Jay Pearce, Esteemed Illinois Public Media Veteran, Passes Away After Brief Illness
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Illinois Public Media is mourning the loss of Jay Pearce, a beloved and influential figure in public broadcasting, who passed away this morning after a brief illness. Jay served as the radio station manager at WILL for nearly 14 years before transitioning to manage WVIK-FM in the Quad Cities in 2011. He also contributed his expertise to the NPR Board of Directors and remained actively involved in public broadcasting until last month, working part-time for the Illinois Public Broadcasting Council.
Sad news on Jay's passing. We grew up next to each other on Willow Rd.in Winnetka. Family trips, skiing, and many good memories about our times together. Good kid - better man. RIP sir.
I've lived in Champaign now for over 40 years. One day driving and listening to the radio, I was surprised when the new manager of our local NPR affiliate said that his name was Jay Pearce. Really? The kid from my advisory period at New Trier? Yep it was him. We only talked once during his years managing WILL. But I was impressed with him as a station manager, and in a certain way, fanI was proud of him. He was an impressive radio personality.
My name is Andrew Abrahams. Some of you will recognize that name. Most of you won't.
From 6th grade to the middle of the college years Jay was my closest friend. We were inseparable most of that time and virtually every great memory for almost a decade includes Jay. It was the kind of friendship that influences the person you become. It certainly did that for me. Jay had a confidence and gregarious nature that I had yet to develop. He was funny and fearless. He was a great friend to a guy that didn't have a lot of them at that point.
In 7th and 8th grade we spent days upon days tape recording radio shows in our living rooms that no one would ever hear. Full programing... music, interviews, news... It was WPAC radio (Pearce/Abrahams Corporation - we even had a logo). Listening to the tapes (yes, some still exist) I sounded like a squeaky, pubescent 12 year old...and Jay sounded like Dan Rather. Even at that age it was clear what an amazing behind the mic talent he would become.
We made very bad stop action animation films, which usually ended up with an m-80 strapped to a Hot Wheel for the climactic explosion.
Every year we headed to Jay's basement and watched the Jerry Lewis Labor Day telethon - 24 hours - in it's entirety... we would call in at 3:30 in the morning to make a pledge, just to see if they would mention us on the Chicago feed.
We basically lived in the New Trier West Theater for 4 years, and snuck off campus regularly to go bowling and and grab a Spiro's Bomber. After summer school classes, we would go to the 7-11 and get a Slim Jim and a grape Nehi and sit outside and mock smokers.
I drove him down to SIU for his first day of college, he drove up to Ripon Wisconsin on my birthday to get me toasted for the very first time.
We road tripped to Salt Lake City, and we toured Europe together... -A book could be written about either.
Life and geography worked to make us more distant over the years, but on the occasions we were able to get together, it was 1970 again and it was like we had never been separated.
I'm sorry to drone... but so many things are flooding back, trying to block out a heartbreak that is so visceral.
Below is my very favorite photo of Jay and I... It was the aforementioned night in Ripon when he dragged me to a number of bars for my first real over-served experience.
This is how I'll remember him, full of life, laughing, with just a hint of troublemaker in the mix.
My neighbor for many years. Remember how he was at WNTH. He also operated a low power radio station in the neighborhood. So everyone knew he was destined for that. I later tuned in to WVIK online when, as Station Manager, he filled in for the regular host. Sorry to hear of his passing.
I’ve been reading the memories and tributes for Jay Pearce. Couldn’t agree more. He was a great guy, yes even in high school you could see that. He had a burning desire to go into radio and he was able to follow his dream. He had a small, illegally modified ah, er, not quite within federal regulations, slightly overpowered FM transmitter in his house. He’d broadcast his own radio show on the transmitter. I lived about a block or so from Jay, one night I was actually able to tune in and catch some static from his show. When I told him he was proud. It did not matter to him that his show could only be picked up by just a very few folks, he was on the radio!
He was a curious fellow; one time he noticed the Winnetka power plant was not exactly syncing the electricity to the 60 cycles per second required with alternating current. He called and got hold of someone at the power plant. The gentleman was polite but exasperated, he told Jay something to the effect, do you know how hard it is to produce power exactly at 60 cycles a second?
