Alan H. Dary, Sr., of Manchester, NH
World War II Veteran ~ U.S. Army
Alan H. Dary, Boston radio and television personality, passed away peacefully at age 89 at the Community Hospice House in Merrimack Oct. 2, 2009.
Born in Shelton, Conn., Mr. Dary grew up in Meriden, Conn., and married Charlotte Hirst, also of Meriden. In his youth he was an avid baseball player and became a huge Red Sox fan after arriving in Boston.
As a World War II veteran, he participated in the Invasion of Normandy and after the war pursued his love of flying by earning a private pilot's license.
His radio career started in Florida as an announcer at WSUN in Tampa. A move to WBRY in Waterbury, Conn., brought him back north, after which he settled in Melrose in 1950, helping WORL become the number one station in the city at the time.
With a warm, friendly, neighborly style, Mr. Dary was instrumental in changing the stiff announcer style that had preceded him in the broadcast industry. His voice quickly became a household regular on radios all over Boston and the New England area.
At the peak of his career at WBZ and WHDH, he was renowned for his Sunday "Mailbag Show". He also hosted a late-afternoon movie feature called "Boston Movie Time" on WBZ-TV and an interview feature program called "Profiles in Courage" on WHDH-TV.
During his broadcast career, he had a unique interview style and interviewed many of the great stars of the era, from Perry Como to Tony Bennett; from Joan Crawford to Alfred Hitchcock. A fan of big bands and the great crooners, he remained true to his love of what he called "good music," and was never swayed by the growth of rock 'n roll.
After leaving WHDH, he had a number of stints at various stations in the region and eventually moved to Manchester to join WGIR in the mid '70s. After a few years there and the resurgence of his "good music," he went back to Boston to WXKS where they had recently introduced The Music of Your Life format. True to the artists and musicians he loved, he signed off with Frank Sinatra's "My Way" and retired to Londonderry in the late 1980s. Mr. Dary was a member of the Bellevue Country Club in Melrose, Mass., where he was also the Bellevue Country Club ping-pong champion.
He is predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Charlotte, and survived by his present wife, Rita (Backe). In addition, he is survived by his five children, Donna Cogan and her husband, Don, of Melrose, Mass., Sue Wirtanen and her husband, Warren, of St. Charles, Mo., Jim Dary and his wife, Sandra, of Hampton, Toni Kenna and her husband, Bruce, of Manchester, and Alan Dary of Astoria, N.Y.; his niece, Ann Johnson of Detroit, Mich., who looked up to him as the big brother she never had. He also leaves three stepchildren, Karin Poland of Florida, Linda Marlow of Iowa, and Glen Backe of Massachusetts. There are also 16 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild (and a second due in January).
ARRANGEMENTS:
Calling hours will be held Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 4 to 7 pm, in the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 15 Birch St., Derry. A Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday at 11 am in the Funeral Home.
Burial will be in the Forest Hill Cemetery in East Derry.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Community Hospice House, 210 Naticook Road, Merrimack 03054. To send a condolence or for more information, please visit www.peabodyfuneralhome.com.
Published in Union Leader on Oct. 4, 2009
From: Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame
Connecticut native Alan Dary began his broadcast career at radio station WSUN, St. Petersburg, FL on his return from serving in World War II. After three years he moved back to Connecticut to work at WBRY, Waterbury. It was in these two positions that he honed his announcing style as the sincere, down-to-earth “guy next door.” He came to WROL, Boston in 1950, where he hosted the Dary-Go-Round were he made audience participation a regular thing, often bringing listeners in as “guest DJ’s” or just to join him in studio for a cup of coffee. In addition to being a DJ, he was named Program Director in 1955. In 1956, he moved to WBZ doing a 30-minute evening spot on WBZ-AM, which was later expanded to include mid-days where he hosted Boston Movie Time on WBZ-TV4 in the late afternoon. The station would often stage shots of him in precarious positions (i.e., hanging from a tree limb) before commercial breaks. In 1961, Alan returned to WORL, and in 1963 to WHDH radio. It was at WHDH that he created the Mailbag Show on Sunday mornings where all the music was chosen from listener letters that he would read on the air. In an often lost time slot, he garnered tremendous ratings and was beloved for his knowledge of the music of the Big Band Era.
