The Gossip Column: September 20, 2024

On Monday, September 16, just days away from his 72nd birthday, DOUGLAS R. HOLLOWAY, JR., passed away following several years of ill health. Like his late father ROY HOLLOWAY, DOUGIE was great raconteur, and, like his father, was a professional handler and multiple group judge. DOUGIE could captivate a crowd with his storytelling. They also were unique in that ROY judged Best in Show at the 1996 Westminster Kennel Club — a Best in Show I remember very well as I was in there with my Skye Terrier. As you know, the judges wear microphones, a fact I had forgotten in my nervousness at being in that big ring. When ROY congratulated me, I had planned on saying, as I put my dog on the table, that I was the only person in the ring who had slept with both ROY and DOUGIE. (Get your minds out of the gutter: It was one of those over-crowded weekends at BOBBY FISHER & SUSAN HECKMANN FISHER’S house during some circuit where everyone doubled up.) But just as I was about to say it, I saw the microphone and froze, and I never said a word (including thank you). A year later, DOUGIE went Best in Show at the 1997 Westminster Kennel Club dog show with his Standard Schnauzer owned by his wife RITA HOLLOWAY & GABRIO DEL TORRE. He was a great friend to many, a loving and devoted husband to his wonderful wife RITA, and a loving and caring brother and son. Like all of us at DOG NEWS and his friends from around the world, I send RITA and family our deepest sympathies. ...

Sadly, another well-known dog man has passed away: VICTOR MALZONI, JR., the kind and loving gentleman from Brazil whose meteoric success in dogs is unrivalled. His love of Cairn Terriers came before all his other Terrier breeds. We would need pages to list his many wins, including multiple group wins with several different dogs at the Westminster Kennel Club, as well as a Best in Show and Reserve Best in Show there. Above all, he was a man of great humility, a true gentleman in every sense of the word. We send our deepest condolences to his loving wife SUSIE and sons RODDY & NICK. VICTOR passed away in his native Brazil, and there will be a remembrance held in the coming weeks at Montgomery County and in Orlando. ...

KELLIE FITZGERALD, a name that is synonymous with English Spring Spaniels and Detroit, will be moving back to the great state of Michigan to manage the boarding kennel owned by her longtime friend JANE and her late husband ERIK BERGISHAGEN that’s now co-owned with their daughter ERICA. We wish her luck in her new adventure in her old stomping grounds. ...

If death comes in threes, sadly I have to report the passing of another well-known name from Michigan: CHERI SCHMITZ passed away on September 11. She and her late husband BOB were professional handlers but were best known for their success in the Labrador Retriever ring. It’s been a rough couple of weeks. ...

Finally, a typo in the last column about collectable items: TIP TIPTON was misspelled.