RIP Ida Clarkson

Stories and info about those no longer involved in the industry

RIP Ida Clarkson

Postby Jack Bennest » Mon Jul 16, 2012 8:06 am

Ida Clarkson died in the midst of an intense thunder and lightning storm early Friday. It was a fitting exit for a woman who lived a spectacular life, said Clarkson’s daughter, Chris McLaren.


“She was sharp, she was cool, she kept herself young and vital until the end,” McLaren said.


Clarkson died of lung cancer at age 85. She was best known by the community as a veteran radio and television broadcaster.


“She was an incredibly warm individual. The way she was on her program was the way she was in life,” McLaren said.


Clarkson’s career was launched when she was hired as a creative writer for CJVI Radio in 1946. She advanced in the station but took a hiatus in 1951 to raise a family. Her husband, Vince Clarkson, died in 1980 of lung cancer, McLaren said.


Clarkson returned to broadcast in 1961 with a job at CHEK Television, where her career would span 30 years.


“She loved [broadcast], she loved the medium and her career,” McLaren said.


She joined CHEK as a copy editor and later became the host of a live daily show. The show evolved into the Ida Clarkson Show — a platform to showcase local community groups and artists.


McLaren said though her mother had a successful career, her commitment to family was unmatched.


“She passed in the same way she lived her life — with dignity, beauty and grace,” she said. “She was a wonderful mother.”


Bruce Kirkpatrick of CHEK News remembers Clarkson from his first days at the station, almost 40 years ago.


“She once told me, ‘Don’t force the camera, don’t force the mike, just be natural,’ ” he said. “And she was.”


One part of her legacy benefits future broadcasters in Victoria, through a Camosun College scholarship established in her name. It’s designed to help under-represented groups in the industry — fitting Clarkson’s own history.


Clarkson started in broadcast journalism when it was a man’s domain, Kirkpatrick said.


“She meant a lot for women in broadcasting in Victoria,” he said.


“She was focused, she knew what direction she was going in and was never one to waffle.”


Nicknamed the first lady of television, Clarkson had a gentle personality to match her professional capabilities, he said.


“She was very trusting and understanding, she didn’t panic.”


In addition to McLaren, Clarkson leaves behind her daughters Cathy Lavoie and Paula Smith as well as four grandchildren and one great-grandchild. The tight-knit family all live in Victoria.


cclancy@timescolonist.com


Read more: http://www.timescolonist.com/
User avatar
Jack Bennest
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 4471
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 9:25 pm

Re: RIP Ida Clarkson

Postby Victoriaradio » Mon Jul 16, 2012 1:38 pm

Ida Clarkson will be remembered from her earliest days in radio at CJVI when she "Read the Funnies" on the radio. She simply read the Daily Colonist comic pages on the weekend to her young audience. Sometimes she was assisted by Dick Batey.
User avatar
Victoriaradio
Advanced Member
 
Posts: 125
Joined: Sun May 14, 2006 6:38 pm
Location: Vancouver, B.C.


Return to Radio People History

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 103 guests