In 1974, he moved to WMEX doing a morning music program, followed by a pre-game Red Sox program called The Bleachers, where he roamed the bleachers talking with Sox fans. But as radio turned to rock-n-roll, he stuck to his musical roots and went to WHET in Waltham where they played the standards. In 1977, he moved to WGIR in New Hampshire for three years, again sticking to his musical “guns.”
As the “Music of Your Life” format took off at WXKS-AM, he returned to Boston to do mid-days and the Mailbag Show on Sundays, with which once again he had great success. In 1986, he returned to New Hampshire radio, where he finished his career doing a nostalgia format at WKBR (which at the time was managed by another Alan Dary, his son). He retired in 1988. In his heyday, Alan spent much time in New York and also Hollywood, interviewing some of the great names of that era.
World War II Veteran ~ U.S. Army
Alan H. Dary, Boston radio and television personality, passed away peacefully at age 89 at the Community Hospice House in Merrimack Oct. 2, 2009.
Born in Shelton, Conn., Mr. Dary grew up in Meriden, Conn., and married Charlotte Hirst, also of Meriden. In his youth he was an avid baseball player and became a huge Red Sox fan after arriving in Boston.
As a World War II veteran, he participated in the Invasion of Normandy and after the war pursued his love of flying by earning a private pilot's license.
His radio career started in Florida as an announcer at WSUN in Tampa. A move to WBRY in Waterbury, Conn., brought him back north, after which he settled in Melrose in 1950, helping WORL become the number one station in the city at the time.
With a warm, friendly, neighborly style, Mr. Dary was instrumental in changing the stiff announcer style that had preceded him in the broadcast industry. His voice quickly became a household regular on radios all over Boston and the New England area.
At the peak of his career at WBZ and WHDH, he was renowned for his Sunday "Mailbag Show". He also hosted a late-afternoon movie feature called "Boston Movie Time" on WBZ-TV and an interview feature program called "Profiles in Courage" on WHDH-TV.
During his broadcast career, he had a unique interview style and interviewed many of the great stars of the era, from Perry Como to Tony Bennett; from Joan Crawford to Alfred Hitchcock. A fan of big bands and the great crooners, he remained true to his love of what he called "good music," and was never swayed by the growth of rock 'n roll.
After leaving WHDH, he had a number of stints at various stations in the region and eventually moved to Manchester to join WGIR in the mid '70s. After a few years there and the resurgence of his "good music," he went back to Boston to WXKS where they had recently introduced The Music of Your Life format. True to the artists and musicians he loved, he signed off with Frank Sinatra's "My Way" and retired to Londonderry in the late 1980s. Mr. Dary was a member of the Bellevue Country Club in Melrose, Mass., where he was also the Bellevue Country Club ping-pong champion.
He is predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Charlotte, and survived by his present wife, Rita (Backe). In addition, he is survived by his five children, Donna Cogan and her husband, Don, of Melrose, Mass., Sue Wirtanen and her husband, Warren, of St. Charles, Mo., Jim Dary and his wife, Sandra, of Hampton, Toni Kenna and her husband, Bruce, of Manchester, and Alan Dary of Astoria, N.Y.; his niece, Ann Johnson of Detroit, Mich., who looked up to him as the big brother she never had. He also leaves three stepchildren, Karin Poland of Florida, Linda Marlow of Iowa, and Glen Backe of Massachusetts. There are also 16 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild (and a second due in January).
ARRANGEMENTS:
Calling hours will be held Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 4 to 7 pm, in the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 15 Birch St., Derry. A Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday at 11 am in the Funeral Home.
Burial will be in the Forest Hill Cemetery in East Derry.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Community Hospice House, 210 Naticook Road, Merrimack 03054. To send a condolence or for more information, please visit www.peabodyfuneralhome.com.
