World AIDS Day: Remembering Don Havens and the 36.3 million others we’ve lost to HIV.

This is Don’s obiturary from the Hollywood trade magazine, Daily Variety:

“Donald M. Havens, a television commercial producer, died of AIDS complications on June 19 in Las Vegas. He was 43.

“A native of Alexandria, Va., Havens entered the broadcast industry in 1971 when he joined CBS Television Network in L.A. During his tenure at CBS, he served as a production supervisor/line producer for CBS Sports.

“Havens also worked as a unit manager for many productions including The Price Is Right, The Carol Burnett Show, and numerous Emmy Awards telecasts.

“In 1979, he went into partnership with Stephen Brockelman, forming Windsor Communications Co. in L.A. Accounts under his aegis included Tandem Prods., TAT Communications, Complete Post, Unitel Video, ABC TV, and People for the American Way.

“Havens segued to Ogilvy & Mather in 1984, serving as manager of broadcast business affairs. He later worked for several advertising firms including WB Doner Advertising, Bozell, and Young & Rubicam. Recently, Havens freelanced for Buena Vista Home Video, producing the television campaign for the homevideo release of Disney’s 101 Dalmatians. He also freelanced for Asher/Gould Advertising in L.A.

“He is survived by a brother [Barry Havens] and sister-in-law [Mary Bess Dunn], a niece [Christine Havens], and his companion and partner of 14 years, Stephen Brockelman. Donations may be made to AIDS Project Los Angeles.”

Donald MacIntosh Havens, Alexandria, VA. With his birthday pony.

By Stephen Brockelman

As a Sr. Writer at T. Rowe Price, I work with a group of the best copywriters around. We belong to the broader creative team within Enterprise Creative, a part of Corporate Marketing Services. _____________________________________________ A long and winding road: My path to T. Rowe Price was more twisted than Fidelity’s green line. With scholarship in hand, I left Kansas at 18 to study theatre in New York. When my soap opera paychecks stopped coming from CBS and started coming from the show’s sponsor, Proctor & Gamble, I discovered the power of advertising and switched careers. Over the years I’ve owned an ad agency in San Francisco; worked for Norman Lear on All in the Family, Good Times, Sanford and Son, and the rest of his hit shows; and as a member of Directors Guild of America, I directed Desi Arnaz in his last television appearance— we remained friends until his death. In 1988 I began freelancing full time didn’t look back. In January 2012 my rep at Boss Group called and said, “I know you don’t want to commute and writing for the financial industry isn’t high on your wish list, but I have a gig with T. Rowe Price in Owings Mills…” I was a contractor for eight months, drank the corporate Kool-Aid, became a TRP associate that August, and today I find myself smiling more often than not.

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