Jac LeGoff - RIP

**Searay215** · July-27-10, 05:15 AM

For those of you old enough to remember Jac LeGoff....I always like him. Not sure what station he worked for, but I think it was WXYZ. He was a likeable guy...at least that is my memory of him. RIP Jac!!

2010-07-27 LeGOFF, JAC

LeGOFF JAC July 25, 2010. Age 87. Former news anchor. Husband of Marguerite for 42 years and a blended family of seven children and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Services will be held privately. Memorial tributes to Honor Flight Michigan, P.O. Box 237, Royal Oak, MI 48668-9998. A.J. Desmond & Sons, 248-549-0500. View obituary and share memories at www.DesmondFuneralHome.com.

**Meddle** · July-27-10, 05:38 AM

This site shows he was at WJBK: http://www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/WJBK_[[TV)

Jac LeGoff - anchor [[1953-1959 and 1962-1974)

From: "detroit memories"

You remember Jac LeGoff who eventually worked at every TV station around Detroit

**douglasm** · July-27-10, 06:04 AM

If my memory is correct, Jack LeGoff, Jerry Hodak and Van Patrick [[and/or Wayne Walker) were the news team on WJBK's 11 o'clock news. Very sorry to hear of his passing.

Buy American · July-27-10, 10:14 AM

My deepest condolences go out to Jac LeGoff's family and friends. I remember his news broadcasts as always being professional yet I always felt like he was talking to just me. He was the epitome of what a newscaster should be...there will never be another newscaster at the level of Jac LeGoff.

**smogboy** · July-27-10, 10:34 AM

Classy classy individual. He was never the firebrand like his contemporary, Bill Bonds- but that was probably why I liked him so much. He just delivered the news in a straight forward, no nonsense sort of way. He was the consummate professional on the air. God rest his soul.

**Ed Golick** · July-27-10, 11:24 AM

LeGoff was the first Detroit TV anchor to sign a million dollar contract. And before he arrived in Detroit he hosted cartoons as Cactus Jack at WFMJ-TV in Youngstown, Ohio.

**Ray1936** · July-27-10, 11:31 AM

Originally Posted by douglasm

If my memory is correct, Jack LeGoff, Jerry Hodak and Van Patrick [[and/or Wayne Walker) were the news team on WJBK's 11 o'clock news. Very sorry to hear of his passing.

Yeah, that's the team I remember. Boy, his name brings back lots of memories for sure. RIP, old fellow.

**jackie5275** · July-27-10, 11:35 AM

I remember my dad watching him on channel 2 WJBK with John Kelly in the 60s. They were unbeatable for ratings. Bonds couldn't even touch them. When Kelly went to channel 7, it helped Bonds somewhat. Then LeGoff went to 7 & was reunited with Kelly. The were unbeatable there too.

**CountrySquire** · July-27-10, 12:23 PM

I never saw him on TV, my folks did not get a TV until 1975. What did he do after he quit being a TV anchor? Obviously he stayed in the area.

**Jimaz** · July-27-10, 12:37 PM

Thanks for posting the picture, Searay215. Without it I wouldn't have been able to put the name to the face. With the picture, I was even able to recall his voice. He had a very smooth, melodic voice.

**Mikeg** · July-27-10, 06:06 PM

What did he do after he quit being a TV anchor?

If I remember correctly, at one time during the early 1980s, he was part of an investment group that was building self-storage facilities, one of which is now owned and operated by "Public Storage" on Van Dyke in Sterling Heights.

**xphillipjrx** · July-27-10, 06:13 PM

I remember him with Doris Biscoe.

**EMG** · July-27-10, 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by jackie5275

I remember my dad watching him on channel 2 WJBK with John Kelly in the 60s. They were unbeatable for ratings. Bonds couldn't even touch them. When Kelly went to channel 7, it helped Bonds somewhat. Then LeGoff went to 7 & was reunited with Kelly. The were unbeatable there too.

I remember almost everyone mentioned in this thread [[except Wayne Walker, whom I've never heard of). I especially liked the LeGoff/Kelly team. Yes, LeGoff was a great guy.

Boy, what a blast from the past this thread is with all those familiar names. A couple of other Channel Two guys I remember were the editorialist Bob McBride "What Do YOU Think?" and before him, Larry Carino.

**mikefmich** · July-27-10, 10:44 PM

Wayne Walker, Detroit Lion defensive all star for many years out of Boise Idaho. Had a little gap in his tooth, would've been doing the TV sports news thing early to mid 70's.

**daddeeo** · July-28-10, 09:39 AM

Doesn't anyone remember him on CKLW?
Jac was a boring but steady anchor guy. He did have a great laugh and smile when
he did show it.
The fact that he was always in demand says a lot about what a professional newscaster he was. How many other guys were on all the local TV channels as a newsman?

**Ed Golick** · July-28-10, 11:41 AM

Le Goff was fired from WJBK in 1959 for editorializing about payola in radio. At the time, Storer Broadcasting owned both WJBK-TV and WJBK-AM, and several of their radio station's DJs were implicated in the scandal. Le Goff spent two years in exile doing the news at CKLW-TV before being rehired by WJBK in 1962.

**pffft** · July-28-10, 12:48 PM

The payola scandal rocked Detroit radio particularly ...
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100...roit-TV-market

**douglasm** · July-29-10, 06:38 PM

Maybe Ed can confirm this....

I saw a posting on www.mibuzzboard.com that Jerry Hodak will retire in September. He's been in the Detroit market 45 years and worked with LeGoff at WJBK.

**daddeeo** · July-30-10, 08:25 AM

Question now is Who's the oldest news person on radio or TV after Sonny Elliot?
Carmen Harlan or Guy Gordon?
Any other suggestions .. Joe Donavan?

**Ed Golick** · July-30-10, 09:48 AM

Hodak is retiring in September.
The oldest living Detroit television personality is Harry Jarkey, who turns 97 on August 11. Harry had a morning talk show on WXYZ in the late 50s called "Our Friend Harry." He also hosted a game show for kids called "Fun House."

**daddeeo** · July-30-10, 11:48 AM

MY question is who's the oldest still on the air?

**OriginalG313** · July-30-10, 11:56 AM

I don't think Carmen is older than Diana Lewis or Robbie Timmons.

**grumpyoldlady** · August-01-10, 02:33 AM

I worked at WJBK when Jac LeGoff and Jerry Hodak, and Wayne Walker were there. Jac was a very nice man, and a top notch anchor man. I think for a while Ray Lane had the sports spot...he was one of my all time favorite WJBK "talent". He worked for TV2 for a long time. I can't remember the order of the sportscasters...I know Ray was there when I started in 1971. Can't remember if Wayne Walker was there before Red Jamieson [[sp) or after. Charlie Neal took the sports spot from Red. It hit Red very hard, as his subsequent death proved. And just in case you weren't aware, Jerry Hodak is a graduate of Denby High School.