Published in Union Leader on Oct. 4, 2009
From: Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame
Connecticut native Alan Dary began his broadcast career at radio station WSUN, St. Petersburg, FL on his return from serving in World War II. After three years he moved back to Connecticut to work at WBRY, Waterbury. It was in these two positions that he honed his announcing style as the sincere, down-to-earth “guy next door.” He came to WROL, Boston in 1950, where he hosted the Dary-Go-Round were he made audience participation a regular thing, often bringing listeners in as “guest DJ’s” or just to join him in studio for a cup of coffee. In addition to being a DJ, he was named Program Director in 1955. In 1956, he moved to WBZ doing a 30-minute evening spot on WBZ-AM, which was later expanded to include mid-days where he hosted Boston Movie Time on WBZ-TV4 in the late afternoon. The station would often stage shots of him in precarious positions (i.e., hanging from a tree limb) before commercial breaks. In 1961, Alan returned to WORL, and in 1963 to WHDH radio. It was at WHDH that he created the Mailbag Show on Sunday mornings where all the music was chosen from listener letters that he would read on the air. In an often lost time slot, he garnered tremendous ratings and was beloved for his knowledge of the music of the Big Band Era.
In 1974, he moved to WMEX doing a morning music program, followed by a pre-game Red Sox program called The Bleachers, where he roamed the bleachers talking with Sox fans. But as radio turned to rock-n-roll, he stuck to his musical roots and went to WHET in Waltham where they played the standards. In 1977, he moved to WGIR in New Hampshire for three years, again sticking to his musical “guns.”
As the “Music of Your Life” format took off at WXKS-AM, he returned to Boston to do mid-days and the Mailbag Show on Sundays, with which once again he had great success. In 1986, he returned to New Hampshire radio, where he finished his career doing a nostalgia format at WKBR (which at the time was managed by another Alan Dary, his son). He retired in 1988. In his heyday, Alan spent much time in New York and also Hollywood, interviewing some of the great names of that era.
Alan H. Dary, Sr., of Manchester, NH
World War II Veteran ~ U.S. Army
Alan H. Dary, Boston radio and television personality, passed away peacefully at age 89 at the Community Hospice House in Merrimack Oct. 2, 2009.
Born in Shelton, Conn., Mr. Dary grew up in Meriden, Conn., and married Charlotte Hirst, also of Meriden. In his youth he was an avid baseball player and became a huge Red Sox fan after arriving in Boston.
As a World War II veteran, he participated in the Invasion of Normandy and after the war pursued his love of flying by earning a private pilot's license.
His radio career started in Florida as an announcer at WSUN in Tampa. A move to WBRY in Waterbury, Conn., brought him back north, after which he settled in Melrose in 1950, helping WORL become the number one station in the city at the time.
With a warm, friendly, neighborly style, Mr. Dary was instrumental in changing the stiff announcer style that had preceded him in the broadcast industry. His voice quickly became a household regular on radios all over Boston and the New England area.
At the peak of his career at WBZ and WHDH, he was renowned for his Sunday "Mailbag Show". He also hosted a late-afternoon movie feature called "Boston Movie Time" on WBZ-TV and an interview feature program called "Profiles in Courage" on WHDH-TV.
During his broadcast career, he had a unique interview style and interviewed many of the great stars of the era, from Perry Como to Tony Bennett; from Joan Crawford to Alfred Hitchcock. A fan of big bands and the great crooners, he remained true to his love of what he called "good music," and was never swayed by the growth of rock 'n roll.
After leaving WHDH, he had a number of stints at various stations in the region and eventually moved to Manchester to join WGIR in the mid '70s. After a few years there and the resurgence of his "good music," he went back to Boston to WXKS where they had recently introduced The Music of Your Life format. True to the artists and musicians he loved, he signed off with Frank Sinatra's "My Way" and retired to Londonderry in the late 1980s. Mr. Dary was a member of the Bellevue Country Club in Melrose, Mass., where he was also the Bellevue Country Club ping-pong champion.
