Ron Allen passes away

[Tom Woods]

I posted this on the original post. Ron Allen died this morning (9/23/08) at 7 in the Hospice Unit of CMC in Scranton. RIP Ron.

 

[masterg]

I posted this on the original post. Ron Allen died this morning (9/23/08) at 7 in the Hospice Unit of CMC in Scranton. RIP Ron.

Spoke with another former WARMie this afternoon and neither of us was all that shocked that George and Ron went within roughly six months of one another. Somehow it seems right. Ron was a larger than life radio personality hereabouts who left an enormous footprint on the biz in NE PA. All sincere condolences to his family.

 

[pell guy]

Another local radio legend has been silenced,From Mother Fletcher to the Ron Allen sportsline he will be missed.
I was wondering when was the last time Ron was on the air?,early 90s??
i

 

[yonkstur]

http://david-yonki.blogspot.com/

story on ron allen.

 

[berniek]

I had the pleasure and indeed it was of working with Ron Allen for a short time in the 80's. The man was a pro....who no doubt forget more about radio than most of us will ever learn or remember. Of all the people that Ron interview, I remember that he was proud of the fact that he got Pete Grey of Nanticoke in an interview. To the best of my knowledge, it was the only broadcast interview that Pete Grey ever gave...and today it is part of the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Thanksgiving will never be the same without Ron calling the Turkey Trot.....

 

[warmland]

Ron was a true legend of NEPA radio. From his days as a jock with his wonderful Mother Fletcher character to his great knowledge of sports, he give it his all. A one of a kind for sure. We will never forget his great WARM turkey Trots, his Sports Line Show and the many, many years he put in at WARM. It would not have been the same without him. My condolences to Ron's family. RIP Ron, we will never forget you.

 

[Starbucks]

I posted this on the original post. Ron Allen died this morning (9/23/08) at 7 in the Hospice Unit of CMC in Scranton. RIP Ron.

I never lived in Scranton to witness the mighty 590...and as a kid , I never thought that Scanton was big enough to have a legendary station as WARM and jocks that sounded good. What were the years WARM was a top 40 or contempary staion, and what were the years Ron Allen, and George Gilbertwere on there.

 

[billsav]

Hey Tom, this is Bill Savage, and I logged in here specifically to talk about Ron. I was telling Kent Westling tonight that I didn't know George Gilbert and some of the other people from your station, but of course, Ron was a friend of mine and we certainly had some interesting times during the years when the Red Barons started up.
Just like when my friend Jerry Kellar of The Times Leader died last year, I don't think all my stories about Ron would be of the type he would like made public. He was some character. And when you got him down to Florida for spring training, it was like letting a kid loose at Disneyland. Ron was in his element down there, and I got to witness some of his more interesting moments, such as the time he cornered Tom Selleck -- who was working out with the Tigers for the movie "Mr. Baseball" -- for an interview.
I think that word, character, is what I would use to describe Ron. If you were anywhere with Ron, you probably came out with a story. He was a fixture at the ballpark when the Red Barons started up, and each night, after he'd done his show and before he headed home, he would stop by to make some comment that would have us all cracking up. It was a fun time and he was a huge part of it.
I knew he was sick and I can't say I'm shocked at the news, but I'm certainly saddened. I guarantee you, they won't have anybody quite like him up there again.

 

[Tom Woods]

Hey Tom, this is Bill Savage, and I logged in here specifically to talk about Ron. I was telling Kent Westling tonight that I didn't know George Gilbert and some of the other people from your station, but of course, Ron was a friend of mine and we certainly had some interesting times during the years when the Red Barons started up.
Just like when my friend Jerry Kellar of The Times Leader died last year, I don't think all my stories about Ron would be of the type he would like made public. He was some character. And when you got him down to Florida for spring training, it was like letting a kid loose at Disneyland. Ron was in his element down there, and I got to witness some of his more interesting moments, such as the time he cornered Tom Selleck -- who was working out with the Tigers for the movie "Mr. Baseball" -- for an interview.
I think that word, character, is what I would use to describe Ron. If you were anywhere with Ron, you probably came out with a story. He was a fixture at the ballpark when the Red Barons started up, and each night, after he'd done his show and before he headed home, he would stop by to make some comment that would have us all cracking up. It was a fun time and he was a huge part of it.
I knew he was sick and I can't say I'm shocked at the news, but I'm certainly saddened. I guarantee you, they won't have anybody quite like him up there again.

