REDDICK, Bill

The Arizona Republic, Phoenix, Arizona Sunday, April 13, 2003 Bill Reddick, Television pioneer, Bill Reddick, is dead of a massive heart attack at the age of 84. He died at his home in the bay area of San Francisco where he and his family had lived for the past 27 years. Mr. Reddick began his acting and broadcasting career at KPHO-TV a small station in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1945 following merchant marine service and defense work. He was playing in a dance band at the Arizona Biltmore Hotel when an opportunity to audition for a radio announcer's job became available. His previous voice training at Pasadena Playhouse in California was a help in obtaining the position. When the radio station obtained a television license in 1949, Mr. Reddick made the transition. In 1952, he moved to New York and went to work for WNEW and, later, WHN. While free-lancing doing T.V. commercials, he met and married the Broadway actress, Jeanne Shepherd and they, together, worked as a husband-wife team on commercials and on such shows as "I Married Joan" and "I am the Law". After seventeen years in New York the Reddicks moved to Hawaii where Mr. Reddick was a news anchorman for the CBS affiliate there. He also appeared on "Hawaii 5-O". Los Angeles was the next stopping place at radio station KFI and T.V. Station KCOP. He appeared in the motion pictures, "The Sunshine Boys" and " Executive Action". He also had a running part on "The Adventures of Ellery Queen". Later, he continued his acting career in San Francisco, appearing in "48-Hours", "Shoot the Moon", "Sudden Impact" and "Tucker" among others. Mr. REDDICK was born in Paducah, Kentucky, but soon after his family moved to New York City, where he was raised. He attended Trinity School, Scarsdale High School, and DePauw University in Indiana. Mr. Reddick was a world traveler, motorcyclist, drummer, private Pilot and flew for 5 years in the Civil Air Patrol in the Bay area. He is survived by his wife Jeanne Shepherd Reddick of 50 years, two sons, Lyndon Val Reddick of Montague, California, Kyle William Reddick of Kailua, Hawaii, twin daughters, Karen Gausden of Scottsdale, Arizona and Sharon Schuster of Carefree Arizona. There are four grand children and three great grand children. Courtesy of Pat Wilson.