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BORN
1936
DIED
2019
FUNERAL HOME
Thomas Murtaugh Obituary
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Memories and Condolences
for Thomas Murtaugh
Sponsored by Feerick Funeral Home - Shorewood.
Ozaukee Radio Club Nancy Stecker KC9FZK
June 14, 2019
the Ozaukee Radio Club extends it's deepest sympathy to you all at the loss of Tom (W9VBQ). He is fondly remembered by many of our members. A donation to the American Cancer Society will be made in his memory.
John Weir
June 12, 2019
I came to know Tom at WISN TV where he directed the nightly newscasts I produced. He was a great professional, but also one of the funniest guys I ever knew. He called our crew the "Eye-missed It" news team, but always had ideas for improvement. May God welcome him to the big studio in the sky.
ELIZABETH SCHERRER
June 11, 2019
In loving memory of a wonderful person. As a really good friend and neighbor at the Beverly Rd. apartments in Shorewood, Tom was always there for me and helped me during some very difficult times. There are so many funny stories I fondly remember too! I can honestly say he was the most kindest and gracious man I ever met. He will be missed by many. My sincerest condolences to the Murtaugh family. RIP my dear friend.
Mary Yanny
June 10, 2019
I would like to extend my sympathy to Tom's family. May his memory be a blessing. Tom was wonderful neighbor to me and others on Beverly Rd. in Shorewood.
Tom, then WN9VBQ, participating in the ARRL's 1952 Field Day competition.
Theodore Cohen
June 10, 2019
It's taken me a while to find this photo, but here's a shot of Tom at the Milwaukee Radio Amateur Amateur Club's 1952 Field Day operations in June of that year. Tom's the guy on top of the club's truck, helping erect one of the many antennas fielded for this important competition conducted each year by the American Radio Relay League (ARRL). As noted, Tom was 15 at the time.
DONALD PINSKER
June 10, 2019
CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY OF TOM MURTAUGH. WHOSE NAME I IMMEDIATELY RECOGNIZED WHILE READING THE OBITS, ON LINE, IN LAS VEGAS.
TOM & I, WERE CLASSMATES STUDYING TELEVISION PRODUCTION AT THE MILWAUKEE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY FOR SEVERAL YEARS, DURING THE TIME FRAME WHEN THE MILWAUKEE AREA TECHNICAL COLLEGE, MADE AN APPLICATION TO APPROVE AN EDUCATIONAL TV CHANNEL TO BE CONSTRUCTED FOR THE MILWAUKEE AREA WHICH BECAME CHANNEL 10, AND IN LATER YEARS, CHANNEL 36.
I ASSISTED THE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS, IN CONSTRUCTING "MASTER CONTROL", ACROSS THE HALL FROM THE THEN LONE STUDIO, ON THE 6TH FLOOR.
WHILE TOM WORKED AT WISN TV-12, 19 & WELLS STREET, I WORKED AT WITI-TV -6, AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS, DONGES BAY RD. & PORT ROAD, AND LATER, AT N. 27TH STREET NEAR SILVER SPRING, DURING THE YEARS, WHEN WITI-TV, THEN AN INDEPENDENTLY OWNED STATION, BECAME AFFILIATED WITH A NETWORK, ABC AS I RECALL. WITI-TV, TOOK OVER THE STUDIOS CONSTRUCTED BY CBS TELEVISION ON N. 27TH STREET.
CARL ZIMMERMANN, THE DEAN OF NEWSCASTERS FORMERLY AT WISN, WAS HIRED BY WITI-TV. A GREAT PERSON TO WORK WITH.
MY JOB HAD ME INTERACT WITH THE NEWSROOM FOR BOTH EVENING NEWSCASTS, 6 AND 10 P.M., WHICH EXPOSED ME TO THE POLICE RADIO MONITOR, WHICH CHANGED MY ADULT CAREER PATH IN 1962, TO BECOME A MILWAUKEE POLICE OFFICER INVESTIGATOR FOR THE NEXT 18 YEARS, PERFORMING ALL THE DIFFERENT JOBS THAT POLICE OFFICERS DO.
IN MY 16TH YEAR, I TOOK MY FAMILY ON A VACATION TO LOS ANGELES. THE WEATHER WAS DELIGHTFUL.
THE FOLLOWING WINTER OF 1978-79, WAS TERRIBLE WITH OVER 22.5 INCHES OF WET SNOW ON MY HOUSE ROOF, WHICH HAD TO BE SHOVELED.
I WAS NEVER A COLD WEATHER AND SNOW ADVOCATE.
