ink ley . ▁ ▁In ▁July ▁ 1 9 8 8 ▁the ▁Museum ▁of ▁Broadcast ing ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁set ▁aside ▁two ▁night s ▁to ▁honor ▁Don ▁Br ink ley ▁with ▁a ▁ret ros pective ▁of ▁his ▁career ▁in ▁television . ▁ ▁In ▁his ▁speech ▁to ▁the ▁Museum ' s ▁audience , ▁Don ▁stated ▁that ▁after ▁almost ▁fifty ▁years ▁as ▁a ▁writer / produ cer , ▁" I ' ve ▁already ▁become ▁what ▁I ' m ▁going ▁to ▁be ". ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁ ▁Don ▁Br ink ley ▁knew ▁what ▁he ▁was ▁going ▁to ▁be ▁when ▁he ▁was ▁in ▁his ▁te ens , ▁growing ▁up ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City . ▁ ▁While ▁still ▁in ▁High ▁School ▁and ▁in ▁his ▁colleg iate ▁years ▁at ▁Hof stra ▁College , ▁he ▁began ▁writing ▁and ▁s elling ▁radio ▁scripts ▁to ▁the ▁major ▁networks . ▁ ▁During ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁he ▁served ▁as ▁a ▁medic ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁Army . ▁ ▁Family ▁Don ▁married ▁Mar jor ie ▁M . ▁Bow ling ▁months ▁later , ▁and ▁he ▁leg ally ▁adopted ▁her ▁children , ▁Christ ie ▁and ▁Gregory . ▁They ▁refer ▁to ▁him ▁as ▁their ▁" father " ▁and ▁not ▁" step - father ." ▁ ▁The ▁day ▁after ▁Don ▁died , ▁Mar jor ie ▁had ▁a ▁stroke , ▁heart ▁attack ▁and ▁died ▁only ▁seven ▁weeks ▁later ▁on ▁September ▁ 9 . ▁ ▁Christ ie ▁said ▁her ▁mother ▁died ▁of ▁a ▁broken ▁heart ▁after ▁fifty - five ▁years ▁of ▁a ▁happy ▁marriage . ▁▁▁▁▁▁ ▁Br ink ley ▁was ▁also ▁a