by DGK Gary Megaffin
It was a cold March day in 1960 when I left CFOS Radio in Owen Sound on my way to a new gig at CKCR Radio (now CHYM) in Kitchener. The first person to greet and welcome me to the station was Don Cameron. A couple of weeks prior, Don just returned from the 1960 Winter Olympics at Squaw Valley California reporting on the games for CKCR listeners. We immediately became friends as we began our broadcasting careers. After three months on the graveyard shift (Midnight to 6:00 am), I became the morning man while Don was in the news department and head of sports. In 1963 Don married Carole Stoeser and I was honoured to be his best man. That year our daughter, Donna Marie was born at St. Mary’s while Don and Carole became God-parents. When I left for Toronto in 1965, Don remained at CKCR in Kitchener while auditioning for the expansion St. Louis Blues play-by-play announcer. Over the years we remained friends while keeping in touch and in 2003 I returned to Kitchener. I became a parishioner of St. Francis of Assisi, as was Don, and lectors at the 9:00 am Sunday Mass. It was a Sunday morning ritual to discuss the week’s radio news while waiting for mass to begin. In 1964 I became a Third-Degree Knight in Mississauga for a short time. Returning to Kitchener, I re-joined the Kitchener Knights in 2003. Don was an Honorary Life member of Council 1504 and always available to volunteer to support our charitable events. Although I left the mic in 1975, Don was a Broadcaster for over 60 years with CKCR, CKCO TV, CKKW Radio and later 570 NEWS. Don was known as “The Legend” and was the Kitchener Rangers play by play announcer since the team’s inception. It was a bittersweet day as Don died on June 7th, 2018, the day Joyce and I celebrated our 60thwedding anniversary.
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