Great Role Models: Famous Fathers In Service

We all need role models, whether they help with family, career, or general life direction. Having someone to look up to keeps us positive, focused, and on our path to living our dreams. Sometimes our role model is a family member, a close friend, or someone we don't even know personally but admire. Our role models change and evolve with us. We may have started out with Superman and Wonder Woman, moved on to teachers, and ended up with someone else. Our lives, interests and passions are subject to change. Thankfully there are enough role models to go around. In honor of Father's Day, an under recognized national holiday, here are a few fathers whose commitment to service (even beyond just being a dad) makes them inspiring role models.

Paul Newman

Paul Newman's tremendous movie career spanned over 60 years, leaving us with classics like Butch Cassidy, The Shadow Box, and The Hustler. He was an actor's actor who devoted himself fully to each role and gave the same amount of passion to his life. Newman founded the Newman's Own line of food products with writer A.E. Hotchner in 1982. All proceeds after taxes are donated to charity. As of 2006 more than $250 million has been donated to thousands of charities. Newman also co-founded the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a summer camp for seriously ill children, first located in Ashford, Connecticut. The camp has expanded to several locations in the U.S, Ireland, France, and Israel, giving 13,000 children each year a place to have fun and just be kids, free of charge.

Paul fathered Scott, Susan, and Stephanie Kendall with his first wife Jackie Witte. Scott Newman who was also an actor died in 1978 from an accidental drug overdose. Paul started the Scott Newman center for drug abuse and prevention in memory of his son. Paul had three daughters with his second wife, Joanne Woodward, Elinor "Nell" Teresa, Melissa "Lissy" Stewart, and Claire "Clea" Olivia. They lived out of the Hollywood game in Westport Connecticut. Paul was known for his devotion to his wife and family. When asked about infidelity he replied "Why go out for hamburger when you can have steak at home?" Paul grew up in Shaker Heights, Ohio. His Dad Arthur Samuel ran a profitable sporting goods store, and his Mother, Theresa encouraged his early interest in the theater.

Robert Redford

Born in Santa Monica California to Charles Robert Redford, an accountant, and mother Martha Hart, Robert Redford made his way into silver screen stardom via brief careers in baseball and painting. He dazzled audiences with Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, where he starred alongside pal Paul Newman, The Way We Were and The Sting, and enjoyed number one box office star status. He's used his fame and position to advance numerous environmental causes, and works closely with the Natural Resources Defense Council. Redford also acquired and transformed a ski area in Utah, where he established the Sundance film festival in 1969. The Sundance Institute, named after the outlaw he played in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, is dedicated to the support and development of emerging screen writers and directors of vision, and to the national and international exhibition of new independent cinema. Mr. Redford won an Oscar for Best Director for Ordinary People and went on to enjoy success as a director with A River Runs Through It and Quiz Show.

Mr. Redford fathered Shauna, James, and Amy Redford with ex-wife Lola van Wagenen. His oldest son Scott died from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Warren Buffet

Ranked by Forbes as the second richest human on Earth with an estimated net worth of approximately thirty-seven billion dollars, Warren Buffet, born August 30, 1930 to Howard Buffett in Omaha Nebraska, is one of the most successful investors in history. He filed his first tax return at age 13, deducting his bicycle and watch as a $35 work expense for his job as a newspaper delivery boy.

Mr. Buffett has pledged to give away 85% of his fortune to the Gates Foundation. In June 2006 Buffett gave approximately 10 million Berkshire Hathaway Class B shares to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation making it the largest charitable donation in history, and Buffett a leader of the philanthrocapitalism revolution.

Buffett married Susan Thompson in 1952. They had three children, Susie, Howard and Peter. His children will not inherit a significant amount of his wealth. Buffett commented, "I want to give my kids just enough so that they would feel that they could do anything, but not so much that they would feel like doing nothing." Buffett told the NY Times, "I don't believe in dynastic wealth," calling those who grow up in wealthy circumstances "members of the lucky sperm club."

Brad Pitt

Hollywood's favorite leading man, Brad Pitt was born in Shawnee Oklahoma to Jane Etta Hillhouse, a high school counselor, and William Alvin Pitt, a truck company owner. He stole the show in Thelma and Louise and steamrolled into a powerhouse career with hits like Meet Joe Black, Fight Club and the Ocean's flicks. Brad Pitt continues to knock it out of the park.

