Hard to believe he's really signing off. Tonight is his last newscast.
I've met Ron many times over the years. The first time I met him was on the night of Steve & Garry's 10th anniversary show at the Chicago Theater in 1989. He had the honor of introducing them on stage. It was a crazy night. The backstage area was hard to describe (and I probably shouldn't describe it), and for a second I thought I saw a flicker of "Am I killing my journalistic credibility by being a part of this?" in his eyes.
But he was always a good sport, and that night was no exception.
Another time we had him on the Landecker show and the two men talked about their favorite records from the 50s and 60s. That was a fun interview because it exposed another side of Ron.
I don't need to mention his work on Chicago television (or radio--with Roe Conn in particular), because that speaks for itself. He was a pro's pro. One of the very best at thinking on his feet and staying in the moment. That's a great trait for a broadcaster.
I heard him on Steve Cochran's show not too long ago, discussing his plans for retirement. He mentioned he might consider writing a book. If so, Ron, I know a publisher!
