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A Thought for Gary Crowder

May 29

Written by: Paul McLane
5/29/2012 10:42 AM

My former colleagues in the broadcast equipment sales business are thinking this week about Gary Crowder.

Gary died last week, according to an obituary in the Salt Lake Tribune, at the age of 75. A viewing is planned for tomorrow evening.

For me, Gary was the face of equipment manufacturer Gentner Communications. Although I did not work for Gentner, my employers sold its gear or even competed against it. Gary was a supportive presence for me at a time when I knew little about broadcast equipment and felt overwhelmed at my early NAB conventions or at times found myself trying to figure out just what mix-minus was. When people talk about how radio broadcast equipment sales is a small world, one with a family feel, I think of people like him.

Others will remember Gary for his work for Bill Bingham at dealer Northeast Broadcast Lab. In fact he wore many hats in broadcast; according to the obituary, he worked at one time or another as a DJ, engineer, station manager and owner. He also served the country in the Navy.

Rich Redmond, now of Harris, worked with Gary in various roles; they were co-workers at Northeast Broadcast. “Gary and his wife Ellen were just great people, always friendly, helpful, and truly caring,” Rich told me by email this morning. “Often Gary would open his house to all and host an evening of dinner and entertainment, ranging from his massive movie collection and home theater to playing his Hammond organ, to just great radio stories. Gary was so excited about the home theater and the sound that he would often jump from movie to move to just the right scene so your could experience being ‘in’ the movie.” (Interestingly, I just learned in Gary's obituary that his dad had been backlot supervisor at Paramount Studios in Hollywood when Gary was a kid.)

Rich shares my perceptions about Gary: “I was always amazed when we would travel to see customers, or at a show, just how many people Gary would know and or worked for him at one point or another. He would always ask about their family, and truly knew something about each of them.” Indeed, just a few weeks ago Rich came across a YouTube video, now 25 years old, revealing the warmth people felt for Gary as he left a station in Massachusetts.

I like and respect many people in our industry, and for many reasons. But the ones who truly touch me are the ones who are kind. Gary was kind. Given his supportive personality, it does not surprise me to learn now in his obituary that at one time early in life he had thought of becoming a man of the cloth.

Thanks, Gary, for being part of my own personal radio world. Your industry friends miss you.

The Salt Lake Tribune article is here. Post comments about Gary below.

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Paul McLane

9 comment(s) so far...

Re: A Thought for Gary Crowder

Paul, thanks so much for the kind and touching words. Gary was a dear friend to many of us. Working with him at Gentner was a treat. He was totally serious about his work but also knew how to have fun with it - something many of us tend to forget. He was also a great storyteller. We loved to get together with him at his home and listen to him spin stories about life as a child, his days on-air, classic bloopers, and his favorite hobby, watching movies and Looney Tunes. He will be greatly missed both here in Salt Lake and around the world.

By Elaine Jones on 5/29/2012 11:09 AM

Re: A Thought for Gary Crowder

Gary loved life. He had incredible passion for anything Disney, Looney Tunes, the movies and especially the people of broadcast. Although Gary and Ellen never had any children, we all became their children. Whenever you were around Gary and Ellen life became animated. You laugh. You hug. And you feel how they integrated it all into their family.

I’m confident that if Gary could write his last line, it would be “that’s all folks”………….

By Russ Gentner on 5/29/2012 11:30 AM

Re: A Thought for Gary Crowder

It's hard to pick just one thought for Gary. There are so many. But the first that comes to my mind is his tale about his time in Hawaii radio. According to my recollection of Gary's anecdote, the station had been pitching spots--without success--to a local Chinese laundry that went by the name of Wong. The client finally signed on when the station sold him the time announcements. From then on the station gave the time of day as "the Wong time." I think of that every time I hear the time given on the radio.

We are all richer for Gary's humor, his grace and our opportunity to witness his profound devotion to Ellen.

By John Grayson on 5/29/2012 3:00 PM

Re: A Thought for Gary Crowder

I was fortunate to work at for Gary at Gentner during the last of the company's golden years. Gary and Ellen adopted people like others take in stray animals. They treated everyone kindly and with respect. Their home was always open for meals, movies and conversation. In fact, if you didn't show up at Gary's on Sunday afternoon for dinner, you had better have a good excuse on Monday morning! My life is much richer for the times I spent with my friends Gary and Ellen Crowder.

By Walt Lowery on 5/30/2012 5:33 AM

Re: A Thought for Gary Crowder

Paul,

I really appreciated your comments about Gary. I worked with him at Northeast Broadcast and he was one of the most caring people I ever worked with. He also had a great sense of humor. I think he should have invented the portable rim shot machine. He would have given it a great workout!

On a serious note, he and Ellen were very generous and hospitable. I heard stories about how they cared for so many folks along the way. They always wanted to know how my children were doing when we talked at past NABs. They would have been such great Grandparents! They were never too busy to get involved when somebody was going thru a tough time or a good one too for that matter.

They were "two of a kind" and will always have a special place in my heart.

By Marty Sacks on 5/30/2012 5:33 AM

Re: A Thought for Gary Crowder

Gary was always one of my favorite people in the industry. He was very supportive of me early on in my career - always had a kind word or great advice to give. And was never, ever pushy.

One of my favorite stories about Gary was when I did a stint at Northeast Broadcast Lab. Gary came in to show off the improvements to the Gentner remote control system. He had a simulator board that would simulate to his test system various aspects of a transmitter facility. Well, there was a glitch in the programming of the system unbeknownst to Gary. He tripped the fire alarm. The system was supposed to call out to the "fire department". Instead, it turned on the building ventilation fan - to which I remarked "hey, Gary, trying to get the job done faster?". He and I always shared a chuckle over that in the intervening years.

Gary was one of the good ones. I'm deeply saddened to learn of his passing. Rest in peace, my friend. And thanks for your support and friendship over the years.

By Tom Ray on 5/30/2012 5:34 AM

Re: A Thought for Gary Crowder

I was saddened to hear this news. I remember Gary from when I was a Chief Engineer working in Albany, NY. Northeast Broadcast labs was just up the road a short drive and they were always available for emergencies, even on a Saturday or Sunday. Gary was a class act.

By Paul Thurst on 6/26/2012 10:27 AM

Re: A Thought for Gary Crowder

When I think of Gary, which is often, superlatives come to mind and a good, clean feeling overtakes me. Behind around Gary was like watching a Disney movie, literally and figuratively.

The man was master of the Golden Rule. He seemed to care for others more than himself, and his actions spoke loudly. I miss him.

By Joe Ziemer on 6/26/2012 10:36 AM

Re: A Thought for Gary Crowder

My wife and I were saddened by the news of Gary Crowder's passing. It seemed such a short time since his wife Ellen had passed. We always enjoyed our times of visiting with them when they would come to Las Vegas, or we would go to see them in SLC. The last time we had dinner with them, I convinced Gary to remove the nic-nacs and cover from the Hammond B-3 and to play us some of his favorite roller skating music. It was a delightful eveining. This has been a tough period for loosing friends, such as Phil Lerza, at KFRC, Leonard Kahn, and Gary Crowder. Please stay healthy...I don't like this kind of news.