Brad along with mega star wife Angelina Jolie make as much of a splash with their humanitarian efforts as they do on screen. They recently gave $1 million to the U.N. refugee agency, providing aid to hundreds of thousands uprooted by violence in Pakistan. They support the ONE Campaign, aimed to fight AIDS and poverty in Third World countries. Pitt created the Make it Right Foundation which gathered a group of housing professionals in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, with the object of financing and constructing 150 new houses in New Orleans' Ninth Ward. Pitt and Jolie's combined philanthropic efforts have brought awareness to many important issues and causes around the world.

Maddox, Zahara, Shiloh, Pax, Knox, Leon and Vivienne Marcheline call Brad Pit Daddy. I hope I didn't leave any of them out!

Happy Fathers Day to all you Fathers out there. Being a good Dad is a great service to your children and everyone they come into contact with for their entire lives.

Comments

[MerrieWay]

MerrieWay muses: Role models are inspirational. Mentors giving one- on -one time will change the future for at-risk youth. When 'one ' person believes in us, that we can do it --our own expectation of ourselfves is uplifted to great potential and possibility.

[Voltage]

Three of these four are beautifully handsome. Does that make them good dads? Sorry, Warren.

[Aesthete]

Being a father, good, bad, or indifferent, has nothing to do with looks or celebrity. The content of the individual's character makes him a good father.

[Mort]

Being a celebrity and doing something charitable doesn't make anyone a good father or role model. In fact, celebrity often means the real parents are nannies.

[joceeco]

I was just about to write similar words Mort. Thank you for your comment!

[onwisconsin]

I think I'll stick with my dad, thanks. He adopted me when I was young and needed a father. He chose to marry my mother (divorced with 3 children) and stepped right into the role of Daddy.
My birth father was abusive and I literally don't care if he is alive or dead. My "Dad" is the reason I have grown into a successful woman who believes in herself and is able to give to others.

For all of the celebrity fathers this article mentions, there are countless unsung heroes out there like my dad, quietly going about their lives trying to be the best men they can be to teach their children to be good people and to believe in themselves. Happy Father's Day to all of them!

[auegg]

Sorry, but I think you read too much celebrity magazines. You actually don't "know" these people, you know what the media says about them.

[Pema]

Some Tibetan Lamas marry and have children, I know of one such Lama who took over 10,000 people over the Himalayas to freedom from the Maoist invasion of Tibet. He crossed those mountians 6 times to save other people, many dont make it once, yet he did 6 times. Giving up is never an option for him, he has a lovley family and he constantly lives to help others, men such as this are living a life of goodness every moment. Happy Fathers Day, Namkha Drimed Rinpoche, a cloudless sky in my life.

[gouge]

What about some real role models -not just actors? Since you are including in this list Paul Newman who is no longer with us, how about a Chester Nimitz or Raymond Spruance? Both men who quite literally saved this country in its darkest hours at the battle of Midway -both of whom lived exemplary lives- or how about focusing on several of the brave men serving now in Afghanistan?

[RJII]

love what the jolie-pitts do.

[Bearangaria]

I'm sorry. But I do not think being famous rates a
Father's Day Huzzah.
How about an All Round Honest Good Human Day?

[aliceautumn]

I have never met a wealthy man who had time to spend with his children. They are workaholics no matter what they do. A good father marries the childs' mother, works hard to support his family and his country, spends time with his child every day and really wants to know their child. They know their child's favorite color, best friends' name, and teachers when they see them in the grocery. I dont think any of these mega millionaires are that kind of dad. Being wealthy does not make a man a good father, in fact I think it does quite the opposite. Every child of a wealthy family I know was raised by nannies and think of their nanny as a closer friend than their parents.

[levi501]

What about the fathers who work long hours away from their families to support them on the basics. Truckers, soldiers, pilots, salesmen, and small business owners are all examples of fathers that work long hours. Are they acceptable fathers?

[AngieMom57]

A song for father's day...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPb1blcFtTQ

[brooklyncitizen]

Brad Pitt ? Really? He doesn't seem to be a father by choice...this may not be a fair or accurate read but he did leave one woman to pursue another woman who had already adopted one child and had long declared her intentions of having a brood of kids.....it always seems like he is just a prop or a wardrobe accessory. Could be wrong.

[jacofhearts]

Brad Pitt REALLY? He's been a father for 4 years... how can you even put him near the same category as newman and redford?

[Mattie]

My husband has been a father for 24 years, and he's the best. He may not be a Newman or a Redford, but he couldn't be a better father, husband or provider. He's a machinest not an actor, no one knows him, other than friends or family, but believe me, he's right up there, Brad Pitt couldn't even come close.

[curiousasheck]

Why do mega wealthy celebs always have to be role models?

[ObamAtomic]

McCain or Newt are not on the list! How is that possible?,lol
haha!