He asked ‘Won’t you be my neighbor?’ Now, he’ll help you stay in touch with neighbors

In a move sure to make Mr. McFeely smile, the U.S. Postal Service announced it is releasing a stamp commemorating the 50th anniversary of “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

The USPS provided a sneak preview of some its 2018 stamps, with Fred Rogers — complete with iconic red cardigan and puppet King Friday XIII — featured prominently.

“Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” ran from 1968 to 2001, where the beloved host asked viewers “won’t you be my neighbor,” took them on trips to the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, and showered them with advice and encouragement for dealing with life’s many challenges. Rogers, a Presbyterian minister, died at age 74 on Feb. 27, 2003.

Of the 21 designs released by the USPS on Tuesday, three other people will be honored posthumously.

▪  Lena Horne: The award-winning singer, actress and activist had a career that spanned 70 years. She was 92 when she died in 2010.

▪  John Lennon: The Beatles founder and activist was shot to death in 1980. He was 40.

▪  Sally Ride: The physicist and astronaut was the first U.S. woman in space in 1983. She died in 2012 at the age of 61.

Other notable designs pay tribute to the Year of the Dog in the Lunar New Year series and the 200th anniversary of Illinois’ statehood.

This story was originally published December 13, 2017 at 3:20 PM with the headline "He asked ‘Won’t you be my neighbor?’ Now, he’ll help you stay in touch with neighbors."