# Tim Conway suffering from dementia **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 25, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276 "2018-08-25T22:42:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/1 "2018-08-25T22:42:20Z")
Sad news. [He’s almost entirely non-responsive.](https://people.com/tv/tim-conway-dementia-daughter-asking-conservatorship/) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/2 "2018-08-25T22:49:03Z")
So sad. He was by far one of the funniest men on TV. [The Elephant Story.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qqE_WmagjY) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/3 "2018-08-25T23:02:46Z")
Tim’s work with Don Knotts was incredible. Tim is 84. I didn’t realize he wasn’t still working. We recently lost Jerry Van Dyke. All the classic physical comics are gone. Dementia is a terrible way to end any life. I wish Tim the best and hope his family is staying strong. Give him the support and love he needs. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/4 "2018-08-25T23:26:57Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > So sad. He was by far one of the funniest men on TV. Amen. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2018, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/5 "2018-08-25T23:31:03Z")
He’ll always be Ensign Chuck Parker, USN to me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Jim\_s\_Son](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@Jim\_s\_Son](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jim_s_Son)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/6 "2018-08-26T00:03:14Z")
He also made a memorable appearance on “Newhart”. In 5th grade we had to give an oral report on our favorite TV show and I chose “McHale’s Navy” ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/7 "2018-08-26T00:29:32Z")
I read his autobiography [What’s So Funny](https://www.barnesandnoble.com/p/whats-so-funny-tim-conway/1114818724/2679496600681?st=PLA&sid=BNB_DRS_New+Marketplace+Shopping+Books_00000000&2sid=Google_&sourceId=PLGoP212653&gclid=CjwKCAjw_IPcBRAjEiwAl44QkRZUi15ntEfH4s_PZs9pMi4R769LHI48Z43xwkAaWYCHi5eAsATyTBoCsnwQAvD_BwE) a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it. Now I’m sad. Fnork. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/8 "2018-08-26T01:05:39Z")
He was always so fun to watch. I hope he isn’t suffering. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/9 "2018-08-26T01:10:29Z")
Conway and Harvey Korman made a guest appearance on Dick Van Dyke’s _Diagnosis: Murder_ as guess what? An old comedy duo. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/10 "2018-08-26T03:48:50Z")
I forgive him for luring Ernie Anderson (aka Ghoulardi) from Cleveland to Los Angeles in the early ‘60s to make the big bucks — Ernie ended up as the announcer on the Carol Burnett show. Tim was a comic genius, as you can see from “The Elephant Story.” Can anyone find a link to “Bunny Lawyer,” which could be his finest moment? It used to be easily available on YouTube, but I haven’t seen it in years. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/11 "2018-08-26T03:58:29Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > So sad. He was by far one of the funniest men on TV. > > [The Elephant Story.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qqE_WmagjY) What timing. What delivery! You can see that CB frequently hides her face from the camera. This was likely so the audience wouldn’t see her helplessly cracking up. The 1970s cast of SNL tended to disparage the CB Show as hackneyed and clumsy, pointing out the fact that the cast could often be seen about to break into uncontrollable laughter. But damn, how could they help it when the writing was so good? ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/12 "2018-08-26T04:00:48Z")
His was the sort of humor that does not age. Every now and then, I go to YouTube and watch the Elephant Story (although to be fair, it was Vickie Lawrence who really made that clip a classic…) or the Dentist sketch. Still hilarious. So sad - dementia is a horrible way to live. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/13 "2018-08-26T04:08:30Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > What timing. What delivery! > > You can see that CB frequently hides her face from the camera. This was likely so the audience wouldn’t see her helplessly cracking up. The 1970s cast of SNL tended to disparage the CB Show as hackneyed and clumsy, pointing out the fact that the cast could often be seen about to break into uncontrollable laughter. But damn, how could they help it when the writing was so good? I think most of his stuff was improvised on the spot, not written in advance. A lot of the time you can tell he’s just waiting to spring another surprise on the rest of the cast. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/14 "2018-08-26T04:12:04Z")
> [@Jim\_s\_Son](#): > > In 5th grade we had to give an oral report on our favorite TV show and I chose “McHale’s Navy” I loved that show! As with _ **Star Trek** _, I got special enjoyment from watching it just knowing that my mother hated it. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/15 "2018-08-26T04:17:32Z")
I remember the response to the Dentist sketch was so great they repeated it a week later, which was really unheard of for a variety show taped on that schedule. I was in high school then, and I was literally rolling on the floor watching that sketch for the first time! ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/16 "2018-08-26T05:22:00Z")
Are we sure he’s not just pranking us? ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/17 "2018-08-26T05:32:58Z")
Very sad. I honestly did not realize he was still alive. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/18 "2018-08-26T06:44:57Z")
His headstone should have a single word on it: SNORK Anyone who remembers it would get it immediately and smile. What better way to remember him. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/19 "2018-08-26T07:31:36Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Very sad. I honestly did not realize he was still alive. He had recently been doing promo spots on MeTV for Carol Burnette reruns. ---
**Author:** ![DrFidelius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drfidelius/32/3447_2.png) [@DrFidelius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrFidelius)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2018, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276/20 "2018-08-26T11:28:44Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > I think most of his stuff was improvised on the spot, not written in advance. A lot of the time you can tell he’s just waiting to spring another surprise on the rest of the cast. IIRC, he would stick with the script as written forvthevafternoon run through/ dress rehearsal and the improvise during the filming. You cannot reason a person out of a position they didn’t use reason to reach. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-conway-suffering-from-dementia/820276.md?page=2)