He is predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Charlotte, and survived by his present wife, Rita (Backe). In addition, he is survived by his five children, Donna Cogan and her husband, Don, of Melrose, Mass., Sue Wirtanen and her husband, Warren, of St. Charles, Mo., Jim Dary and his wife, Sandra, of Hampton, Toni Kenna and her husband, Bruce, of Manchester, and Alan Dary of Astoria, N.Y.; his niece, Ann Johnson of Detroit, Mich., who looked up to him as the big brother she never had. He also leaves three stepchildren, Karin Poland of Florida, Linda Marlow of Iowa, and Glen Backe of Massachusetts. There are also 16 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild (and a second due in January).
ARRANGEMENTS:
Calling hours will be held Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 4 to 7 pm, in the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 15 Birch St., Derry. A Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday at 11 am in the Funeral Home.
Burial will be in the Forest Hill Cemetery in East Derry.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Community Hospice House, 210 Naticook Road, Merrimack 03054. To send a condolence or for more information, please visit www.peabodyfuneralhome.com.
Published in Union Leader on Oct. 4, 2009
From: Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame
Connecticut native Alan Dary began his broadcast career at radio station WSUN, St. Petersburg, FL on his return from serving in World War II. After three years he moved back to Connecticut to work at WBRY, Waterbury. It was in these two positions that he honed his announcing style as the sincere, down-to-earth “guy next door.” He came to WROL, Boston in 1950, where he hosted the Dary-Go-Round were he made audience participation a regular thing, often bringing listeners in as “guest DJ’s” or just to join him in studio for a cup of coffee. In addition to being a DJ, he was named Program Director in 1955. In 1956, he moved to WBZ doing a 30-minute evening spot on WBZ-AM, which was later expanded to include mid-days where he hosted Boston Movie Time on WBZ-TV4 in the late afternoon. The station would often stage shots of him in precarious positions (i.e., hanging from a tree limb) before commercial breaks. In 1961, Alan returned to WORL, and in 1963 to WHDH radio. It was at WHDH that he created the Mailbag Show on Sunday mornings where all the music was chosen from listener letters that he would read on the air. In an often lost time slot, he garnered tremendous ratings and was beloved for his knowledge of the music of the Big Band Era.
In 1974, he moved to WMEX doing a morning music program, followed by a pre-game Red Sox program called The Bleachers, where he roamed the bleachers talking with Sox fans. But as radio turned to rock-n-roll, he stuck to his musical roots and went to WHET in Waltham where they played the standards. In 1977, he moved to WGIR in New Hampshire for three years, again sticking to his musical “guns.”
As the “Music of Your Life” format took off at WXKS-AM, he returned to Boston to do mid-days and the Mailbag Show on Sundays, with which once again he had great success. In 1986, he returned to New Hampshire radio, where he finished his career doing a nostalgia format at WKBR (which at the time was managed by another Alan Dary, his son). He retired in 1988. In his heyday, Alan spent much time in New York and also Hollywood, interviewing some of the great names of that era.
World War II Veteran ~ U.S. Army
Alan H. Dary, Boston radio and television personality, passed away peacefully at age 89 at the Community Hospice House in Merrimack Oct. 2, 2009.
Born in Shelton, Conn., Mr. Dary grew up in Meriden, Conn., and married Charlotte Hirst, also of Meriden. In his youth he was an avid baseball player and became a huge Red Sox fan after arriving in Boston.
As a World War II veteran, he participated in the Invasion of Normandy and after the war pursued his love of flying by earning a private pilot's license.
His radio career started in Florida as an announcer at WSUN in Tampa. A move to WBRY in Waterbury, Conn., brought him back north, after which he settled in Melrose in 1950, helping WORL become the number one station in the city at the time.
With a warm, friendly, neighborly style, Mr. Dary was instrumental in changing the stiff announcer style that had preceded him in the broadcast industry. His voice quickly became a household regular on radios all over Boston and the New England area.
At the peak of his career at WBZ and WHDH, he was renowned for his Sunday "Mailbag Show". He also hosted a late-afternoon movie feature called "Boston Movie Time" on WBZ-TV and an interview feature program called "Profiles in Courage" on WHDH-TV.
