|
TRAVERSE CITY RECORD-EAGLE “ACTIVE YEARS” SECTION (FEBRUARY 2005)
Radio host Catton was a man of many passions
BY VINCENT HANCOCK
Special to Active Years
Northwestern Michigan lost a distinguished voice last October when Edward B. Catton passed away after a sudden heart attack. He was 69.
Catton’s vibrant personality, his lifelong exploration of music, history and the land, and his endless capacity for learning serve as testament to a life thoroughly lived.
For more than thirty years, many radio fans found Catton’s resonant baritone a familiar voice, providing daily culture and education over the airwaves of Interlochen Public Radio. Known for his Saturday morning “Music by Request” program and his numerous readings of stories, he also guided WIAA-FM’s classical music broadcasts as the station’s program director. Former IPR producer and announcer Bruce VanBuskirk, who worked with Catton during the 1980s and ‘90s, said Catton appreciated the range of classical works, including vocal, instrumental, baroque and modern pieces.
“The whole gamut was important to him,” VanBuskirk said. “He wanted not just the war horses to be heard but unknown works, too.”
Intertwined with Catton’s knowledge of the music was a clear fascination with all things English.
“He was a huge Anglophile,” said VanBuskirk, noting Catton’s many trips to his beloved Lake District in Great Britain.
Nancy Keith, Catton’s long- term companion, often joined him on his English explorations. She understood his fascination with the Isles, having her own family roots there.
“He fell in love with England on his first visit,” she said. “He loved the scenery and the people. And he loved the food. Haggis, black pudding, all of it. Except for mushy peas.”
The two were traveling in England when he passed away. “He always said he wanted to die there,” she said. Throughout his travels, Catton nevertheless remained engaged with his home community.
|
