Love and Grief United

But they weren't, of course. On Nov. 10, at 4:30 in the morning, the river claimed him. He was buried in a tie-dyed coffin in a grave beside his son that was dug by his children, grandchildren and friends. The headstone bore a simple legend: "Sparks Fly Upward."

David Weddle is a graduate of Corona del Mar High School and spent his formative years in Orange County. He is the author of "If They Move . . . Kill 'Em!" The Life and Times of Sam Peckinpah and is currently writing a book about Beverly Hills for William Morrow.