Robert Thomson, host of PBS' 'Victory Garden'
Hyfler/Rosner
<boston herald>
Robert "Bob" Thomson of Danvers, longtime host of the PBS television series
"The Victory Garden," died Thursday. He was 74.
Born in Salem, he was raised in Lynn. He graduated from Lynn English High
School in 1946 and was inducted into the high school's Hall of Fame in 1999.
Mr. Thomson later moved to Danvers where he remained a resident for more
than 40 years.
Mr. Thomson served in the Army with the Security Agency during the Korean
War.
After his military service, he opened Thomson's Nursery and Garden Center in
Danvers. He ran that business for 35 years.
An avid gardener and acclaimed green thumb, Mr. Thomson was best known as
the host of the PBS television series "The Victory Garden." During his 12
years with the program, he brought his passion for gardening to millions of
people, often traveling throughout the United States as well as Canada,
Costa Rica, England and Holland to capture lush footage of gardens around
the world.
He also hosted the "At Your Service" and "Tips from Thomson" radio shows on
Boston's WEEI-AM for 32 years. He wrote a weekly gardening column for the
Boston Herald for a number of years and wrote two books on his favorite
subject, "The New Victory Garden" and "The Victory Garden Vegetable Alphabet
Book."
Mr. Thomson was a member of Rotary International and president of the
Danvers chapter from 1964 to 1965. He was the two-time recipient of that
organization's prestigious Paul Harris Fellow award. He was a member of the
board of directors of the Danvers YMCA from 1958 to 1999, where he was
president for six years, and vice president of the New England area YMCA
from 1964 to 1970.
He was a member of the Danvers Conservation Commission for 11 years and
served as the chairman from 1978 to 1981. He also served on the board of
directors for the Essex County Agricultural Society from 1969 to 1973.
Mr. Thomson was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from the Danvers
Junior Chamber of Commerce in 1956 and was later named Danvers Citizen of
the Year in 1973 by the Danvers Community Council. He was honored by the
American Horticultural Society in 1989, receiving their Horticultural
Communications Award.
Mr. Thomson is survived by his wife, Helen "Betty" (Riley); two sons, Robert
Scott of Beverly and David of Danvers; a daughter, Kathy Champlain of
Middleton; nine grandchildren, two nieces; and two nephews.
A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. today at the Calvary Episcopal
Church, Danvers.
Burial will be in the Puritan Lawn Memorial Park, Peabody.
Cpl. O'Reilly
<rel...@rcn.com> wrote:
> Robert "Bob" Thomson of Danvers, longtime host of the PBS television series
> "The Victory Garden," died Thursday. He was 74.
He's at least the second host to die during the run of the program. It
was originally called Crockett's Victory Garden, after its creator
first host. Must have been 1972 or so. The show came out of WGBH in
Boston, and the garden was off in a corner of the parking lot.
EvelynMcH
Wonder if he's being planted in a raised bed.....
-=>epm<=-
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