Joined: Tue Jun 01, 2010 1:12 pm
Posts: 8642
pizza_Place: Passero's
|
Sux. I remember him on ABC mostly. He was doin' it since I was a kid. Kinda hard to believe he was only 66 and still doin' it. Him and Chuck Goudie were Chicago ABC originals. Luckily, I was able to see him on the news a time or two in the last couple years. https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/bre ... l0HwH8nPqs**************** The venerable Chicago newsman and WMAQ-Ch. 5 anchor and reporter Dick Johnson died Tuesday, the NBC station said in an afternoon broadcast.
WMAQ-Ch. 5 co-anchor Marion Brooks tearfully announced Johnson’s death at the start of the 4 p.m. newscast.
“He had every intention of returning to work," Brooks said. "Dick loved his job. He loved telling stories. He loved his co-workers. And most of all, he loved his family.”
In recent days, Johnson, 66, was being treated at a Michigan hospital for complications related to a respiratory condition, his family told the station. His death was not related to the coronavirus.
“He leaves behind his wife and three grown children, as well as his newsroom family and so many in the journalism field who have learned from him,” the station reported.
Frank Whittaker, the station manager and vice president of news, said Johnson loved being on the front lines of the big story.
“He always wanted to be part of the big story,” Whittaker said. “He was an old-school newsman. He loved the chase. He loved hunting down exclusives. He loved to write — he was an incredibly gifted writer. And he could do that on deadline, which in television was very appreciated.”
Johnson was taking time off due to his respiratory condition, Whittaker said, but he was itching to get back to the slew of big stories building in Chicago right now. When he was on medical leave, Johnson was still passing on tips, Whittaker said.
“He had a hard time breaking away from news,” Whittaker said.
Johnson will also be remembered as a dear friend to many in the newsroom, Whittaker said.
“I can’t tell you how many people just this afternoon have said how Dick was the first one to welcome them to NBC 5 news when they first started,” Whittaker said. “He was proud to work here, and he wanted to make people feel welcome on the team.”
Anchor Rob Stafford, whom Johnson filled in for as he battled a rare blood disease, said he spoke with his longtime friend and colleague on the phone yesterday. Johnson was “his typical, optimistic self," Stafford said.
“He was an incredibly generous person and just very kind,” Stafford said. “And loved reporting. He was a reporter’s reporter."
Johnson was behind the desk, out in the field and often the lead story at 10 p.m., Stafford said. Even after decades of work, Johnson could be spotted in his office working on the script, meticulously polishing every word. His reporting and writing was “thoughtful, poignant and he used just the right amount of words."
“He gave every story a Dick Johnson signature,” Stafford said. “You knew he wrote it. And it made you listen.”
But Johnson was most proud of his family, Stafford said, going on about his kids and grandchildren — “Just a doting grandfather and couldn’t wait to spend his retirement with those grandkids.
“There’s just a void that will never be filled,” Stafford said. “His institutional knowledge, his Rolodex that can never be replaced and his positive attitude.”
Co-anchor Patrick Fazio said Johnson was “an outstanding journalist and storyteller and an even better friend and mentor to so many of us here.”
On Twitter, Carol Marin, along with many of the station’s colleagues, offered a remembrance of Johnson, saying he was “the best kind of newsman.”
“Smart, thorough, nimble when deadlines were crashing around him. No cliches. Just facts, fairness, and great writing,” Marin said." And he was funny! What a loss to all who knew him. But especially to his loving family."
Johnson’s career at NBC 5 as an anchor and reporter kicked off in 2002. He last co-anchored the station’s weekend evening newscast. He previously worked for two decades at WLS-Ch. 7. Throughout his career, he was the recipient of prestigious awards including the duPont-Columbia Award and Peabody Award.
Among Johnson’s reporting career feats highlighted by NBC: traveling on Air Force Two with Vice President George H.W. Bush during the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, covering everything from the return of the Iranian hostages at West Point to the construction of Comiskey Park and the United Center, and zeroing in on fashion designer Gianni Versace serial killer Andrew Cunanan’s Chicago ties.
Outside the newsroom, Johnson also loved the arts. A few months ago, he performed a solo in a satirical review about Hinsdale.
“Something you might not know about Dick is that he was a great performer," Brooks said. "He could sing. He could act. And he could make you laugh. And he had such a great laugh and such a warm, wonderful smile. Dick Johnson was smart, empathetic, generous and kind. He is gone too soon, and he’s already dearly missed.”
In March, Johnson posted an apology on Facebook for his break from NBC. “Like so many, I had no other choice,” he said. “The Coronavirus, my age and a respiratory issue prompted my doctors to send me packing. So here we are, settled in ‘up north’ and riding this out as safely as possible. I’m sure you are too. All the best.”_________________ rogers park bryan wrote: Bully Hendry would have signed Harper for 2.5 Billion over 30 years
|
|
Login
Register
FAQ
Search
