Shelby about town

Lester Smith bonds with Kim Kardashian on his big night, Heart Ball bringsmillions in jewels & Tony's does Halloween

Sue Smith, Lester Smith and Kim Kardashian at the Angel Ball in New York Citywhere the Smiths were honored.
Photo by Mike Person
Lavonne Cox and Denis DeBakey at the Heart Ball kick-off at Zadok.
Photo courtesy of © Alexander's Fine Portrait Design
Carol Linn, from left, Donna Vallone and Sandy Barrett all smiles before sittingdown to the Halloween lunch at Tony's.
Photo by Shelby Hodge
Pecan balls covered in orange whipped cream were the hit of the entirerestaurant.
Photo by Shelby Hodge
Honorees Keith and Jyl Calcoat at the Heart Ball kick-off.
Photo courtesy of © Alexander's Fine Portrait Design
Lester Smith, left, and Nile Rogers at the Angel Ball at the Cipriani inManhattan.
Photo by Mike Person

Sue and Lester Smith are still glowing following the Angel Ball in New York City (held before Superstorm Sandy) where they were honored for their generous philanthropic contributions to cancer research. They were joined in the national spotlight on the star-studded evening by the third honoree Bonnie Pfeifer Evans, trustee of the Charles Evans Foundation.

Gabrielle's Angel Foundation for Cancer Research founder Denise Rich hosted the evening. Entertainment Tonight correspondent Christina McLarty served as emcee and entertainment was provided by Smokey Robinson, Natalie Cole and Nelly.

The Smiths happily found themselves in the ballroom of Cipriani Wall Street rubbing elbows with the likes of Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Gerard Butler, David Arquette, Solange Knowles, Tiki Barber, Jane Seymour, Stephen Baldwin and on and on. The evening raised $3.7 million for the foundation's cancer research programs.

Heart Ball honorees named

Surrounded by millions in diamonds, emeralds and rubies, Heart Ball supporters rallied in the hallowed environs of Zadok Jewelers to announce the 2013 Heart Ball honorees.

Stepping out as medical honoree was Dr. Miguel Quinones, cardiology chair at Methodist Hospital; community honorees Jyl and Keith Calcote and corporate honoree Cameron, which was represented by Adam Nightingale and Grace Holmes.

Welcoming guests were Heart Ball chairs Lavonne Cox and Denis DeBakey and the entire Zadok family. Good news for the ball chairs, proceeds have already reached 1/3 of the $1.5 million goal set by the American Heart Association.

Feasting Halloween style

Donna Vallone says that Halloween and Thanksgiving are her favorite holidays. So in anticipation of the former, she threw a midday lunch recently for a handful of ladies that shows just how deliciously creative she, and Tony's chef Grant Gordon, can be.

At a table in the center of Tony's dining room, Donna decorated and decorated and decorated, all to hubby Tony Vallone's approval.

The ladies dined divinely on "Monster Mash Burrata," "Wicked Baked Salmon" or "Vampire Veal Piccata" served with "Pumpkin Potion Rissoto" and finished the meal off with "Shivering Sweet Smoking Treat," actually pecan balls wrapped in orange whipped cream with jack-o-lantern faces.

Applauding the menu and the hostess were Carol Linn, Dancie Perugini Ware, Astrid Van Dyke, Sharon Adams, Susan Krohn, Jo Lynn Falgout, Soraya McClelland and Sandy Barrett. None of these ladies could resist the pecan balls.

Sight 'ems

A heavy-duty gathering of politicos at the Four Seasons Hotel for the annual pre-election analysis luncheon hosted by Klotz Associates and Fulbright & Jaworski. Lending their expertise were Bob Stein, Mustafa Tameez, Sonny Messiah Jiles and moderator Miya Shay.

The top-drawer political crowd lending an ear included Klotz Associates' Wayne Klotz, Fulbright senior partner Neil Thomas, Harris County Commissioner Jack Cagle, Texas Highway Commissioner Jeff Moseley, State. Senators Rodney Ellis and Carol Alvarado, U.S. Rep Gene Green, Arthur Schechter, Jason Fuller and Cindy Clifford.

unspecified

hello, friends

Public memorials and services set for 'Houston's anchorman' Dave Ward

Photo courtesy of Dave Ward

undefined

ABC13 anchor emeritus Dave Ward died on December 13 at age 86.

Members of the public are invited to pay their respects to the longtime newsman at visitations and funeral services this week. Plans include:

Wednesday, Dec. 17: Ward will lie in repose from 11 am-6 pm at the Crimestoppers of Houston Dave Ward Building, 3001 Main St., Houston, TX 77002.
Thursday, Dec. 18: Public visitation open to all at George H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Directors at 1010 Bering Dr., Houston, TX 77057 from 11 am-2 pm and 4-8 pm
Friday, Dec. 19: Funeral service open to the public at 12 pm at St. Martin's Episcopal Church at 717 Sage Rd., Houston, TX 77056.

ABC13 will carry the funeral live on television and streaming platforms.

For more than 50 years, Dave was Houston's anchorman. He began each newscast with his signature line, "Good evening, friends." That's how the legendary newsman felt about the viewers who shared his love for the city he was so proud to call his home.

His name was David Henry Ward, but he was known to thousands of Eyewitness News viewers simply as "Dave." Born in Dallas in 1939, Dave grew up in Huntsville and began his radio career with KGKB Radio in Tyler while attending college. Three years later, he joined the staff of WACO Radio as a staff announcer and quickly climbed to Program Director the following year.

Dave moved to Houston in 1962, where he worked for KNUZ Radio as a News Reporter and News Director for four years. He made the move to Channel 13 in 1966 as the station's only on-the-street news reporter and photographer, coming "inside" in early 1967 to anchor Channel 13's weekday 7 am. newscast.

Later that year, he became the first host of the wildly popular "Dialing for Dollars" program, which later evolved into "Good Morning Houston." Houston viewers flocked to see him and hear him, and by January 1968, Dave became the anchor of Eyewitness News at 6 and 10 pm.

---

Read more about Dave Ward’s life and legacy, with video, on CultureMap's news partner, ABC13.com.

celebrities media deaths abc13 obituary