Bob Steele Dies At 91

The Hartford Courant ^ | 12/06/02 | The Hartford Courant

[PaulJ]

Bob Steele, perhaps the best-known voice in Connecticut through the better part of a century on radio station WTIC, died this morning at the age of 91.

His family said Steele died in his sleep and was feeling fine only Thursday.

Steele, whose full name was Robert Lee Steele, built a huge radio audience on a blend of erudition, impeccable pronunciation, flawless timing, and some of the corniest jokes known to mankind.

To hundreds of thousands of Connecticut residents - and hundreds of thousands of others outside the state - Steele became almost like a member of the family with his recipe for scrambled eggs, word of the day, bad predictions and comments about fictitious relatives such as his Uncle Stainless and Cousin Tubular. In a business where performers can quickly fade, Steele was truly phenomenal, continuing on year after year, decade after decade, always finding an audience.

In the early 80s, his share of the Hartford area morning radio market was between 35 percent and 40 percent.

[PaulJ]

There's no one in Southern New England who doesn't know Bob Steele. He is in the Broadcasting Hall of Fame. A terrific guy with a great sense of humor, even if it was a bit corny at times. Starting the morning without Bob Steele was like starting the morning without Wheaties.We all have our favorite Bob Steele favorites ("A man was electrocuted on a Hartford city bus today. He sat on the Hartford Courant"). And it's true what the article says; when you met him you called him "Bob" and he treated you like he knew you forever. A terrific man who will be missed.
How many of you remember his son, Robert Steele, ran for Governor on the Republican ticket?

[Mike K]

I'll never forget Bob Steele, he was in fact a great guy, plus I won $1,000 on his show one fine winter morning.

[billorites]

Seems like only yesterday that I was listening to him.

[cloud8]

Yep, his son was my congressman before he ran for governor. Thanks for posting this, PaulJ. I listened to Bob Steele for over thirty years, not just in central CT, but from Williamstown, Mass. to Prov. RI. to Jay, VT. He announced my dad's birthday, kept me and everyone else I knew company on that commute when, as they say, there's no one up but you and Steele...I still have my collection of antenna switches! One Saturday morning last summer I woke up early and tuned in the radio looking for some news. Then to my surprise came Bob's familiar voice! Unbelievable, he was still coming in to work on Sat. mornings! (Remember he always said he was going to retire when he could announce his 80th b-day.) I went to the WTIC web site and found that they were organizing a postcard drive for his 90th. So I sent him a card that said I'd heard him, and maybe he had a future in radio :-) Well, goodbye, old friend, and God bless you. I guess I'll have to try that recipe for scrambled eggs. --Bill

[norraad]

He would tease the enviro-wackos about sensitivity.

"Oh, yeah, I talk with the animals too, just the other day I heard a comotion in the woods & out comes a pretty Doe, shakes herself off, looks at me & says

..last time I do that for 2 bucks!"

[nutmeg]

Connecticut has lost a real treasure today. I was one of the thousands of CT kids who "ate breakfast with Bob" every day during the 60s and 70s. And nothing was better than having Bob announce that your school was closed on a snow day!

Better yet, my parents - both World War II veterans - remember listening to Bob on WTIC from the mid-1930s up until his final broadcast last month (11/2/02). CT fans loved Bob's corny jokes, Word for the Day, Tiddly Winks, temperatures all over the world, marches and big band music, just to name a few of the features of his six-day a week radio show.

I am so happy I had the honor and privilege to meet Bob in person in October, during one of his book-signing appearances in the Hartford area with his son, Phil. For a 91-year-old, Bob looked the picture of health to my husband and me.

Their recently-published book is: The Word for the Day - 65 Years of Wit and Wisdom on Mispronunciation by Bob Steele and Phil Steele.

Just announced on WTIC 1080: Letters and cards of condolence may be sent in care of Bob's son, Phil:

Phil Steele
5 Linden Place
Hartford, CT 06106

The Steele family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Literacy Volunteers of America or to your favorite charity.

[nutmeg]

Thanks so much for posting this article.

[nutmeg]

Arnold Dean will be hosting a Bob Steele tribute show tomorrow morning (Saturday) on WTIC 1080. I didn't get the times, but I'm guessing it starts at either 5 or 6AM until 10AM.

Colin McEnroe, Bruce Stevens (whom I usually never listen to), Arnold Dean, Al Terzi and Ray Dunaway were reminiscing about Bob Steele today from 3-6PM. I only heard parts of the show, but they were playing some pretty priceless clips of Bob over his 60 years on WTIC. I think they even played his demo tape from the mid-1930s, if I heard correctly.

[PaulJ]

My father, a World War II combat veteran, told the story today about his return, from Europe, at the end of the war. He was on a ship in the Atlantic, 300 miles off the US coast, and the ship picked up the signal from the Bob Steele show.They played the station, through the speakers, throughout the ship. He said, next to seeing his family again, hearing that voice was the greatest "welcome home" in the world.

[Texican]

Paul:
Bob Steele was one of the greatest Cowboy actors that the black and white screen ever seen. He was all cowboy and did his own stunts and must have did at least a hundred movies. I use to watch him when I was a kid (70 years ago). Ken Manard, Hopalong Cassidy, and the others followed, but Bob was the first real cowboy actor.
I know that you are talking about another Bob Steele, but I had to put my two cents in.

Have a good evening and the very best to you and yours.

Semper Fi
Tommie

[nutmeg]

Wow, what a neat story! I just called my mother and read your post to her (my father passed away in 1994 - he was an Army veteran of the Pacific Theater. Mom was a WAVE in the Navy). She said Bob had mentioned from time to time that people in other states would write in to him that they could pick up WTIC from pretty far away, ie, Chicago, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, etc. Your story tops them all, though! :-)

[sushiman]

I remember him from TV . I believe he used to do the sports round-up on WTIC ? This would have been in the 60's .

[bootless]

I'm so sad to hear about this! I grew up in CT, but didn't hear him until I moved to the Hartford area in 1976 for college. I actually worked at WTIC(AM) for a little bit, met him very briefly. What a fine gentleman.