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1-12 of 12
- Newman was best known for playing Gertrude, sidekick/girlfriend/City Dump telephone operator to J.P. Patches - played by Chris Wedes - on the long-running television program on KIRO TV. However, Gertrude was only one of many characters that the talented and versatile Newman played on the show. Others included the villainous Boris S. Wart - the Second Meanest Man in the World (moo-ho-haha!); Ketchikan the Animal Man, proprietor of the Bongo Congo Kennels; oneeyed gentle yet odd creature Ggoorrrsstt the Friendly Frpl; clumsy handyman Leroy Frump; the mysterious Zenobia; the Swami of Pastrami; Sturdley the Bookworm; and, come December each year, a sometime bumbling Santa Claus.
Bob joined the program in 1960, and essentially created a role for himself when, working in a technical job off camera, he called out to J.P. in a falsetto voice while J.P. was pretending to speak with an unseen and unheard telephone operator named Gertrude. Soon, Newman was dressing up like a life-sized Raggedy Anne - complete with house dresses borrowed from his mother, a mop wig and heavy make-up - to appear on-camera as Gertrude.
For a few not-so-long-ago decades, Gertrude and J.P. were like rock stars in the Pacific Northwest, and their popularity during the Golden Age of local television can't be overstated.
The two were among the most recognizable and most universally beloved characters on TV in the region throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and their chemistry together as live performers is unmistakable, even on some of the earliest video clips that survive. But, once the program went off the air in 1981, their fame continued to grow, through VHS tapes, appearances on public television and numerous live performances at private parties and special programs at venues such as the Museum of History & Industry (MOHAI). From 2000 to 2004, Bob and Chris hosted the "Northwest TV Holiday Reunion" at the museum, along with other figures from local children's TV, including KING's Stan Boreson and KTNT/KSTW's Brakeman Bill McLain.
After 26 years at KIRO TV, Bob later worked part-time for many years at KCTS Public Television, applying makeup to station personalities as well as guests on talk shows and other programs that were filmed in-studio. Prior to working in television, Bob was also a radio broadcaster in the early years of KUOW FM at the University of Washington, where he studied communications in the 1950s.
For his more than half century of work in broadcasting, Bob was inducted into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Northwest Chapter's Golden Circle in 2014. It meant a lot to Bob to be recognized by his fellow broadcasters.
In 2008, a life-sized bronze statue of Gertrude and J.P. was dedicated in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. Excess funds raised for the statue were donated to Seattle Children's Hospital. Chris Wedes passed away in 2012.
Bob Newman was the youngest son of Lee and Ruth Newman, and grew up on Mercer Island. He had two older brothers, Russell William Newman and Steven Newman. Bob was just four years old when his brother Steven drowned in Lake Washington after falling off the family dock. Throughout Bob's life, he made a point of seeing to it that children in his family and social circles learned to swim, and he always insisted on lifejackets and other water safety measures for kids on boats or near bodies of water.
Following graduation from Garfield High School in Seattle, Bob joined the US Marine Corps and served as a frogman in Korea. Bob loved being a Marine, and in later years, he often said he wished he'd remained in the Corps longer. It was a true passion for him, and an organization where, his nieces and nephews say, he was able to carve his own distinct identity from that of his father and brother, who were both attorneys.
In the 1990s, Bob was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The disease slowed him down a bit and forced him to walk using a cane or crutches. But Bob remained a positive force, driving a bright yellow Corvette and still getting out and about to make appearances with Chris Wedes or to dine at the Nickerson Street Saloon where he was a regular for many years, and where he made a lot of friends. During many of those active years, Bob lived aboard his boat the Zaba Zaba, which was moored nearby at Canal Marina. For the past decade or so, Bob resided in a series of assisted living centers as his multiple sclerosis progressed and his mobility decreased.
Bob had a terrific sense of humor. He was a master of self-deprecation and displayed comedic levels of exaggerated self-confidence - and he was also a thoughtful listener and talented storyteller, too. Decades ago, Bob gave himself the intentionally over-the-top "Fabulous Bob" Newman nickname - which he had tattooed on his forearm - and he often responded to compliments from friends or fans with a quick and off-handed "When you're great, you're great!"
Survivors include his sons Paul Newman and John Newman, and grandson Andrew, as well as numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his brother Russ Newman in 2010. Bob was cremated, and his remains will be interred in a private ceremony at Mount Tahoma National Cemetery. - Writer
- Actor
Philip Martin was born on 3 July 1938 in Liverpool, England, UK. He was a writer and actor, known for Doctor Who (1963), Star Cops (1987) and Doctors (2000). He was married to Patricia McDonnel. He died on 13 December 2020.- Mitsuyo Asaka was born on 20 February 1928 in Kanda, Tokyo, Japan. She was an actress, known for Watch Your Heart, Tamegoro (1971), Kowagaru hitobito (1994) and Hare tokidoki satsujin (1984). She died on 13 December 2020 in Tokyo, Japan.
- Nikola Novosel was born on 8 November 1941 in Zagreb, Croatia. He was an actor, known for Neunistivi (1990), Dirigenti i muzikasi (1990) and Guardian of the Castle (2017). He died on 13 December 2020 in Zagreb, Croatia.
- Actress
- Writer
- Producer
Catie Lazarus was born on 26 April 1976 in Washington, District of Columbia, USA. She was an actress and writer, known for M.Y.C. (2013), Let's Ruin It with Babies (2014) and You, Your Brain, & You (2019). She died on 13 December 2020 in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA.- Sony Ovalles was born on 27 June 1940 in Salcedo, Dominican Republic. He died on 13 December 2020 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.
- David Johnson was born on 12 October 1960 in Duffield, Derbyshire, England, UK. He was a producer, known for Stewart Lee: Content Provider (2018). He died on 13 December 2020.
- Cinematographer
- Camera and Electrical Department
- Additional Crew
Jouko Paavonen was born on 1 February 1938 in Helsinki, Finland. He was a cinematographer, known for Isännät ja isäntien varjot (1976), Poste restante (1982) and Hyvä veli (1995). He died on 13 December 2020 in Helsinki, Finland.- Andrey Sapunov was born on 20 October 1956 in Krasnoslobodsk, Volgograd Oblast, Russia. He died on 13 December 2020 in Russia.
- Joe Bruno was born on 8 April 1929 in Glens Falls, New York, USA. He was married to Barbara Fraser. He died on 13 December 2020 in Brunswick, New York, USA.
- Edgardo Del Villar was married to Carolina . He died on 13 December 2020 in Bergen County, New Jersey, USA.
- Actor
- Writer
- Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bob Goetze was born on 24 February 1970. He was an actor and writer, known for Palm Harbor Vice (1991) and Palm Harbor Vice 2: Brotherhood of the Monkey (1993). He died on 13 December 2020 in New Port Richey, Florida, USA.