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"Sheriff John" Rovick Dies at 93

C

Carmine5

His widow told Eyewitness News Rovick died in Boise, Idaho, after a brief illness.

I watched his show on KTTV religiously as a kid. One time, 1960 if I recall, Sheriff John was doing a remote from Knott's Berry Farm and I talked my mom into driving down there from Whittier and watching him. In between live segments we were waiting in line at a coffee stand and my mom dropped her handkerchief as she got money out of her purse to buy a donut. Mr. Rovick walked over from the livery stable where they were staging the show, picked it up and handed it to her. Needless to say, she was extremely embarrassed.

But John Rovick was a wonderful entertainer for children, a great station announcer and a real gentleman. You won't find his type anymore.


http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/entertainment&id=8838237
 
...the majority? Try damn near all of 'em. Of the '50s crew, the only one I can think of who's still around is Stan Freberg, the original Cecil (both inside the puppet and on the audio) on Time for Beany when it was on KTLA/5. Stan and Daws Butler quit the show after a few years and were replaced by Irv Shoemaker and Jim MacGeorge (are they still around? I know MacGeorge appeared on Chuck McCann's internet chat show last year). Everyone from the '50s in Chicago is gone; the last one from the '60s surviving was Bill Jackson of Cartoon Town/B.J. & Dirty Dragon on WFLD/32 and WGN-TV/9 (and in the '70s of Gigglesnort Hotel on WLS-TV/7, using the same character puppets), and I'm not sure what's become of him in recent years...
 
Carmine5 said:
You won't find his type anymore.
Click to expand...

:'(

I've been missing Sheriff John ever since he left the airwaves. His show was so pleasant and easy to take. He never got on anyone's nerves.

If his show was still on, I would be watching it, and I'm an aging Baby Boomer.

Hard to believe that this same station would years later evolve to feature the likes of Jillian Barbarie Reynolds as their main daytime personality.

It boggles the mind.

:-\
 
RicoGregg said:
Carmine5 said:
You won't find his type anymore.
Click to expand...

:'(

I've been missing Sheriff John ever since he left the airwaves. His show was so pleasant and easy to take. He never got on anyone's nerves.

If his show was still on, I would be watching it, and I'm an aging Baby Boomer.

Hard to believe that this same station would years later evolve to feature the likes of Jillian Barbarie Reynolds as their main daytime personality.

It boggles the mind.

:-\
Click to expand...

I can still hear strains of his "Laugh and Be Happy" theme song. I wonder if KTTV has any kinescopes at all of Sheriff John.
Would love to see him again.
 
He read my name over the air as part of his birthday wishes segment back in 1965. I am now 56 and his "Birthday Song" is still my birthday song every year.
 
I spoke with Sheriff John's widow Jackie this evening (the 8th) and had a lovely chat. She told me that the funeral will be at his church this Thursday the 11th at 1pm in Boise and he will be buried in a local cemetary. Her health prevents her from traveling to Idaho from California.
 
Sorry to hear about the good Sheriff's passing - but it sounds like he lead a full life. I assume he always took his own advice and laughed and was happy.

His obit appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle this morning, and that birthday cake song has been stuck in my head ever since. I still know it by heart. The last time I watched Lunch Bridgade was probably 1964 when I was 12, and that was likely for 'old-time's-sake.'

I recall hearing Mr. Rovick in the late 60s or early 70s doing KTTV's sign-off along with the late news headlines (they used to do a quick news update at sign-off for some reason). I realized "Hey - that's Sheriff John." I hadn't been aware until that time that he was also a KTTV station announcer, but many kids show hosts of that era did double and triple duty around the station.
 
"Put another candle on my birthday cake, my birthday cake, my birthday ca-a-ake
Put another candle on my birthday cake I'm another year old today"

Rest in Peace Sheriff John. Thank you for the wonderful memories. :'(
 
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