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This story was published in Radio Recall, the journal of the Metropolitan Washington Old-Time Radio Club, published six times per year.

Click here to return to the index of selected articles.

OBITUARIES
(From Radio Recall, February 2004)

ROBERT DRYDEN DIES AT AGE 86 IN ENGLEWOOD, NEW JERSEY

Robert Dryden, whose acting career spanned over four decades of radio, television, theater, and film appearances, died on December 16, 2003. He was 86, had Parkinson's disease, and died at the Actors Fund Nursing Home in Englewood, N J.

Dryden, who was born in New York City, began his career in summer stock at the Barter Theater in Virginia and performed on Navy radio during World War II. He settled in New York City and appeared in many radio series including The Shadow, The Fat Man, Big Town, Gangbusters, Superman, and much later, CBS Radio Mystery Theater.

He appeared in Broadway productions , plays at the White Barn Theater in Westport, CT, and in films including The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. He was the voice-over for hundreds of commercials and had recurring roles in TV dramas such as The Edge of Night and Kojak.

In recent years, Dryden attended the FOTR conventions in Newark. His wife, Harriet Davis Dryden, died in 1998.

LES TREMAYNE, “MR. FIRST NIGHTER”, DIES AT AGE 90

One of radio’s most popular stars, born in 1913 in England, Les Tremayne, passed away on December 19, 2003 following a three-quarters of a century in the entertainment spotlight.

His family moved to Chicago when he was four years old and he grew up playing radio roles there. Tremayne would go on to star in several series: Adventures of the Thin Man, Abbott Mysteries, The Falcon, The First Nighter, and Jack Armstrong. After radio drama died, he moved easily into film and television work, including roles on series: Peter Gunn, Ellery Queen, and Mission Impossible. His movies included A Man Called Peter.

Tremayne stayed active in show business until his recent retirement. He died of heart failure in Santa Monica, CA. He was survived by wife, Joan, and brother, Charles Henning.

HOWARD DANIEL, MWOTRC MEMBER, DIES IN VIRGINIA

A long-term, faithful club member, Howard Daniel, died on Jan 14th, one month short of his 70th birthday. He had battled diabetes for years and died of conjunctive heart failure in an Arlington, VA hospital while being treated for respiratory problems.

Howard, a lifelong resident of the DC area, attended local schools and college here. The majority of his federal service was at GSA, where he retired in 1989.

He was survived by wife, Dorothy, his sister, Glena Robey, and a nephew and niece. Gifts in his name can be made to the American Diabetes Association.