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For the better part of seven decades, Cary Simpson's warm, gentle voice brought happenings of the Tyrone community to life over the airways of AM 1340 WTRN.
That irreplaceable voice has gone silent with Simpson's passing Tuesday at the age of 89.
A Huntingdon native who, upon meeting a Tyrone girl while at Juniata College after serving in the Navy during World War II, married his late beloved wife, Betty, and embarked on a career building a network of AM and FM radio stations throughout central Pennsylvania, including WTRN, which he began operating in 1950, Simpson was a local fixture on the airwaves.
WTRN was the base of operations for the Allegheny Mountain Radio Network, which he managed along with Betty while raising his children, Barbara and Ted.
Simpson's passion for his adopted hometown -- "this place we call home," as he would say -- was apparent to the listeners of the small AM station that faithfully delivered the local news each morning and broadcast every high school sporting event, parade and anytime Tyrone gathered.
Simpson could often be seen standing on the steps of the Tyrone post office, where he would set up his remote equipment by himself, sometimes in the dark and sometimes in the cold, so listeners could be there when Tyrone's sports teams returned from big games far away.
He painted a picture of each parade, often calling over passerbys to say a few words for the broadcast, and faithfully promoted everything Tyrone.
Every Labor Day, Simpson called out numbers for the community picnic bingo game. For years, Simpson quietly compiled the Tyrone Chamber of Commerce newsletter and worked to better the community through his involvement on the boards of directors for the Tyrone Hospital and Camp Anderson. All the while, he worked daily from the tiny, unassuming offices and studios of WTRN to share the moments of life in a small town with WTRN's listeners.
Through WTRN and his work with countless people and organizations over the years, Simpson helped the community celebrate when things were good and helped bring everyone together to help their neighbors when things were not so good.
"We were in the Osceola Mills to broadcast the Fourth of July parade, and I asked him, 'Why are we doing this?'" recalled Tyrone native John Harlow, who got his start in radio at WTRN as a teenager.
"He said, 'Because there are people who can't be here, and we want to bring it to them,'" Harlow, who is now chief of public affairs for the Natick Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass.
Harlow said Simpson had a genuine concern for other people that ran deep, and he knew everybody and would always ask how people in your life, whom he all knew by name, were doing.
"Tyrone lost a pillar of the community when Cary Simpson passed away," Harlow said.
Simpson, who was named Broadcaster of the Year in 1985 by the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters inducted into the association's inaugural Hall of Fame class in 1996, was instrumental in providing many in the industry their start.
Dick DiAndrea, a longtime local broadcaster, who was named broadcaster of the year by the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters in 2010, said Simpson gave him his first job in commercial radio at WTRN-AM in 1960.
"At 19, I had the courage to call Cary, he interviewed me and hired me on the spot. He was nicest and the most understanding man I ever knew. I developed my style there. Someone at WFBG heard me on the Tyrone station and offered me a job at Channel 10. I will never forget him," DiAndrea said.
DiAndrea called Simpson the ultimate broadcaster.
"He built his own equipment. He was a nerd when it came to equipment and broadcasting. Scotch tape and duct tape were his favorite tools," DiAndrea said. "He gave everyone who wanted to get into radio the chance to do so. He gave them the experience to go forth. He always gave you the opportunity to learn."
Tyrone native Dave Snyder, now a radio marketing consultant and on-air personality for Seven Mountains Media, got his start on WTRN and said Simpson's life is literally one of service, from serving his country in World War II to his commitment to service oriented, small town radio stations all over Pennsylvania, for nearly 70 years.
"An amazing human being," Snyder said. "He was one of the kindest, most genuine people I've ever known. Entirely without pretense. He would always make time for you."
Snyder said Simpson was probably the most community-minded individual Tyrone has ever seen, who was active right up until the end.
"This really hits hard on a personal and professional level," said Matt Swayne, research writer at Penn State and former WTRN employee. "My first job in communication was in Cary's network. But it's also an entire community's loss. Cary lived and breathed the idea that you can't be a business in a community without being part of the community. That's the spirit that we need to make sure continues."
Sean McKay worked at WFBG-AM from 1969-98. He currently works in Montana at KSEN-AM but resurfaced at WKMC-AM in 2011 as part of an arrangement, which allows him to "stream" a show without being here.
He never worked for Simpson but was aware of him.
"Cary always seemed like a calm, caring, down-to-earth fellow who put the 'local' in local broadcasting and station involvement. I recall he would go out to Bland's Park with a microphone and broadcast nonstop all day. Talk about filling time, but he really served the community," McKay said.
McKay said he remembers several stories about Simpson.
"He had an old ice cream wagon that he used for remotes. When I first came to Altoona, someone had apparently driven it and burned the motor out. That didn't stop ol' Cary. He would tow it to remotes for years,"McKay said. "The man loved radio and did it his way. (It) couldn't have been easy, but I suspect a real passion and like I say, to me, a very kind, caring gentle person with no agenda."
Terry MacAlarney, who worked as an engineer at several area radio stations, got to know Simpson well.
"He was really a nice guy, and he would give you the shirt off of his back. He was laid back and soft spoken but a really nice guy. He was a pioneer in local radio," MacAlarney said.
Veteran broadcaster Steve Clark worked for Simpson at WTRN-AM in 1970 and managed his station in Coudersport for six months.
"Cary was the salt of the earth, the most giving person, most caring and soft spoken. He probably, more than any other broadcaster in the state, gave people their first start in radio," Clark said.
Simpson, who at one time owned about 12 small radio stations, also was well versed in electronics.
"He was so far advanced when it came to microwave technology. He literally had built the STL (studio transmitter link) systems for those stations. He built a lot of stuff by hand, he was very hands-on," Clark said.
Tyrone Mayor Bill Fink, who was one of the many people that Cary lent a microphone to over the years to speak to WTRN's listeners, said Simpson will be sorely missed.
"A true gentleman," Fink said, adding that Simpson was named "Tyrone's Treasure" -- a designation held by no one else -- in August 2015 during another Tyrone event Simpson tirelessly promoted, Tyrone Day at DelGrosso's Amusement Park.
"He was the most interesting and most concerned person for this town I've ever met," Fink said.
Mirror Staff Writer Greg Bock is at 946-7458. Mirror Staff Writer Walt Frank is at 946-7467.