Beloved Actor Spent Childhood in Oneonta

LOS ANGELES—Actor Paul Reubens, best known for his beloved “Pee-wee Herman” character, passed away in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 30. Born in Peekskill, New York, Reubens spent much of his early childhood in Oneonta before moving to Sarasota, Florida for high school. His father was a fighter pilot who saw combat with the Royal Air Force and U.S. Army Air Forces during WWII, and with the Israeli Air Force in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Reubens’ sister, Abby Rubenfeld, born in Oneonta, was the first woman to serve as class president at Princeton University. Rubenfeld was also an early legal director at the Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund, which is now the largest LGBTQ legal advocacy firm in the U.S.

The Pee-wee character became a cult figure in the 1980s, starring in the smash hit movie “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure” (1985) and the CBS Saturday morning children’s show “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” (1986-1990). Reubens did all public appearances and interviews in character during this period. Negative media attention following an arrest for public indecency in 1991 postponed his involvement in major projects for the next decade, but he returned to movies and television in the 2000s. His character remains a cultural icon and a strong point of nostalgia for many older Millennials and younger Gen X-ers.

“Please accept my apology for not going public with what I’ve been facing the last six years,” Reubens said in a statement released after his death from an undisclosed cancer diagnosis. “I have always felt a huge amount of love and respect from my friends, fans, and supporters. I have loved you all so much and enjoyed making art for you.”