Good Bye My Friend:

Its never easy to say good bye to a friend, someone you work with, and learned from, but that's the case today, when word came that we lost Ben Laurie, a Texas Radio Hall of Famer, and long time radio personality in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

Ben was from Jacksonville, Texas, and grew up with a silky smooth voice, that when he spoke about news, or traffic, it was like listening to an old friend. Soft and southern, but always with integrity.

I listened to Ben when he was with Ron Chapman on KVIL he and Andy McCullough would do the news, and listening to him deliver his newscast was a great compliment to Andy's wordsmith ways.

In 1989, I returned to doing traffic reporting for Traffic Patrol Broadcasting, there Ben was the Operations Director, and that's where our friendship began.  Even though I pretty much felt like I already knew Ben from listening to him on the air, when you met him face to face, he was even more kinder than what you had heard on the air.

I remember talking to him for hours about his duties during the Kennedy assassination, and what it was like to gather news, when the devices that were at your disposal was a pay phone and your reporters pad-- and if you were lucky-- the tape recorder you were assigned to have. The long hours of following the story, and how they were always going after any shred of lead they could use to go on their air with in those days.

Pretty much what he taught me, and what he gave me, was a work ethic about reporting, and gathering news, and information, whether it was for a newscast or for traffic reporting-- the efforts that were put into it were to be the same.

Ben and I worked again together at Shadow Broadcasting in the mid 90's and there he and I were equals, producers and once again--taking what he had taught me before and applying it again, and becoming very proficient at it.  

When we met up again recently , about 3 weeks ago, it was like old home week, we tried  and catch up with what has been happening over the last dozen or so years, and talked about the good ol days of radio. 

Ben also liked to remind me that no matter where he went to work at, if I was to follow, eventually he was fired from the job... funny thing is-- so was I-- usually him first, me right behind him... don't know what that says about our ability to work well together, but none the less- -I will miss my friend, and I will miss his stories, I will miss learning from him!

Professional, warm, witty, and most important, he was REAL and GENUINE! I true gentleman!

You will be missed my friend, you will no doubt leave behind those of us who learned from you to carry on your good name and speak of you often and with reverence.

Be in peace!

Just a thought