Your so right Bill, he was a character. By that I mean he was unique. We always confided in each other. We went through a lot at WARM but they were good times..a lot of fun. What happened on the other side of the mic was a lot funnier that what went on the air waves.

We all had a great love for WARM and radio in general. Ron was born with a gift that made him a natural..some like myself are fortunate to have only a small parrt of that gift. And God bless them, but there are those in radio today who think they have the gift.(lol) I miss all of it. I miss Terry, George and now Ron.

 

[normhill007]

I just finished shedding silent tears and wondering if Ron is talking God's ear off by now. Three stories stand out. In the first, I was sound asleep around one in the morning one day and the phone rang. It was Ron calling to tell me that he'd just gotten out of a meeting with Phil Condron and he was made PD again after threatening to quit. That's also when he got his lifetime contract..don't know if it was his lifetime or WARM's..He told me that I was also now the music director and we were going to put the wheels back on WARM. The next day, in amongst my other tasks, I was digging thru the closets and finding all the stuff we should have been playing over the years and started putting the library back in order. He also wanted us getting back to playing the hits and at that time "Vogue" by Madonna was number one. I asked him about that one specifically and he said if it's charting, play it. I had to pull it after a week or so because the bass drum on the backbeat was splattering big time. But other than that we went with the AC charts and we started pulling out of the muck we were in. Until Susquehanna suits visited. We then only played the "good music" when we knew they weren't heading north from York. All dayparts saw an increase except poor Terry who had to follow Jim McNulty. His first hour was a low 2. Ron also was the first to do "Talk of Warmland", and nobody could have done it better..If Ron put his heart into it. Sportsline was still his thing and "Talk" was not really his cup of tea..sometimes. Whenever he didn't feel like doing it, he'd have Terri Brill the psychic on and the phones would explode...My wife was pregnant and he asked her what I would have and after some mumbo jumbo, she said I'd have a boy and it would be the first of 3. Wrong on both counts. Another story has Ron, I believe Paul Ciliberto, and me sitting in the back production room and Phil Condron came in and we wondered what we'd done, as Condron rarely ventured out of his office. He gave us the official "Condron" look and then told a really bad joke..We all gave a "what the hell" laugh and Condron turned and headed to the door, only to turn around and tell another equally bad joke and then leave. Apparently Susquehanna had sent him to a Dale Carnegie" seminar and he was trying out his new found skills.

 

[hancock]

I cannot begin to tell you how much I will miss Ron. I don't know why we ended up with this 20 plus year old friendship, but for some reason we stayed close. When I got to WARM, Ron let me know that he thought I had the vision to help get WARM back to where it had been. He'd drop by the office and talk daily, give me encouragement, and then go prep for the SportsLine show. I never knew what he would have on the air, but I always knew it would be compelling. Mostly I will forever remember him holding court in the production room.

After I left WARMLAND, we stayed in touch and got together in Florida on a few occassions, once with Mary Ann and Laurie for a steak at Burn's Steakhouse in Tampa and a $500 bottle of wine. (Laurie picked up the tab).

I loved Ron...he loved me! Enough said.

I will be up for the viewing and funeral (the first time I've been back to NE PA. in 20 years. I look forward to renewing old acquantances and seeing many of you again.) Someone needs to give me directions to Old Forge....been 20 years since I've had that pizza too!

