I'm sad to hear that an old friend from long ago died this weekend.
San Francisco TV newsman Pete Wilson died during hip replacement surgery. Pete and I started our TV news careers at WTMJ Milwaukee in the early 70s. I don't think I had any contact with him since I left that station in 1976. But upon hearing of his death, I sense his aura as if we were still working together. One observer yesterday wrote that he was one of those people who took over a room as soon as he entered. True - usually because he barged in like a bull running Pamplona.
But a San Francisco Chronicle obit reminded me of his style - a style he was honing when I worked with him more than 30 years ago. The obit read, in part:
"Other news anchors read the news. Wilson instructed you. He gave you the impression he had some things to tell you, and you'd be wise to sit up, pipe down and pay attention. And, if it was one of those stories that piqued his ever-vigilant sense of outrage, there was likely to be eye-rolling, deep sighs, and even some head-shaking at the ridiculousness of it all."
News stories mentioned how Pete had expressed some anxiety on the eve of this, his second hip replacement. KGO radio, for whom he hosted a talk show, has posted a clip from his last program last week. It's a haunting clip in which he expresses his anxiety over the pending surgery. But in it I hear the same old Wilson style - the twinkle, the humor, the engaging voice - that I knew as a fledgling reporter.
Pete, I'm sorry that I didn't stay in touch through the years. Your passing makes me feel old and vulnerable. You were one of the really good guys in the business.
Posted by schwitz at July 24, 2007 10:11 AM | TrackBack