Bob McAdorey

May 30/11

I was thinking the other day about middle-aged ladies who are "cougars." I suddenly realized, I'm the least cougar-like woman I know! (One day, while watching The View, I heard Barbara Walters ask, "What's a cougar?" Oh, Come on now Barbara, get with it! But just in case anyone doesn't know, - it's an older woman who seeks out or prefers relationships with younger men, OK?)

ALL the men I love, am crazy about or feel passion for are over 55 or more! Sure, I can appreciate a gorgeous young face, but what's up with the older guy thing? I think it's that they've hit their stride, (sometimes) mellowed, found their course, their direction, understand things about the world, are more relaxed and just generally "get it." (maybe not always, but often).

Although I'm in this age range myself, I have to discount myself from this "stable mode", (as I'm currently falling apart at the seams), but I hope to get it together one of these days.

Even when I was younger, I appreciated older guys. - About to hit you with my best example now, and it's my pleasure to talk about him!

For 18 wild years, I had the good fortune of working with Bob McAdorey at Global Television. He passed away in February, 2005, but he's always with me.

When I joined Global in 1984, (I was 28), - Bob was 49 and in his glory! He was known as one of the "Three Nice Guys" of the News at Noon. (along with John Dawe and Mike Anscombe).

Having no experience in TV, I was a nervous wreck, but little did I know, I'd be learning from the best! With the help of all three "nice guys", I was given the chance to learn how to anchor the entertainment segment from time to time and it was always a blast. Some people say, looking back on their career, they realize now they didn't appreciate what they had. I knew EXACTLY what I had - my dream job, and I appreciated every deadline- driven minute of it. The excitement and adrenaline kick of that high stress was absolutely mind-blowing and thrilling.

Within a very short time, I developed a major crush on Bob. I didn't even actually realize it at first. I just knew I liked being around him and helping him get crazy ideas onto the air. (mostly, that job fell to producers Kim Gertler, Leslie Elston and Bonnie Laufer Krebs, but I did what I could, and in the later years, after a lot of job shuffling at the station, I became more of an assistant to him). In watching him every day, his on-air appeal seemed to have no bounds. He would do anything and loved to shock the viewers (and all of us who worked with him too!)

It was Bob's daughter, Colleen (who worked in the news library), who first recognized and told me I had a crush on her Dad, and then, I had to admit it! How could I NOT have "crushed" on the man? He was so irreverent, quick on the draw and witty. Humour has always been at the top of my hit list and Bob was hysterically funny. I once told him, if it's true that laughter is the best medicine, then I should be the healthiest person on the planet just from working with him. (guess I haven't been laughing enough THESE days, eh?)

Happy days with Bob! Wearing a pregnancy top - expecting, (but not by Bob!) - You can see the celeb photos I put up at my desk behind me
Sometimes, I attended events as "Bob's date." Really just a friend or escort, but we always had fun together.

Party time with all the girls! (left to right), Ola, Vicki, Bonnie, Elaine, (NEXT to Bob, of course!), Bob, Irene
As great as it was to work with him, he could also be exasperating. He was moody, tempermental and hit high points of anger in a flash, (though they usually subsided just as quickly). I learned to swear from Bob, which I KNOW is the reason swearing doesn't bother me in the least to this day. I hardly notice it at all, (thanks to him). In fact, when I changed jobs and went to work at Tribute (the movie magazine), I couldn't understand the politeness. Then one day, I overheard a website guy next door to my office, screaming obscenities into the phone. After he hung up, he came over to apologize to me. I thanked him for the tirade and told him I FINALLY felt at home! (he didn't get it).

One day, it was announced that our entertainment co-worker Rob Davidson, (an old pal of mine from radio days), was leaving the department to handle the business show. I was broken-hearted and gave Rob a farewell card and a good luck hug for the new venture. Of course, I was taking pictures (as always). Bob wasn't Rob's biggest supporter (they clashed a bit), so when he saw me taking photos, Bob insisted on staging a mock cry-fest for Rob - right in his presence!

