Joe Louis

:For the dessert cake, see Jos. Louis

Retirement and later life

A few years after his retirement, a movie about his life, The Joe Louis Story, was filmed in Hollywood. Louis remained a popular celebrity until his twilight years, when he began suffering various illnesses (Pugilistic Parkinson's syndrome) and ran out of money. It was in the late 1960s that Louis also became addicted to cocaine. He began suffering from paranoia and delusions. His wife was forced to have him committed to a Denver mental hospital in 1970. Louis was eventually able to overcome his addiction. In his later years, he got a job welcoming tourists to the Caesar's Palace hotel in Las Vegas, where many world boxing champions and legends from other walks of life, including old rival Max Schmeling, would visit him. In fact, they became close personal friends over the years, and the compassionate Schmeling would often send him money. They remained friends until his death, when Schmeling paid for the funeral and was one of the pallbearers. Louis also became close friends with Billy Conn. After Louis's death, Conn wrote an article in Reader's Digest magazine called "Unforgettable Joe Louis". He recalled their classic fight and how close he came to defeating Louis. He ended the article with the words, "I was proud to have fought him and prouder still to have been his friend". Max Schmeling was especially heartbroken by Louis's death until his own in 2005. Someone once asked Max on his 90th birthday if he had any regrets. "I only have one" he replied "I regret Joe isn't still alive and we were still friends".

Related Topics:
Hollywood - Pugilistic Parkinson's syndrome - Caesar's Palace - Las Vegas - Max Schmeling

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Joe Louis died of a heart attack in 1981. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. His life and his achievements prompted famed New York sportswriter Jimmy Cannon to write, "Joe Louis is a credit to his race - the human race."

Related Topics:
Heart attack - Arlington National Cemetery - Arlington, Virginia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He has a sports complex named after him in Detroit, the Joe Louis Arena, where the Detroit Red Wings play their NHL games. A memorial to Louis was dedicated in Detroit (at Jefferson Avenue & Woodward) on October 16, 1986. The sculpture, commissioned by Time, Inc. and executed by Robert Graham, is a 24-foot long arm with a fisted hand suspended by a 24-foot high pyramidal framework. It represents the power of his punch both inside and outside the ring. On March 25, 2004, two men, Brett Cashman and John T. White, pleaded guilty on charges of defacing the monument. They had allegedly covered it with white paint on February 23 of that year.

Related Topics:
Joe Louis Arena - Detroit Red Wings - NHL - October 16 - 1986 - Time, Inc. - Robert Graham - March 25 - 2004 - February 23

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Louis was named by Ring Magazine's as boxing's number one puncher in history in 2003. He was also named as the magazine's fighter of the year on four occasions, bettered only by Muhammad Ali's five awards.

Related Topics:
Ring Magazine - 2003 - Fighter of the year - Muhammad Ali

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Louis is a member of the International Boxing Hall Of Fame, and will always remain there as one of the best.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~