IN THE SUMMER OF 1979, I RETURNED LOS ANGELES, TO "INVESTIGATE" MOVING TO LOS ANGELES AND RETURNING TO MY BROADCASTING CAREER. REALIZING, THE COST OF LIVING WOULD TRIPLE, DEMANDED ANOTHER SUMMER OF "INVESTIGATION" TO MOVE TO LOS ANGELES.
IN JULY 1980, I BOUGHT A LOS ANGELES HOME, AND ARRIVED IN SEPTEMBER 1980. DURING MY YEARS ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, I ALWAYS VISITED THE DIFFERENT MILWAUKEE TV STATIONS AND KEPT ABREAST OF THE TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS BEING MADE.
THE FIRST 18 MONTHS, WERE DIFFICULT, WITH FULL-TIME, TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT AT SEVERAL HIGH PROFILE COMPANIES, AS A BROADCAST ENGINEER, I.E. NBC TELEVISION NETWORK; THE TECHNICOLOR CORPORATION, AS A PURCHASING AGENT FOR A MULTI-MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT; KHJ-TV, CHANNEL 9 HOLLYWOOD, FOR 6 MONTHS, FOR A HOSPITALIZED ENGINEER, IN JUNE, 1982, I WAS HIRED AS A BROADCAST ENGINEER, FOR THE CBS TELEVISION NETWORK, WEST COAST HEADQUARTERS, TELEVISION CITY / HOLLYWOOD / LOS ANGELES, FULL TIME "STAFF" AND STAYED FOR THE NEXT 22.5 YEARS, UNTIL I RETIRED, WITH A TOTAL OF 30 YEARS IN TELEVISION.
CURRENTLY, LIKE TOM, 82 YEARS OF AGE, BUT MY AVOCATION AS A PERFORMER, I HAVE BEEN SINGING THE MUSIC OF SINATRA, TONY BENNETT & NAT "KING" COLE FOR OVER 60 YEARS, AND IT ALL STARTED IN MILWAUKEE, IN THE THEN INNER CITY, NEAR N. 17TH STREET AND W. FOND DU LAC AVENUE.
[email protected]
Martin Hendeson
June 10, 2019
I only met Tom the once. Heather introduced me to her Dad whilst I was visiting her from the UK. He welcomed me to his home for a Barbeque and was very friendly, funny and a generous person. Condolences from our
family to you all. Tom will never be forgotten.
Maureen Riordan
June 9, 2019
This takes me back to 1958-59 when Tom and I and Chuck Grand would be in Chuck's basement listening to modern jazz and my Tom Lehrer LPs and they'd spin wild stories, and plans to form Grandtaugh productions...and when Tom came back from the Army and was getting back to the civilian life, the first month we walked for miles and miles in the evenings on the East side, and I loved Tom desperately, desperately (platonically) the way one can at 19. It is good to know that he had such a full and happy life. My sympathy to his family in this loss.
Our other mutual interest!
Randy Timms
June 9, 2019
One of our mutual interests...
Randy Timms
June 9, 2019
Theodore Cohen
June 9, 2019
Tom and I lived next door to one another beginning in the summer of 1948, strung wires between our bedrooms in 1951, sent Morse code back and forth, and by 1952, had received our Novice class licenses from the FCC. From there, we both went on not only to earn higher-class Amateur Radio licenses, but also, pursue successful careers in communications/electronics. We remained friends throughout our lives, though we lost track of one another until we happened to meet by accident on 20-meter SSB one evening in 2004. After that, my wife (Susan) and I had the good fortune to visit with Tom and Sonja several times at their beautiful home in Wisconsin, with Chuck Gradi, another good friend from those days in the early '50s, able to be there as well. Good times! Great memories. Rest in peace, Tom. 73, Ted N4XX
Sheri Gibbs
June 9, 2019
Tom was one of the greatest friends, neighbors, pals, kindest-hearted and best human beings I've been privileged to know in a lifetime. There are countless great memories of time spent with Tom. I remember the winter evening he arrived to visit me in Sister Bay -- seeing the entire front of his car grill and headlights encased in over 2 inches of solid ice, just feeling sick at the thought of what he'd driven through just to visit me, & thanking God he'd safely survived! Among the silly ones is the time we watched Grumpy Old Men & laughed so hard we both slid right off the couch to the floor & stayed there laughing through the whole rest of the movie.
Tom was a hard worker, a loving father, a brilliant fella, a generous soul, a stupendous friend -- he will be missed by everyone who was blessed to have known him. My sincerest condolences to his dear family.
Beth Wronski
June 7, 2019
To the Murtaugh Family,
I had the good fortune of meeting Tom through my parents, Howard & Rosemary Gernette. Tom not only had a great sense of humor and fun to be around, but he also help me with some photography.
Please know that you're all in my thoughts and prayers.
Beth Wronski (Gernette)
Showing 1 - 15 of 15 results
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