Kathy Coulombe, a long-time broadcaster with CKO, CJAD, CHOM and Radio Canada International, died this weekend of lymphoma lung cancer.
The first news came from another veteran broadcaster, Jim Connell, in an email to the Radio in Montreal group. Those who worked with her quickly offered condolences via social media.
Obituaries have been posted by The Gazette, CJAD, CBC, RCI and Presse Canadienne, and already one blog post has gone up from Howie Silbiger with an anecdote about how they met.
I never met Coulombe, so I’ll just let other people’s memories speak for themselves:
A great broadcaster and a good friend is gone. Kathy Coulombe died today. She will be missed. pic.twitter.com/I7JNp3Bb
— Peter Anthony Holder (@PAHolder) December 2, 2012
RIP Montreal radio newswoman Kathy Coulombe, who used to call me "chef." She and I and Alannah Campbell were the… http://t.co/q85cXMTf
— Hilary MacLeod (@HilaryJMac) December 2, 2012
Really saddened to hear of @CJADnews Kathy Coulombe's death tonight. Apparently, she passed away from cancer. She was always so sweet to me.
— Naila Jinnah Brunelle (@NailaJ) December 2, 2012
http://twitter.com/manofbird/status/275255485333131264
http://twitter.com/manofbird/status/275276026987282433
Stunned and saddened by the loss of Cathy Coulombe. Gentle, kind, spiritual, passionate lady who was a big part of CHOM's story.
— Terry DiMonte (@TerryDiMonte) December 2, 2012
Sorry to hear that Kathy Coulombe has passed away. Hearing her voice on radio was so much a part of so many Montrealers lives. #journalism
— Elizabeth Thompson (@LizT1) December 2, 2012
Saddened to hear of Kathy Coulombe's passing. I read the news with her for a time on CKO Radio. Kathy was a consummate pro
— Dave Stubbs ?? (@Dave_Stubbs) December 2, 2012
Long-time Montreal Newscaster Kathy Coulombe has died. She will be missed by so many who never knew her, like me.
— R.A. Brophy (@MtlRAB) December 2, 2012
Thoughts go out to family & friends of Kathy Coulombe. Was lucky to have worked w/ her at CJAD. I remember her writing tips. Still use them.
— Thomas Daigle (@thomasdaigle) December 2, 2012
@Dave_Stubbs. I worked with #kathycoulombe @CJAD800. She had a distinctive voice, and was always eager to help. She also worked @FM96.
— Simon Dingley@CBC (@SimonDingleyTV) December 2, 2012
@TerryDiMonte thank you for sharing this. So heartbreaking to hear of Cathy Coulombe's passing. She trained me at CJAD so many year's ago.
— Debra Arbec (@DebraArbecCBC) December 2, 2012
Very sad day.I had not seen/spoken to Kathy Coulombe in years.That's the way this biz can be. But she had a big impact.A fellow radio pro…
— Mitch Melnick (@HunterZThompson) December 2, 2012
RIP Kathy Coulombe, a veteran voice of MTL radio. Had the pleasure of working with her at CKO, and hearing her most of my life.
— Jed Kahane (@JedKahane) December 3, 2012
Best comment re: Kathy Coulombe: "Didn't know the face but trusted the voice" All broadcasters should be so lucky to be remembered that way
— Tim Parent (@timparent) December 3, 2012
@ToddCTV Greatly saddened by the passing of our CJAD colleagueKathy Coulombe – great broadcaster and lover of cats. We shall miss you Kathy.
— Eramelinda Boquer (@EBoquer) December 3, 2012
RIP Kathy Coulombe – a great Montreal radio news journalist whose voice has been silenced at the much-too-young age of 56. #TrustedVoices
— Hal Newman (@BigMedicine) December 3, 2012
Great broadcaster, so sad. She'll be dearly missed. RT @CBCMontreal: Long-time Montreal broadcaster mourned http://t.co/5sAYUKNO
— ? Shaun McMahon ? (@ThatGr8VoiceGuy) December 3, 2012
Loss of Kathy Coulombe: caught off-guard. Recently spoke about grabbing a coffee. At a loss for words. Another Mtl radio voice goes silent.
— Jeremy Zafran (@MediaZafran) December 3, 2012
RIP Kathy Coulombe – newscaster, writer, researcher, broadcaster, RCI colleague, and wonderful human being. pic.twitter.com/np5DbSvK
— Wojtek Gwiazda ? One day at a time (@WojtekGwiazda) December 3, 2012
UPDATE: More memories from Dino Sisto.
So Kathy Coulombe died Friday, not Saturday(as CTV Montreal reported & Jim Connell posted on RIM).
Connell’s message didn’t specify a day. Word got out late Saturday about her death.
Friday, or Saturday…does it really make a difference? Remembering her life and respecting her passing and extending our condolences to her family, friends and colleagues are the things that really matter, don’t you think, Steve?
Was ONLY asking for a clarification(didn’t say Fagstein got his information wrong). Otherwise, in overall scope of things not really that important.
I’d asked you mostly for clarification. Certainly it could of happened on Friday. Even Sue Montgomery’s brief Gazette piece online on Kathy Coulombe stated she died Saturday.
Hi Steve W… K passed away Saturday December 1st, 2012
Another Great radio Voice silenced forever. Remember meeting her at some media event which I accompanied someone and was introduced to her, and surprisingly, and hearing about her extreme privacy ,,was glad to exchange a short conversation..
Her news delivery was serious but laid back, it was the type of newscast that you couldn’t wait to listen to.
But upon hearing this sad news, it strikes me, that like another great memorable voice in a different sense, she and this other voice being Ted Tevan, were innocent victims at their stations, for a variety of reasons.
Tevan, was fired by then CFCF PD Ted Blackman for one of the reasons floating around at the time that Tevan was responsible for Blackman’s low morning show ratings, not accepting that there were two people out there who were better being the great George Balcan and the wonderful Ralph Lockwood. It was an ego trip
As for Kathy, apparently it was a budget cutback during one of the recent purges..but why her instead of others, who I could name here, but there would be no point…I, for one, was hoping that someone of her stature could be picked up by the new group, TTP Media…
The point here is it seems great voices and personailities get the shaft..there are others I could name..RIP Miss Coulombe.