I was fortunate enough to have assisted Jay and Andy Abrahams a few times recording practice radio shows. Jay made it fun; Jay made it work. Clearly, he and Andy were better at it than me. Probably why I only did a few tapes with them.
Bruce Lotter
Sad news on Jay's passing. We grew up next to each other on Willow Rd.in Winnetka. Family trips, skiing, and many good memories about our times together. Good kid - better man. RIP sir.
Wayne Wager
I've lived in Champaign now for over 40 years. One day driving and listening to the radio, I was surprised when the new manager of our local NPR affiliate said that his name was Jay Pearce. Really? The kid from my advisory period at New Trier? Yep it was him. We only talked once during his years managing WILL. But I was impressed with him as a station manager, and in a certain way, fanI was proud of him. He was an impressive radio personality.
Bruce Bruemmer
With permission I am pasting this from Andy:
My name is Andrew Abrahams. Some of you will recognize that name. Most of you won't.
From 6th grade to the middle of the college years Jay was my closest friend. We were inseparable most of that time and virtually every great memory for almost a decade includes Jay. It was the kind of friendship that influences the person you become. It certainly did that for me. Jay had a confidence and gregarious nature that I had yet to develop. He was funny and fearless. He was a great friend to a guy that didn't have a lot of them at that point.
In 7th and 8th grade we spent days upon days tape recording radio shows in our living rooms that no one would ever hear. Full programing... music, interviews, news... It was WPAC radio (Pearce/Abrahams Corporation - we even had a logo). Listening to the tapes (yes, some still exist) I sounded like a squeaky, pubescent 12 year old...and Jay sounded like Dan Rather. Even at that age it was clear what an amazing behind the mic talent he would become.
We made very bad stop action animation films, which usually ended up with an m-80 strapped to a Hot Wheel for the climactic explosion.
Every year we headed to Jay's basement and watched the Jerry Lewis Labor Day telethon - 24 hours - in it's entirety... we would call in at 3:30 in the morning to make a pledge, just to see if they would mention us on the Chicago feed.
We basically lived in the New Trier West Theater for 4 years, and snuck off campus regularly to go bowling and and grab a Spiro's Bomber. After summer school classes, we would go to the 7-11 and get a Slim Jim and a grape Nehi and sit outside and mock smokers.
I drove him down to SIU for his first day of college, he drove up to Ripon Wisconsin on my birthday to get me toasted for the very first time.
We road tripped to Salt Lake City, and we toured Europe together... -A book could be written about either.
Life and geography worked to make us more distant over the years, but on the occasions we were able to get together, it was 1970 again and it was like we had never been separated.
I'm sorry to drone... but so many things are flooding back, trying to block out a heartbreak that is so visceral.
Below is my very favorite photo of Jay and I... It was the aforementioned night in Ripon when he dragged me to a number of bars for my first real over-served experience.
This is how I'll remember him, full of life, laughing, with just a hint of troublemaker in the mix.
I'll miss you buddy.
Peter VandeMotter
My neighbor for many years. Remember how he was at WNTH. He also operated a low power radio station in the neighborhood. So everyone knew he was destined for that. I later tuned in to WVIK online when, as Station Manager, he filled in for the regular host. Sorry to hear of his passing.Andrew Sluss
I’ve been reading the memories and tributes for Jay Pearce. Couldn’t agree more. He was a great guy, yes even in high school you could see that. He had a burning desire to go into radio and he was able to follow his dream. He had a small,
illegallymodified ah, er, not quite within federal regulations, slightly overpowered FM transmitter in his house. He’d broadcast his own radio show on the transmitter. I lived about a block or so from Jay, one night I was actually able to tune in and catch some static from his show. When I told him he was proud. It did not matter to him that his show could only be picked up by just a very few folks, he was on the radio!He was a curious fellow; one time he noticed the Winnetka power plant was not exactly syncing the electricity to the 60 cycles per second required with alternating current. He called and got hold of someone at the power plant. The gentleman was polite but exasperated, he told Jay something to the effect, do you know how hard it is to produce power exactly at 60 cycles a second?
I was fortunate enough to have assisted Jay and Andy Abrahams a few times recording practice radio shows. Jay made it fun; Jay made it work. Clearly, he and Andy were better at it than me. Probably why I only did a few tapes with them.
Jay, far too soon, far too soon. You are missed.