Melanie Apple, Terry McNulty, George Gilbert, and now Ron. I miss them all ... 'Funny How Time Slips Away!'
Tommy it was an honor and a pleasure to talk to you yesterday. Thank you for calling!

Hey Ron, did you know the corkscrew was patented in 1860? (Private Joke)

John Hancock
www.WBT.com
www.HeyHancock.com

 

[emo474]

My stay at WARM was brief, but to say that I made friends with Harry West, Jerry Heller, Terry McNulty, and Ron Allen is especially pleasing. Ron was never one to hide his opinions, so if you were'nt on his good side, he's let you know. I totally enjoyed our conversations and learned much from Ron. Meeting someone you listened to daily, then being a part of his production staff, then becoming his friend is a wonderful feeling. Somewhere, Ron is sitting sideways on a couch (a position that only he can attain, and Joe Thomas can mimic) and telling a story to anyone who'll listen.. and there will be many.

 

[billsav]

I've been thinking of a lot of Ron Allen stories since yesterday, but here's one that I think everybody who knew him will find funny.
It was the early 1990s and we were in Clearwater for spring training. It was early in the evening, but Ron had already "had a few," and the rest of us (myself, the late Jerry Kellar, and a few other guys from the local media) were trying to keep pace. We ended up in a karaoke place that was pretty crowded, so we were standing near the door. It being Florida, the crowd had a good percentage of middle-aged patrons, but the karaoke was mostly younger people trying to sing stuff by AC/DC or Led Zeppelin. Ron was antsy from the start, saying he wanted to hear some Sinatra. After a couple of more metal songs, he started acting like a tiger on a leash, and the next thing we knew, he was up talking to the karaoke guy. Sure enough, in another minute, there was Ron, sitting on a stool, with a microphone in his hand, singing "When Somebody Loves You." Right after he started, I noticed there was less chatter in the crowd, and then it dawned on me that a lot of the middle-aged women were no longer talking or whatever, but had stopped and were watching this bespectacled guy in shorts and sneakers doing a heck of a rendition of a Sinatra ballad. Ron could carry a tune. So he did the song, and put the mic down, and headed back toward us to a nice round of applause from the crowd. I'm sure he could have done an entire set that night if the karaoke guy had the music.

 

[Roger]

WBRE and WNEP had the very sad news about Ron Allen. WNEP had talked to Tom Woods about Ron Allen last night. Nice to have seen you on TV Tom Woods.

 

[masterg]

WBRE and WNEP had the very sad news about Ron Allen. WNEP had talked to Tom Woods about Ron Allen last night. Nice to have seen you on TV Tom Woods.

No disrespect, please, but can the media, print and electronic, find someone to speak with about Ron who worked with him in, say, the last twenty or so years? Harry West immediately jumps to mind. How about Ray Magwyre? Tom Woods last worked with Ron forty-five(45)years ago. While his thoughts are important, and Tom and Ron were pals, there are others with somewhat more recent memories. Ron's life most assuredly did not stop in the early '60s, he did some of his finest work long, long after that.

 

[WKSBTHESUPERK]

And another of the GREAT ONES has gone on to a better place.
I was so blessed in my life to have had the opportunity to work with many of my radio idols and Ron Allen was one. During my time working at WARM I got to know Ron well.
Many times we would sit in the lobby for hours and talk. He was always interesting and he had some great stories.
Ron wrote and produced the “Fatman Series”, which he asked me to take part in. I still have the tapes. They were great.
Ron also gave me Mother Fletcher, which I carried on in the Williamsport area at WKSB 102.7, thanks to another great one, the Double G.
I can say that my dreams came true thanks to WARM and I got to know, work with and become friends with some of the Greats. I spent 22 years in the business and never regretted one second of it.
Thank you and farewell Ron, Good night Mother Fletcher

Dan DeMuro and Family

 

[warmland]

WBRE and WNEP had the very sad news about Ron Allen. WNEP had talked to Tom Woods about Ron Allen last night. Nice to have seen you on TV Tom Woods.

