Quick updates: The passing of Chris Roberts and Mary Turner

We'll get back to our catching up sometime in the next few days, but there's some items we wanted to share with you as soon as we could:

dailybruin.com

For 23 years, Chris Roberts called both football and basketball games for the UCLA Bruins. He was awarded with Golden Mikes and induction into the Hall of Fame hosted by the Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association. Roberts died on Friday, May 12.

Born Bob LaPeer, Chris was a three-sport athlete at Baldwin Park High School, then played baseball at Cal Poly Pomona. He started broadcasting in the High Desert at KCIN-Victorville, then worked throughout his way through Southern California, including an extended stint in the Inland Empire. The professional name change was a result of a conflict with another KFXM personality's on-air signature. Before UCLA, Roberts announced high school and junior college sports at KWOW-Pomona. He also announced games for Cal State Long Beach baseball until the team was dropped by the school in 1991.

Dan Guerrero, UCLA Athletic Director 2002 - 2020

When Roberts announced his retirement before the 2014-2015 season, UCLA Athletic Director Dan Guerrero offered his praise:

You will find no better Bruin than Chris Roberts...Whether the game is close down the stretch or the Bruins are running away with it, his joy and enthusiasm never wavers. Many of us have sat by the radio living and dying with his every word, never more so than over a certain 4.8 seconds in 1995. And we know all is right in the world when we hear him exclaim 'Touchdown U-C-L-A.' There are so many fond memories that span his truly remarkable career, and we are all excited that we get one final season to honor Chris for everything he has meant to UCLA Athletics."

Roberts suffered a stroke several months ago. He was 74.



She was known as "the Burner Mary Turner," one of the best known voices of progressive rock KMET during the 1970s and 1980s. It was reported she died on Tuesday, though there are currently few details.

afrtsarchive.blogspot.com

In addition to her work as a disc jockey, Turner was known as the host of "Off the Record," a Westwood One syndicated program where she interviewed rock celebrities. Her success with the show and other syndicated ventures led Turner to leave KMET in 1982 to continue working with Westwood One.

Norm Pattiz, Mary Turner and Lou Steiner at the 46th Grammy Awards in 2004.
(Jeff Kravitz / FilmMagic via Getty Images)

Around the same time, Turner married WWO founder Norm Pattiz. They were together until his death last December. 

Turner left radio altogether in the 1990s. She earned her doctorate in Clinical Psychology from UCLA, providing drug and alcohol recovery services to her clients partly based on her own experience with addiction. She was 76 years old when she died.

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