Your Dreams Were Your Ticket Out . . .

. . . and now that ticket has been punched.

Pictured left to right, kind of trapezoidally: Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, John Travolta, Gabe Kaplan, Marcia Strassman, Robert Hegyes, Ellen Travolta. Where’s Arnold? photo: TVWeek.com

Remember Juan Epstein from “Welcome Back, Kotter”? Robert Hegyes. Dead. Sixty. New Jersey. Heart attack.

Geez.

Hegyes was living in Metuchen, NJ at the time of his untimely death. He was born in Perth Amboy, NJ, the eldest son of a Hungarian father and Italian mother, hence, he was not Hispanic, though he would play Hispanic characters during his sparse acting career. Not like there weren’t plenty of actually Hispanic actors available. But that doesn’t really matter now. Not to him, anyway.

So, if you’re old enough to remember catching the show, you’re old enough to remember the appropriately youthful visages of Vinnie, Freddy, Arnold, Mr, Koterrr and Juan. Now, check yourself in the mirror. Holy Crow’s Feet, Batman: I’m Meltingggggg!!!!!

But, at least, I still breathe. Which is a very good thing, as Martha would say.