Vancouver's First TV Weatherman Passes

Stories and info about those no longer involved in the industry

Postby Jack Bennest » Tue Jun 06, 2006 8:18 am

Bob Fortune - CKMO Vancouver late 1940s; CKWX Vancouver late 40s; CBUT Vancouver weatherman 1954-75; host Pacific 13 CBUT Vancouver 1956-57; host TV series Pleasure Boating 1959; host outdoor program Klahanie CBC-TV Vancouver 1967-72; host Hourglass CBC-TV Vancouver 1970s; host The Inventors CBC-TV Vancouver 1979
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Postby Jack Bennest » Tue Jun 06, 2006 10:27 am

this in from roses

I heard it on "Canada Now", a.k.a. The 6 o'clock News, on Monday. I
believe he was 81. But they didn't say what he died of.
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Postby Jack Bennest » Wed Jun 07, 2006 8:57 pm

thanks to roses we scooped the world on bob's demise

here is the official announcement...


thanks to Gord Lansdell

VANCOUVER's FIRST TV WEATHERMAN

am sorry to be the bearer of the sad news that Robert (Bob) Fortune passed away on June 3, 2006. Although it was the name by which most of us knew him, Robert said in a bio written for CBC in the 1970's that he "never did like Bob". He was born in Chase, B.C. and began his broadcasting career in the late 1940's, first with radio station CKMO Vancouver and then with CKWX Vancouver. From 1954 to 1975, Bob was Weatherman for CBUT Vancouver and those who remember him also remember that he never appeared on those broadcasts without his signature bow tie. Bob was also known for his very soft and mellow voice which necessitated creation of a special wire neck attachment to lift his microphone up off his chest and closer to his mouth. In addition to being the station's Weatherman, he hosted a number of television series including Pacific 13 in 1956/57, Pleasure Boating in 1959, Klahanie from 1967 to 1972, Hourglass in the 1970's and The Inventors in 1979. In his CBC bio, quoted by his family in the posted obituary, Bob wrote that he had "paused to split shakes, probe stars, write (you need a soft cushion), build boats, invent things, sail the oceans, watch barnacles, introduce kids to the magic of the sky, fly in it, carve wood, sweep up, practice Chinese calligraphy (never in the presence of the Chinese), grapple with philosophy, Love the world. * Left handed weatherman.". For the last thirteen years of his life, Bob lived on Hornby Island, British Columbia. He is survived by his wife Ruth, children Mark (Abby) and Elisa (Roy), and grandchildren Jasper, Geordie, Megan and William. He was 81 years of age.
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