Bob whimpers over Rob Davidson's sad departure from entertainment

Meanwhile, my buddy Rob, took the whole thing in stride!
Years after joining Global, the station launched Entertainment Desk, a half-hour daily live show featuring Bob as host. All of us played a role in pulling the show together (especially Bonnie Laufer Krebs, whom Bob nicknamed "Bulldog Bonnie" due to her tenacity when it came to nabbing good guests for the show!)

I did daily reports for the show, and appeared weekly with Bob to talk daytime drama on my "Soap Chat" segments - Those were the days!

Bob LOVED doing Ent Desk and talking to all the celebs, like Carole Pope of Rough Trade!

And Jerry Mathers as "The Beav!"

Bob with actor/singer Robert Morse

Burton Cummings was always a HUGE McAdorey fan because of Bob's many years as a radio DJ with CHUM!
Once, I went with Bob to Disney World in Florida to cover some big events there. We all had on site hotel rooms. Here, producer John McKenna and I rigged up a makeshift "studio" in Bob's room, using a mattress against a wall as a "sound baffle"! What a laugh!

At one point, Bob had to undergo eye surgery. He shocked us all when he said it had been "botched" and he was forced to take time off to recuperate and had to wear an eyepatch. We all felt horrible for him. I had no idea that due to his absence, I would get the chance to take over the hosting duties on Ent Desk for nine months! I missed Bob so much, but at the same time, it was a baptism by fire in learning about doing LIVE TV!

Hosting Entertainment Desk - What an opportunity!

Interviewing Timothy Dalton
In between all the work, there were always parties!

Another bash with Bob! - top row, Marion Graham, husband Brian, me, Rick Dade, Bob, front row, Stephanie Rogers, Frank Mahon, Steffi Black
When Bob wasn't at work, he liked to spend time at his house in Niagara-on-the-Lake. I remember visiting there when he had the black patch on his eye. He missed doing his job, but adored that house.

I was asked to speak at Bob's funeral in 2005. I had left Global (in part, due to suffering panic attacks when I had to go live on the air), so the thought of speaking in public, terrorized me. But I was honoured to be given the chance to sing his praises, and with enough beta blockers in me, I was able to do it.

John Dawe drove me to the service and practically had to push me up the aisle to the podium. After a deep breath, I spoke to the crowd about my special relationship with Bob. I told everyone about the time I'd had a fight with my husband and was crying in the office. When Bob heard what the problem was, he went out and bought me a card. He gave it to me, and inside, it said, "Forget HIM. I LOVE YOU!!"

On my 40th birthday he gave me a cane decorated in flowers! (I still have it). I paid him back on his 64th birthday by lugging in a boom box, waiting for him to walk in the office and then blasting him with The Beatles' - "Will you still need me, will you still feed me, when I'm 64!" (he hated birthdays)

One Christmas, I baked him a fruitcake. (I was nuts). The cake turned out like a brick. He laughed when I gave it to him and put it on the floor to use as a door stop!

The last time I heard from him was in the form of a pretty, floral Valentine that showed up in my mailbox. I opened up the card and the message he had carefully written said, "I love you so much I can't shit."
To this day, my most memorable Valentine ever. I bring it out every February 14th as a "decoration" for my dining table.

Bob had a lot of sadness in his life. I always wondered how he could put it behind him enough to make others laugh, when he was suffering so much pain. But he did it. There was never a day I didn't love him.

I ended my speech at his funeral by saying, "Every Friday night after work, the two of us would sit in the entertainment office together to wind down after a wild week. We rarely talked about movies or stars, but mostly about food, recipes, his MG, the good old radio days at CHUM, children and grandchildren. Those things were most important to him and made his life worth living. Bob certainly brought a lot of happiness, light and laughter into my life, and I'll never forget him."