C O M M E N T A R Y
Rock On,
Retirees
By John Wilson
John Wilson
will do for the rest of your life. Believe me,
I know.
I have an office in Saint Petersburg at
the advertising firm that is run by my
eldest son Paul. I am busy there satisfying
clients, as I follow Mary K.’s advice in
thinking of this as a new adventure into
which I have “Refired,” rather than
“Retired.” I have plenty to do, and my
“retirement” has presented opportunities
that were not possible when I was working.
Some people ask me if I miss being on
TV. Of course I do, but I was fortunate to
work with wonderful people, including
our middle son Mark, who, after 18 years
at WTVT and working a few desks from
mine, is occupying my anchor chair. This
is my dream come true. He and his bride
Angela and their two children live close
by; as do Paul, his wife Jackie and their
two children. I love having them all so
close. Unfortunately, our youngest son
TV NEWS HAS BEEN GOING
through a major transition as
news anchors are retiring.
Their familiar faces are ones that we
have come to trust, admire, respect,
criticize and welcome into our homes
as friends.
One of the most recent was
WTVT’s 25-year veteran anchor
Denise White, who said goodbye
just before Thanksgiving. Denise
became a role model for news
anchors as she could read, write, ad
lib on the air and be as personable as she
is in real life. News anchors ask their
viewers for many things, but most of all
to find them credible. Those who are
moving into retirement are facing major
transitions. However, the good news is,
there is life after TV for news anchors.
Gayle Sierens retired from WFLA shortly
after I left WTVT in 2014. Frank Robertson
and Kathy Fountain ended decades on
WTVT seven years ago, and they faced
retirement together as husband and wife.
They have found their own new adventures.
And, for the first time since we were
married 50 years ago, Mary K. and I now
have regular meals together, and we go
out during the week without the need to
plan ahead.
The “R-Word” needs serious financial
planning, but the rest depends on the
individual and how much they believe in
themselves. You need a plan of what you
Patrick, his bride Dagmara and their
two children make their home in
New Jersey.
For me, the future is about
believing in yourself and believing
in what you want to do. I have so
many projects lined up that I wonder
now how I ever had time to go
to work. I am thankful for the
opportunities I was given to live my
dream as a teenager to become a
TV news anchor. I watch the news
like everybody else now, which
means that, occasionally, it frustrates me.
My son Mark has no trouble fulfilling his
dream and still makes time to keep playing
his guitars like Eddie Van Halen. I have
found that all new adventures require
remembering what we have been hearing
from two great rock bands, Van Halen
and Journey, as they sing, “Don’t Stop
Believin’!”
9
EDITOR’S NOTE: John Wilson ended 50
plus years of radio and television news
broadcasting with his final goodbye on WTVT
Fox 13 on November 26, 2014, the day before
Thanksgiving.
160 TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2016