty darling do not cry and I will sing a lullaby". A miracle indeed as these words filled the air upon the departure of our loving and creative friend Stan Winston.

Listen to this song: ( Golden Slumbers- Abby Road Album)

Unfortunately I missed the words of Tom Arnold at the reception but I did have the pleasure to observe the reaction of the crowd moments after he finished his speech - The many tears being wiped from the eyes of the those that heard revealed the depth of the message as they struggled to keep a smile on their face from the serious but humorous delivery of Tom. For a moment, I found myself looking into the sorrowful eyes of David Gersh as he struggled to compose his feelings through flowing tears. A day I will never forget for as long as I live.

And in closing, my story about Stan...

I must thank Stan for changing the direction of my career and shedding his unique glory upon my life. It was 1977 and I was working on the Tonight Show when a man appeared in the makeup room, I asked my associates who this man was and they said it was Stan Winston. I had heard of Stan through my association with Tom Burman and John Chambers but never had the pleasure of meeting him until this life changing day. Before I knew it, Harry Blake, department head of NBC makeup called me over and introduced me to Stan, telling me Stan needed me for a few weeks to work with him on a new feature film titled, "The Wiz" filming at Universal. I was floored to say the least and I was puzzled at the same time. How was Stan going to pull this off since I was not yet union qualified to work in film? Harry said, "Stan has taken care of everything and the union has agreed to your hire." Apparently all the other makeup artists skilled at FX makeup were working and I was the only one who possessed the necessary skills outside the union film arena.

As Stan and I walked down the hall between stages one and three, Stan said these words, "I didn't have the heart to tell Harry, but I actually need you for 10 months", and the rest was history.

Thank you Stan The Man, I will never forget you as I place one shovel full of dirt onto your final resting place. Please talk to the union in heaven and reserve a place for me so we can continue when I arrive. We all love you and you will be dearly missed.