A Note from Woody's daughter

Cindy, Woody and Penny

Dad passed away suddenly and unexpectedly on Feb. 11th here in our home while visiting with us since Christmas.  He was happy to be back in his element as he was working around the events of the Super Bowl. I am absolutely heartbroken, but so thankful and blessed for the time we were able to spend together, and that God allowed him to be with us when He decided to call him home. 

While here, Dad told us that he had joined the Catholic Church and attended Mass at a local church here.  We have arranged to have a Memorial Mass for him on Saturday, March 10th at 12pm at The Shrine of the Little Flower located at 2100 W. 12 Mile Rd.  Royal Oak, MI 48073  There will be an opportunity to visit with the family in the church 30 min.prior to the service. 

Gail Gotthelf has graciously offered her home for a reception immediately following.  Her home is located at 20105 N. Greenway St.  Southfield, MI  48076

There will also be a gathering at his favorite watering hole, The Inn Place 917 N. Main St.  Royal Oak, MI  48076 and I will keep you updated on this.  I have created an "event" on his FaceBook page and plan to get his Obit in the Detroit Free Press this week. 

Dad will later be buried next to his parents, where he grew up in the Heart of the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia.  Greenhill Cemetary in Churchville, Virginia.  Arrangements with St. Paul's United Methodist Church still need to be finalized. 

Please feel free to forward this information and also contact me with any questions or comments.

Paul and Penny Robertson Buechter  4464 Diamond Ridge  Greenwood, IN  46143 

 pbuechter@comcast.net

He leaves behind three grandchildren, Christopher Buechter, Caleb and Elizabeth Heck, and my sister, Cindy Heck (div.).

Thank You,

Penny

Woody Robertson Update

Tammy Gagon informs me that Woody Robertson's daughter, Penny has posted the following on Woody's Facebook page:

The family of Woody Robertson invite you to join us on Sat. March 10th at 12p for a Memorial Mass at Shrine of the Little Flower located at 2100 W. 12 Mile Rd. Royal Oak, MI 48973. There will be an opportunity to visit with the family at the church 30min prior to the service. Gail Gotthelf has graciously opened her home for a reception immediately following at 20105 N. Greenway St. Southfield. MI 48076

-Lee

Thurmont and Woody

As I mentioned on this site after Chuck Langdon and I completed the OUT OF THE PAST show featuring the WTOP reunion in Thurmont and an interview with Woody Robertson and Tammy Gagnon concerning their plans to make a "movie for TV" about child abuse, Woody suffered a fatal heart attack.

I am in the process of re-editing the closing credits of that show to reflect Woody's passing.

I though you'd like to see what the new closing is like.

-Lee

Woody Robertson Passes

Woody Robertson 1933 - 2012

Our friend and long time Ranger Hal director, Woody Robertson died Saturday in Indianapolis of a heart attack.
He was staying with his daughter in Indianapolis while filming features for the Super Bowl.

Rest in Peace, Woody.
-Lee

Here is the announcement as reported in Daves Hugh's DCRTV website:

Three-time Emmy winner, TV/film director and producer Woody Robertson, who got his start at Channel-9 Broadcast House in the 1960s, died of a heart attack Saturday. During his time at WTOP-TV, Woody was perhaps best known for directing the "Ranger Hal" show. Over the decades, he produced and/or directed programming for the Olympics (for which he shared an Olympic medal), news and sports at different times for ABC, BBC, CBC, CBS, NBC, and ESPN, as well as entertainment extravaganzas for Elton John, LeAnn Rimes, and Reba McEntire, among others. He was 78.

Woody with daughters Cindy (L) and Penny

"Rosie"

Woody with grandson Chistopher  (Penny's son)

Kevin Rafferty Dies

This is from the Washington Post, January 4, 2012


KEVIN RAFFERTY


On Saturday, December 31, 2011, of California, MD formerly of Silver Spring, MD. Beloved husband of the late Ingeborg Franz Rafferty; father of Eileen Ligday, Ingrid Rafferty and the late Kevin C. Rafferty, grandfather of Megan and Katie Ligday.

Kevin at WTOP-TV 1955

Relatives and friends may call at Collins Funeral Home, 500 University Boulevard, West, Silver Spring, MD, (Valet Parking), Friday, January 13, 3 to 5 and 7 to 9 p.m. Mass of Christian Burial at Our Lady of Grace Church, 15661 Norbeck Blvd, Silver Spring, MD, on Saturday, January 14 at 10:30 a.m.

Interment Gate of Heaven Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, 29449 Charlotte Hall Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622 www.charhall.org or to Hospice of St. Mary’s, P.O. Box 625, Leonardtown, MD 20650 www.hospiceofstmarys.org.

Thurmont on the Air

Chuck Langdon and I produced a feature out of the WTOP 25th reunion at Thurmont last October on our OUT OF THE PAST show which airs throughout much of Virginia via Fairfax Cable TV.

Also featured on the half hour show is Woody Robertson discussing his upcoming project with Tammy Gagnon, author of NO LONGER SILENT.  The subject is a bit heavy...but combined with the levity of our Thurmont reunion, it's a pretty well-ballanced show.

