Death Of A Radio Hero

I'm saddened today to hear of the passing of Dr. Don Rose. Details are sketchy; apparently he passed away in his sleep last night.

For the uninitiated, Don Rose was an early-morning radio host who worked in markets like Atlanta and Philly before he settled in San Francisco in the seventies. Radio folks of that particular generation consider him a legend.

Most who listened to the good Doctor remember his constant barrage of excruciatingly corny jokes. Yet he was more than a walking joke book - much more. The Doc was a genuinely decent man who knew how to communicate with warmth and humanity. I recall hearing him as part of one of those Philly radio "reunion" shows, relating the story of his first heart attack and how he died - and came back - on the table. Powerful, moving, life-affirming radio.

Don Rose suffered a series of health setbacks in his later years worthy of Job - a string of heart operations, loss of a leg - yet he never lost his sense of humor or his burning passion for life.

A true mensch. Godspeed, Doc...