Robert Guthrie

February 23, 1934 - February 27, 2016
Bob Guthrie, whose authoritative presence, booming voice and calm demeanor made him one of the most recognizable and trusted news reporters and anchors in Texas over a career that spanned more than fifty years on radio and television, died Saturday morning. He was 82.

Bob, who was a native of Chicago, Illinois, was in the U.S. Army stationed at Ft. Sam Houston in 1955 when he was hired on the spot by a WOAI radio manager who overheard his familiar bass voice while he was working weekends at a local television station.

Bob hosted talk shows, a popular jazz hour where he was given credit for popularizing modern jazz musicians like Dave Brubeck, and even a lost and found program on the radio before settling into the love of his life--news.

Bob's voice calmed and inspired Texans through the many crises and celebrations of the last half century. Bob was standing in the hallway of the Dallas Police Station on November 22, 1963, and it was Bob who informed the police detectives holding up Lee Harvey Oswald's rifle what make of firearm it was. As a news anchor on WOAI News Radio and for a time on Channel 4 television, Bob was with San Antonio and Texas listeners and viewers through the moon landings, the Challenger explosion, the invasion of Kuwait and 9-11, to name just a few.

Bob was also a licensed pilot and aviation enthusiast, and he would schedule his vacations around the annual Oshkosh Fly-In in Wisconsin, where he loved to talk with his fellow pilots. An Army veteran, Bob was a tireless supporter of the U.S. military, and he never missed an opportunity to meet with troops, whether they were in San Antonio or around the world. Bob loved San Antonio. He was the voice of, among many other events, the Texas Cavaliers River Parade and the Battle of Flowers Parade for decades, and his regular newscast before the weekly meetings of the Downtown Rotary Club was an appointment that local movers and shakers never missed.




Bob leaves behind a towering legacy of integrity, honesty, and faithfulness to the truth. Bob was what young men and women in broadcast news aspired to become. His impact on the broadcast news profession is indelible and will live on for decades. When reporters strive for the truth, when news anchors put aside entertainment and opinion for solid, accurate and trustworthy reporting, and when Americans receive the news they deserve, delivered honestly and faithfully, Bob will be there, smiling.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Evelyn and Robert M. Guthrie.

Bob is survived by his wife, Joyce (Richardson) Guthrie; his daughters, Kimberly (Kleeman) Siess, Karen (Kleeman) Herring and her husband, Gary and Sue Munns and her husband, Tom; Bob's grandchildren, Ashton Klingbeil and her husband, Alan, Kendall Siess, McKenzie Siess, Spencer Elizabeth Herring, Zachary Herring, Noah Herring, Kevin Munns, Catherine D'Abate and her husband, David, and Austin Munns; his sisters, Bonnie Purnell and her husband, Lou, Shirley Chadwick, Julie Clark and Gail Van Daele; and numerous nieces and nephews.

MEMORIAL SERVICE
MONDAY
MARCH 7, 2016
11:00 AM
PORTER LORING NORTH CHAPEL

Pastor Ron Hill, officiating. A private committal service will take place at Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery with military honors. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Bob's name to the Rotary Club of San Antonio Foundation, 110 Broadway, Suite 220, San Antonio, Texas 78205.

You are invited to sign the guestbook at www.porterloring.com

Arrangements with