Bobby Nelson, first local TV personality in Green Bay, 82
KingDaevid
apparently an error on my part...
http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=8391095 (video report at the
page)
Local TV Legend Bobby Nelson Passes Away
By Jeff Alexander
It's sad news to pass along. Bobby Nelson, one of the true pioneers of
WBAY-TV, passed away at the age of 82.
When WBAY aired its first live television program in 1953, it was a
weather show with Bobby Nelson. He was 26 years old, stood five-and-a-
half feet tall, and had a crew cut which he kept for many years.
"I really enjoyed working with him. There wasn't a bad bone in his
body. Good man," long-time WBAY news anchor Chuck Ramsay said.
Ramsay worked with Nelson for more than two decades. He said for many
years Nelson was the identity of WBAY.
"I think about Bobby Nelson and just the words 'Bobby Nelson,' and you
have to smile because that's the kind of guy he was. His personality
just overwhelmed people, and that was the secret to his success, not
only on television but as a man and a father, I'm sure. I know his
kids loved him, and you could not help but love Bobby Nelson."
Ramsay says there was just something about Nelson that made him
everyone's favorite guy on the magic tube in the 50s, 60s and 70s.
"Could have been his size. He wasn't a very big man but he didn't have
to be. I mean, just a very unique, very unique man."
Nelson's playful humor made him a natural for sponsors. He did many
commercials and he had a flair for entertaining.
Remember the WBAY raft contest? Viewers would guess when the frozen
Fox River would thaw enough for the raft to hit the Main Street
Bridge. Nelson was involved in that, too.
But Bobby Nelson will always be remembered the most for being WBAY's
first weatherman.
"And he wasn't afraid to admit that he blew one," Ramsay recalled.
"He'd say, 'Well, partly cloudy tomorrow,' and the next day he'd say,
'Well, you saw my three inches of partly cloudy.' He wasn't afraid to
make fun of himself."
In 1982, Bobby Nelson suffered a stroke. His speech was affected, and
so was his arm and leg.
Nelson may have been down but he surely wasn't out. It wasn't long
before he was not only walking and talking but driving again.
He enjoyed retirement and remained a close member of the WBAY family,
often attending the annual WBAY company Christmas party.
"He loved life and he lived life to the fullest, and I know where he
is right now," Ramsay said.
Bobby Nelson... Truly one of a kind...
First on the air and first in our hearts.
http://tinyurl.com/5m3dje (from the Green Bay Press-Gazette)
June 1, 2008
First TV weatherman in Green Bay dies at 82
WBAY's Nelson also hosted shows
By Jeff Ash
ja...@greenbaypressgazette.com
Bobby Nelson, who in 1953 became the Green Bay area's first TV
weatherman and long was one of the area's most beloved broadcasters,
died Friday night from complications of a stroke. He was 82.
Nelson started with WBAY radio in 1949, announcing and writing copy.
He also hosted a noon show until 1953, when he was recruited to work
in a new medium.
Nelson did the weather on WBAY-TV's first live broadcast in 1953.
"The first night we went on the air, the paint was still wet," he told
the Green Bay Press-Gazette's Warren Gerds in 1973.
As "Bunkhouse Bob," Nelson also hosted a variety show that aired live
at 9:30 p.m.
"When I finished the 9:30 p.m. show, I'd tear off the set, call up the
weather bureau, get all the latest information and put it on the board
in time to get it out there (for the news block at 10:15 p.m.),"
Nelson said in 1973.
He did the weather until 1974, when John Chandik was hired as the
station's first meteorologist.
Nelson also hosted "The Noon Show," "Get 2gether," "Cartoon Theatre"
and "The Alvin Styczynski Show."
In the 1973 interview, he recalled some of the drawbacks of live TV.
The quick-witted Nelson usually took those bloopers in stride. While
overseeing a commercial that featured a can of whipped cream, "a gal
blew strawberries right out of the bowl," he said.
"His antics and personality shown through to where everyone knew who
Bobby Nelson was," his daughter, Sarah Anderson, told the Press-
Gazette in 2004. "I really believe that he was a hero to many people
and touched a lot of people that he never knew."
Nelson left the air in 1981 because of a stroke.
He grew up in Green Bay, attending Cathedral School, Catholic Central
High School and graduated from East High School. He served in the Army
during World War II.
Nelson is survived by his wife, Ginny; five daughters; a son; six
stepsons; other family members; and friends. He was preceded in death
by his first wife, Rita, in 1975, and a son, Mark, in 1978.
Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at Proko-Wall Funeral Home, 1630
E. Mason St., Green Bay, then from 10 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at St.
Francis Xavier Church in De Pere. A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. at
the church.
kdm
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peace 'n oranges...