No disrespect, please, but can the media, print and electronic, find someone to speak with about Ron who worked with him in, say, the last twenty or so years? Harry West immediately jumps to mind. How about Ray Magwyre? Tom Woods last worked with Ron forty-five(45)years ago. While his thoughts are important, and Tom and Ron were pals, there are others with somewhat more recent memories. Ron's life most assuredly did not stop in the early '60s, he did some of his finest work long, long after that.

Maybe it was Tom who let WNEP know of Ron's passing. He was kind enough to let this board know and I thank him.

 

[normhill007]

I was the '''''''''''WELLLLLLLLLLLL"""guy on the "Fatman" series...Ron would appear with a script and we'd go to the upstairs production studio and crank out an episode in 60 seconds or less...As the Gary Owens type announcer guy, I got the closing and the challenge was to out WELLLLLLLL my previous WELLLLLLLL. I think one of them was at least 20 seconds..I think I out WELLLed Dick Orkin of Chickenman fame. Not a shabby feat...It was fun stuff and we all looked forward to the next script..check your professionalism at the door. I think that most proved we were children dressed in adult bodies, and why, that bit, and the many others we all have collectively done in our many years, made us part of the greatest job on earth, and why radio today has sold it's soul to the devil.

 

[Oldotter]

I worked with WARM as audio man, starting in the Bowman Tower days, on many record hops and also did "On the spot" reports, in those days by payphone or somebody's home phone, including the runaway banana truck accident on Moosic St. Of the members of "The Sensational 7" I did record hops with Ron was my favorite. My story I would like to add on Ron involves a record hop we were doing from the East Stroudsburg Armory on a stormy winter night.. While we were there the blizzard intensified and they decided to end the show early.. We packed everything into Ron's 1963 (I think) Plymouth Valiant and Ron decided that we (meaning me) should put the chains on since there was already a good accumulation of snow and we had to traverse the Poconos. I-81 wasn't built yet and we headed up Rt. 611.. As we passed Mt. Pocono and were coming up on the Mt. Pocono Airport we noticed that the landing lights were on. Just as we were even with the airport a bright light lit up the snow storm from the passengers side and a loud roar was heard.. An airplane was landing in the blizzard. Just as it came barely overhead a loud crashing sound was heard and the Valiant jumped and shuddered..Ron started to shout "Jones, were dead, Holy God were dead, both of us were about in shock when he brought the car to a stop and we realized we were still alive we got out to inspect the damage and found that the crashing sound and shuddering was caused by one of the chains coming loose and slapping inside of the rear fender.. We laughed about that for years.. On another note I would like to add that Ron was the voice of Mother Fletcher but John "Bruno" Gallagher was the physical presence for live appearances.. Bruno was killed in an auto accident near Tunkhannock about 20 years ago and that upset Ron greatly.. Hopefully they will be together again..

 

[Tom Woods]

WBRE and WNEP had the very sad news about Ron Allen. WNEP had talked to Tom Woods about Ron Allen last night. Nice to have seen you on TV Tom Woods.

No disrespect, please, but can the media, print and electronic, find someone to speak with about Ron who worked with him in, say, the last twenty or so years? Harry West immediately jumps to mind. How about Ray Magwyre? Tom Woods last worked with Ron forty-five(45)years ago. While his thoughts are important, and Tom and Ron were pals, there are others with somewhat more recent memories. Ron's life most assuredly did not stop in the early '60s, he did some of his finest work long, long after that.

Maybe it was Tom who let WNEP know of Ron's passing. He was kind enough to let this board know and I thank him.

For the record...WNEP called me at my home. I did not want to go on camera. They insisted and came to my home to do the interview. Sorry that I couldnt fill in the gaps thru the 70's and 80's...I told them how great Ron was..What I remembered and how tight our friendship was.