BREMERTON — Growing up in rural Ohio, Richard LeMieux didn’t see a homeless person until he was 9 years old when his father took him to Cleveland to see the Indians play Mickey Mantle and the New York Yankees.

As they approached Cleveland Stadium, a man sitting on a bench wearing an old coat and hat stopped them to chat. They came to learn he slept under the eaves of the stadium at night because no one bothered him there. He asked LeMieux’s father if he could help.

His father dug into his pocket and pulled out about a dollar in change. That’s almost $9 today when adjusted for inflation.

They continued walking toward the stadium and LeMieux asked his father if the man was a “bum.”

“Son, don’t call him that,” LeMieux’s father said. “He’s just a man who’s down on his luck.”

Fifty years later, LeMieux was down on his luck too, begging for money outside of grocery stores in Kitsap County.

He’d built a fortune as a publisher — he said he had $180,000 in his checking account, at one point — and then lost it all when the Internet gained prominence.

His fall from luxury — and his trials as a homeless man — were famously chronicled in his 2008 memoir “Breakfast at Sally’s.”

LeMieux spoke to a room of about 15 people at Kitsap Regional Library in Bremerton on July 25.

He provided background to sections of his book and told stories of his dog Willow, who was at his side for the two years he spent homeless.

He also reconnected with a person from his past named Michael Stevanus.

Stevanus is an Army veteran who spent the better part of eight years homeless following his medical discharge in 2006.

“Everything he’s been through I went through on these very streets,” Stevanus said. “When I met him I realized I wasn’t alone. He’s given me strength.”

Stevanus said he’s finally been approved for veterans benefits and he even has a fiance.

“We all get to a point where we want to give up,” Stevanus said. “Remember, when you’re at your lowest you can only go up.”

LeMieux almost gave up. He was about to take his own life by leaping from the Tacoma Narrows Bridge when he heard Willow barking from inside his van. Concern for her caused him to change his mind.

He’s grateful for all the people who helped him along the way.

“If it weren’t for people reaching into their pocket and helping me I wouldn’t be here today,” LeMieux said. “I would be talking around Pioneer Square.”

Today, LeMieux tells his story to schools. He’s been doing it for about four years and he’s collected about 2,000 letters from students.

“Whenever I get down and start slipping toward depression I get one of these (letters) out,” LeMieux said.

His new role as homeless advocate has given his life substance. He’s thankful for his journey from riches to rags.

“If this hadn’t happened I wouldn’t have accomplished anything meaningful,” LeMieux said.