|
|
 |
|
at Dan's memorial service, March 7, 2010.
Hello, I'm Jona Denz-Hamilton--the designated keeper-in toucher of the KOME friends. Let me start by stating
something EVERYONE has told me, "Dan was the best General
Manager that they've ever had". Many, like me, were new to
radio when we worked with Dan, and feel truly-fortunate to
have started out so positively. This is a tribute from Dan's
fans, who worked with him at
KOME
in the '70s and '80s. So put yourself back in a pair of
bell-bottoms and enjoy 8 memories. Jim Hilsabeck, who
was on air and in sales, stated simply, "I loved Dan." It
was great hanging out with him at the old Bodega in
Campbell--especially when Gloria joined in--since Jim admits
to having had a crush on her! Greg McClure,
known as "Fingers" back then for his tape-editing skills,
remembers Dan's sentimental side. At a get-together a few
years ago Dan made sure to bring along his KOME memory book
for us to autograph. Greg's heart was melted by the value
Dan placed on even the little guys, making sure we all
signed his treasured keepsake. One thing Tom
Ballantyne had clung to for the past 35 years was his
innocence over making a wisecrack after a commercial. Dan
was probably inclined to believe the client who'd given him
a good piece of his mind. But there was no reprimand or
scolding. He did bring it up at a staff meeting though--very
diplomatically--never mentioning any names, and that was the
end of it--until the other day when Tom found his old
aircheck tape--with the snarky comment--and he thought, "10
points for Tapson!" Here's an additional story from Mark Fenichel: I was just a young 26-year-old, not very experienced rep when Dan and George took a chance and hired me in 1979. Dan always seemed like the voice of reason to me and from the beginning I had a respect for him that always seemed to be understood between us but we never really talked about it. He was like my guide to success in those days. |
But he was one of those
leaders that you felt like you could easily approach and
discuss anything and he always seemed to have the right
answer or at least an answer. Looking back at all the GM's I
worked for he stood out as the fairest of them all. Thanks
Dan, for helping to launch a 33-year career and change my
life forever. At another meeting: You
know Dan wasn't easily confused but, no one told him that
former weekender, Don West had been re-hired--after
being at a rival station! Poor Don's sitting there
practically hearing Dan thinking, "what the heck is HE doing
here??" Once our program director finally explained,
everyone let out a sigh of relief--especially Dan! When Jim Sheehan
graduated from San Jose State he went for his dream job
at
KOME,
saying it was like a Joe DiMaggio fan growing up to play for
the Yankees! Jim's cool memory is of Dan stepping into his
office one afternoon with Dana Jang and a 6-pack of
Budweiser, insisting that they kick back and watch the
beautiful California sunset. And finally, I'm still
embarrassed even after 35 years! Dan and Gloria had the
KOME
staff over at their beautiful home. It was getting late and
I had to be on the air at midnight. The party was definitely
not winding down--especially for a few of the guys, who
decided to try tossing me in the Tapson pool. With the fear
of spending the next 6 hours on the air soaking wet, I
resorted to screaming a tirade of thee worst expletives. You
should have seen the look of disbelief on Gloria's and Dan's
faces. Hopefully they laughed about it later! And I'll never forget how
Dan gave me his blessing the day I gave notice that I'd
gotten a management position at another station. He
genuinely shared my excitement even though it was a
goodbye. All these years later, with so many more experiences (and I know I share this sentiment with everyone) I'm so grateful to have had Dan Tapson in my life.
|
