Michael Elzea
1948-1993Rest
in peace,
beloved classmate
|
From
the
newspaper:
A memorial service for Michael J. "Whizzo" Elzea, 44,
Cranbury, N.J., will be at 11 a.m. April 23 at Trinity
Lutheran Church in Lawrence, with the Rev. Charles Gilmore
officiating. Cremation is planned.
Mr. Elzea died Thursday, April 1, 1993, at Princeton Medical
Center in Princeton, N.J., of kidney failure.
He was born Dec. 1, 1948, in Salina, the son of Bill and Mary
Elizabeth Wiesendanger Elzea. While in Lawrence, he lived on
the Haskell Indian Junior College campus with his parents. He
was president of his senior class at Lawrence High School and
attended the Midwest Art and Music Camps at Kansas University
during his high school summers.
Mr. Elzea attended KU and studied painting and drawing. After
leaving Lawrence, he spent a number of years in the Santa Cruz
mountains of California and the Manzano mountains of New
Mexico.
He was accomplished in various artistic media but was best
known for his light shows, acquiring the nickname "Captain
Whizzo" in 1967. Mr. Elzea was involved in producing light
shows for rock music groups and entertainers in the United
States, Europe, Japan, Mexico and Canada.
Survivors include his parents; a brother, Mark, Lawrence; and
a longtime companion, Dawn Rich, Cranbury, N.J.
The family suggests memorials to the Princeton Medical Center
Intensive Care Unit or to the Lawrence High School Art
Department, which may be sent in care of Warren-McElwain
Mortuary, which is handling local arrangements.
◊◊◊◊◊
From Rick Laughlin, 9/12/06: "I
remember Mike Elzea as the greatest natural artist I have ever
known. He was truly amazing and I always wished I were half as
good as he was. I went into the military in 1967 and lost
track of Mike. Amazingly, we re-connected at a roadhouse in
Santa Cruz, Calif. Mike ('Captain Whizzo') was performing a
light show at the Chateau Liberte behind the likes of Hot
Tuna, Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen, and the
Doobie Brothers. He was still the complete artist and
character. I was greatly saddened to learn of his death. I
still think of him often." |
