Broadcaster, author, 'extrovert extraordinaire' Ron Pumphrey dies at 87

Ron Pumphrey, a longtime broadcaster, authorand former St. John's councillor known for his humour and character, died Tuesday at the age of 87.

A man of many careers and even more words, Pumphrey was flamboyant and entertaining, but also a pioneer of broadcasting in the province, said former Mount Pearl mayor Randy Simms.

"He was an extrovert extraordinaire, no doubt about that," said Simms who, like Pumphrey, formerly hosted Open Line on VOCM.

"Ithink he loved people and it came across."

Pumphrey, who was born in Harbour Grace in 1931,held a variety of jobs over the course of his long career, including reporter, broadcaster, Salvation Army captain, local politician, author and spoken-word performer.

"I think he had more jobs than anywhere else in the Guiness Book of Records," said former St. John's mayor Shannie Duff, who served with Pumphrey on city council and often crossed paths with him during their work to preserve the heritage of Quidi Vidi, a passion Duff says she shared with him.

He was an extrovert extraordinaire, no doubt about that.- Randy Simms

Flanker Press, which published some of Pumphrey's numerous books, paid tribute to his many career changes in an obituary posted on their website Tuesday. In addition to his work in broadcasting, writing and reporting, he worked as a surface-mines labourer, amateur boxer-wrestler, salesman, editor, publication founder, commercial investigator and public relations officer.

It was Pumphrey's work as a councillor, where he was passionate but kind, that Duff most remembered, she said.

"He could out-talk, and probably out-debate, most of the people on council but he never used that skill, that debating and linguistic skill, to hurt anybody," she said.

'Hello me lovelies'

Pumphrey was willing to share his wide variety of expertise, both Duffand Simms said.

He passed along public speaking tips, Duff said, advising her to look the audience in the eye and use pauses and gestures to get your point across.

"He said if you want people to remember what you said, you have to tell it like a story."

Simms recalled a phone call he received from the veteran broadcaster in 2003, a few days after his own stint filling in for Bill Rowe on the radio.

On the other end of the line, Pumphrey told him that he was doing a good job so far and should continue in that line of work, Simms said but that he needed a good signoff. Pumphrey's own opening line "Hello, me lovelies" was well known.

"He taught a lot of us who came after him in the talk radio business, he taught a lot of us how it could be or should be done when you put the word entertainment in there," he said.

The sense of humour that once got Pumphrey a job in Jamaica at the Kingston Daily Gleaner, according to Flanker Press, was part of his long career, which included three spoken-word albums How To Be Happy And Avoid A Nervous Breakdown, From The Voice Of The Common Manand Ha! So You Sleep On Your Belly, Eh, Baby? and books with titles like Human Bean, Proper Gander and his most recent, The Events Leading Up to My Death, which was published in 2010.

Pumphrey was willing to try unconventional things during his time on the radio, Simms said, including bringing in psychics or connecting people who had been adopted with their birth families.

He could out talk, and probably out debate, most of the people on council.- ShannieDuff

"If you had a look at the ratings and the numbers from his time, he would be able to show you that it really worked because it really did," he said.

Predeceased by his parents and his late wife, Nellie Dwyer Pumphrey, Pumphrey is survived by his wife, Marilyn Duffett, his seven children, his 18 grandchildren and his six great-grandchildren.

Visitation will be held at Carnell's Funeral Home in St. John's on Saturday afternoon and evening.

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