Dick Button - In Person by Edward Z. Epstein
1-31-25
DICK BUTTON: IN PERSON
by EDWARD Z. EPSTEIN
To see him skate, in person, in his prime, was, literally, an unforgettable experience.
He’d already won an unprecedented number of gold medals in competition, including two consecutive Olympics, five World championships, and seven United States championships, when he turned pro and would be the star attraction, in New York, at Ice Capades.
He practiced at the Iceland Rink, in the building that housed Madison Square Garden, located at Eighth Avenue and 50th Street. It was home of the renowned New York Figure Skating Club, where Carol Heiss, along with her brother Bruce and sister Nancy, also trained, under the watchful eye of their mother, a charmer in her own right.
Fred Grumann’s Skate Shop, on the premises and frequented by all, featured photographs, lining the walls, of the all-time great skaters from all over the world. Dick’s were prominently featured, of course, along with champions that had preceded him long ago, male and female, including Sonja Henie.
To be on the ice at one of Iceland’s free skating sessions, if Dick or the Heiss family – or both! -- were skating, meant that one would choose to simply skate to the barrier and watch these charismatic skaters do their thing. There would be times when Dick himself stood at the barrier, observing his friends go through their paces, any comments he might offer gratefully accepted.
Dick was unique – his jumps were incredible, his delayed axel seemed to take him from one end of the rink to the other, perfect landing, seemingly effortless (for anyone trying it, it was anything but effortless). His split jump, at its peak, seemed to touch the ceiling (and it was a high ceiling).
He was the first to jump a double-axel in competition; he’d invented the triple jump!
It was rare for a male skater to also have dazzling spins; Dick had them (he invented the flying-camel). Those who had had to compete against him must have thought, at times, that if they skated their very best, and were lucky, they might place second.
In addition to everything else, Dick was acknowledged by one and all to be “a genuinely nice guy,” and “a great friend.”
That he went on to enjoy a distinguished broadcasting career – he won an Emmy, was inducted into the Sports Broadcasters Hall of Fame, among other honors -- was no surprise; the drive, focus, determination and talent that had characterized his skating was applied to his many endeavors off the ice.
Arthur Freed, renowned producer of many of the great, classic MGM musicals, told a colleague joining The Freed Unit: “It’s a tough business, kid. To be successful, you have to have great instincts, the courage to follow through on them, and the strength to hold on no matter what.”
Dick fit the bill. In addition to his broadcasting success, he formed a thriving production company, and was recognized as an authority on gardening and the decorative arts.
“Dick is a survivor,” observed Joe Marshall, “he has always known how to get things done.”
A survivor he was, living to the age of ninety-five.
He was a family man, devoted to his son, Edward, and daughter, Emily. Longtime, loyal friend Aja Zanova Steindler (also a former champion skater-turned-successful business woman) summed it all up when she once told me: “Dick is one of a kind, dear. There will never be another Dick Button!”
Edward Z. Epstein’s latest book is “FRANK
& MARILYN: The fascinating Lives and
Loves of Frank Sinatra and Marilyn Monroe,”
published by Post Hill Press, distributed by
Simon & Schuster.
