Will Desmond

Will Desmond
Born	Marion Wilbur Cosby February 26, 1919 Portland, Oregon
Died	September 12, 1989 (age 70)

Will "Dez" Desmond (1919-1989) was a professional magician who had billed himself as "The Cosmopolitan Conjurer," "The Daffy Diplomat," "The Elegant Scoundrel," and "Klinker the Clown."

Biography

As a child, he had very poor eyesight, and was even declared legally blind by his doctor. After discovering magic books at the local library at the age of 8, he started performing shows locally by the time he was in high school. After his graduation, he turn professional and worked for a time with a club date act in San Francisco. He would move to Hollywood and become a fixture in the Los Angeles area magic scene. He helped popularize the Zombie with original moves he developed while working at Bert Wheeler's Hollywood Magic Shop.

After the war, Desmond returned to the Pacific Northwest, and began performing his club act again from coast to coast. He spent several years in Chicago before finally returning to Portland in 1960 where he was an active member of S.A.M. Portland Assembly #59.

Desmond was 70 years old when he worked his last show on a Saturday before his heart gave out the following Tuesday and died.