A friend I met too late.

• Author: Peters, Charles
• Position: Tilting at windmills - Edward V. Dorsey - Obituary - Brief article

Having recently become an octogenarian, I have to confess that I scan each day's obituaries for evidence of those who have managed to live longer. In the process, I occasionally learn about people I realize I would have liked to know. I recognized one the moment read the headline over his obituary: "Edward V. Dorsey, 82; Preached the Word and Hayed the Ponies." Dorsey, a Marylander, received early education in the sport of kings from his uncle, who was a professional gambler, and there were tracks at Bowie and Pimlico and Havre de Grace, where he could have honed his skills as a youthful bettor. After serving in the Army in World War H, earning a Bronze Star and Purple Heart during the Battle of the Bulge, he became a postmaster in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. A devoted Democrat, he drank Heineken beer because it was said to be John F. Kennedy's...