Pink Flamingos lose their flock leader

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– News from elsewhere spotted by Quincy Quarry News.
Whimsey lost a major contributor to kitsch on Monday with the passing of Don Featherstone, the creator of the plastic Pink Flamingo.
Mr. Featherstone, said to be as kind and humble human being as they come, created this iconic plastic ornamental icon in 1957 while working for Union Products Incorporated of Leominster MA.
Feathersone worked for Union for 43 years, where he invented hundreds of items in additional to his signature creation of the Pink Flamingo, eventually became the company’s president before retiring in 1999.
In addition to his creations and accomplishments, Mr. Featherstone was awarded the Ig Noble for Arts in 1996 by The Improbable Research Institute in Cambridge MA.
“Humble” is how Marc Abrahams, editor of The Annals of Improbable Research magazine, recalls Featherstone.
In turn, Mr. Featherstone graciously provided two of his perhaps worldwide known creations to the Museum of Improbable Research.
Mr. Featherstone’s creation is also no stranger to Quincy as flocks of his flamingos have long been available for short term rental placement in the front yards of local residences and at the occasional business to help raise raise money for Senior Night at Quincy High School.
Said Bruce Zarozny, president of the Cado Company and the current maker of Featherstone’s flamingos:  “They say there are more plastic Featherstone flamingos in the world than real flamingos.”
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