Enjoy!

-Lee

Claire Beach Obit from 1977

How Sad!
Our thanks to Bob Bell for finding this. -Lee

Thurmont 2011 Video

Thanks to our friend Richard Webb here's video from our Thurmont Luncheon last October.

Enjoy!

-Lee

Don Richards on OUT OF THE PAST

Chuck Langdon and I interviewed Don Richards for Fairfax Cable TV a few weeks ago and our brilliant video editor, Bob Bell has finished putting the final touches on the production.

So here is the show we did with our own incomparable, one and only
DON RICHARDS.

After you watch the show, be sure to scroll down and see more pictures from our THURMONT  2011 Luncheon.

Enjoy!    -Lee


Don Richards - Out of the Past - 2011 from Chuck Langdon on Vimeo.

More Thurmont 2011 Pictures

Doris Fausey

These photos I lifted from the video that our friend Richard Webb took at our Thurmont event in October of this year.

Soon I'll post some of his video on this site....Stay tuned!

-Lee

(See Tom Buckley's snapshots of the event HERE)

Paul Montebovi

Emil Franks and Stan Guttenberg

James Snyder

Tom Buckley

Dave French

Jim Miche

Steve King

Frank LaTore

Emil Franks

Gene Beale

Bill Calder

Frank McDermott

Jim Taylor

Jim Hargreaves

James O'Neal

Woody Robertson

Robert Pierpoint Passes

Robert Pierpoint, who covered the Korean War, the Kennedy assassination, Watergate and six Presidents over a 40-year career at CBS News, died Saturday from complications of hip surgery. He was 86.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2011/10/24/2011-10-24_robert_pierpoint_one_of_lastsurviving_murrow_boys_longtime_cbs_investigative_rep.html#ixzz1bvoGiuSc

An Oldie, but Goodie

An otherwise sane friend of mine, who was also a “teen age DJ” invited me over to his house last week to show me the project he just completed.

That's where the otherwise.......part of that sentence comes in.

He built an almost exact replica of the radio station where he once spun Patti Page and Eddie Arnold records...

complete with a working transmitter....in his basement!

This story borders on the unbelievable, especially when you realize that the original station went on the air in 1947 or '48 and almost all of the electronic equipment, which he personally restored,  is from that era.

Photo from 1940's newspaper

But, he did it.

I know. I saw it.

The original station was in the midwest, and it's still there,

but my friend's brand new version is at the end of a cul de sac a few blocks from my house in a quiet Virginia neighborhood.

2011 Restored version

Restored Radio  Station Clock of the '40's and 50's

Vintage 1940's phone

Studio B complete with organ

Fully restored AP news ticker

A lot of my retired friends play golf.....

.......but only one, as far as I know,  plays "radio station."

I think I'll give Robert Ripley a call.

-Lee

(Note to the FCC.  The transmitter works perfectly, but is attached to a "dummy load" preventing it from going out over the airwaves.)

From 1953....(thanks to our friend Bob Bell!)

Thurmont 2011 a Big Success!

A great time was had by all!

40 chronologically gifted ex staff members and friends of one of the great radio and TV stations, WTOP, met for the 25th annual luncheon at the COZY INN in Thurmont, MD to celebrate those exciting days of yesteryear!

Woody Robertson traveled the longest distance to be with us. He flew from his home in Detroit, MI and he brought with him Tammy Gagnon, the author of No Longer Silent whose book his production company is in the process of turning into a made for TV movie.

According to my calculations, we could all have flown to Detroit in less time than it took most of us to drive to Thurmont,,,,Another of our favorite celebrity graduates, Bill Diehl of ABC news was going to come down until he discovered that you can't get to Thurmont from New York. If the traffic gets any worse, we'll all have to do like the Presidents have been doing for years......arrive by helicopter.

Mark Shaw, Ranger Hal's youngest son was there with his wife Marie. Mark will be retiring soon and moving to Chapel Hill, NC, where Hal honed his acting skills with such classmates as Andy Griffith and others. One of Mark's many talents is automobile restoration.  It also happens to be Marie's as well and they plan to continue that hobby/business in North Carolina. They became grandparents 2 months ago......!!
Chuck Langdon and I interviewed Mark on our OUT OF THE PAST show on Farfax Cable a couple of weeks ago....and when we've finished editing the program, I'll post it here on this website.  We also recently did another show with Don Richards as our guest....and I'll post that one here as well.

Soon you will be seeing more and more pictures of the 2011 Thurmont event.....showing up on this site...as the attendees with cameras begin emailing their snapshots to this site.  (shephard@gmail.com)

Our friend and official videographer, Richard Webb, was there shooting video of the festivities....so very soon now....I'll post video of the luncheon here on the website.

Also, a reminder a number of WTOPers have been interviewed by Chuck Langdon and me on Fairfax Cable TV.  You can see these interviews and more at OUT OF THE PAST.

These photos were all taken by the amazing Tom Buckley.  I'll put names with these pictures .....as time allows......


Thanks Tom.


Stay tuned everybody.......and Enjoy!        -Lee

-Lee

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