During his broadcast career, he had a unique interview style and interviewed many of the great stars of the era, from Perry Como to Tony Bennett; from Joan Crawford to Alfred Hitchcock. A fan of big bands and the great crooners, he remained true to his love of what he called "good music," and was never swayed by the growth of rock 'n roll.
After leaving WHDH, he had a number of stints at various stations in the region and eventually moved to Manchester to join WGIR in the mid '70s. After a few years there and the resurgence of his "good music," he went back to Boston to WXKS where they had recently introduced The Music of Your Life format. True to the artists and musicians he loved, he signed off with Frank Sinatra's "My Way" and retired to Londonderry in the late 1980s. Mr. Dary was a member of the Bellevue Country Club in Melrose, Mass., where he was also the Bellevue Country Club ping-pong champion.
He is predeceased by his wife of 56 years, Charlotte, and survived by his present wife, Rita (Backe). In addition, he is survived by his five children, Donna Cogan and her husband, Don, of Melrose, Mass., Sue Wirtanen and her husband, Warren, of St. Charles, Mo., Jim Dary and his wife, Sandra, of Hampton, Toni Kenna and her husband, Bruce, of Manchester, and Alan Dary of Astoria, N.Y.; his niece, Ann Johnson of Detroit, Mich., who looked up to him as the big brother she never had. He also leaves three stepchildren, Karin Poland of Florida, Linda Marlow of Iowa, and Glen Backe of Massachusetts. There are also 16 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild (and a second due in January).
ARRANGEMENTS:
Calling hours will be held Tuesday, Oct. 6, from 4 to 7 pm, in the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 15 Birch St., Derry. A Funeral Service will be held on Wednesday at 11 am in the Funeral Home.
Burial will be in the Forest Hill Cemetery in East Derry.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Community Hospice House, 210 Naticook Road, Merrimack 03054. To send a condolence or for more information, please visit www.peabodyfuneralhome.com.
Published in Union Leader on Oct. 4, 2009
From: Massachusetts Broadcasters Hall of Fame
Connecticut native Alan Dary began his broadcast career at radio station WSUN, St. Petersburg, FL on his return from serving in World War II. After three years he moved back to Connecticut to work at WBRY, Waterbury. It was in these two positions that he honed his announcing style as the sincere, down-to-earth “guy next door.” He came to WROL, Boston in 1950, where he hosted the Dary-Go-Round were he made audience participation a regular thing, often bringing listeners in as “guest DJ’s” or just to join him in studio for a cup of coffee. In addition to being a DJ, he was named Program Director in 1955. In 1956, he moved to WBZ doing a 30-minute evening spot on WBZ-AM, which was later expanded to include mid-days where he hosted Boston Movie Time on WBZ-TV4 in the late afternoon. The station would often stage shots of him in precarious positions (i.e., hanging from a tree limb) before commercial breaks. In 1961, Alan returned to WORL, and in 1963 to WHDH radio. It was at WHDH that he created the Mailbag Show on Sunday mornings where all the music was chosen from listener letters that he would read on the air. In an often lost time slot, he garnered tremendous ratings and was beloved for his knowledge of the music of the Big Band Era.
In 1974, he moved to WMEX doing a morning music program, followed by a pre-game Red Sox program called The Bleachers, where he roamed the bleachers talking with Sox fans. But as radio turned to rock-n-roll, he stuck to his musical roots and went to WHET in Waltham where they played the standards. In 1977, he moved to WGIR in New Hampshire for three years, again sticking to his musical “guns.”
As the “Music of Your Life” format took off at WXKS-AM, he returned to Boston to do mid-days and the Mailbag Show on Sundays, with which once again he had great success. In 1986, he returned to New Hampshire radio, where he finished his career doing a nostalgia format at WKBR (which at the time was managed by another Alan Dary, his son). He retired in 1988. In his heyday, Alan spent much time in New York and also Hollywood, interviewing some of the great names of that era.
Gravesite Details
Buried: 7 Oct 2009
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