TRIBUTES have been paid to Robin Williams, the American actor
and comedian, who was found dead at home in California, on
Monday.
"Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny,
a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan, and everything in
between," said the President of the United States, Barack Obama.
"But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien -
but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made
us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent
freely and generously to those who needed it most - from our troops
stationed abroad to the marginalised on our own
streets."
An Episcopalian, Mr Williams once listed his "Top 10 Reasons to
be an Episcopalian":
"10. No snake-handling. 9. You can believe in dinosaurs. 8. Male
and female God created them; male and female we ordain them. 7. You
don't have to check your brains at the door. 6. Pew aerobics. 5.
Church year is color-coded. 4. Free wine on Sunday. 3. All of the
pageantry - none of the guilt. 2. You don't have to know how to
swim to get baptized. 1. No matter what you believe, there's bound
to be at least one other Episcopalian who agrees with you."