Dave Roberts & Lisa Thomas-Laury Remembers Jim O'Brien

[@paulgross3067]

I am 57 and I remember is a little boy watching him doing the weather. It was funny. This one storm I guess went into New Jersey southern Jersey and he had said if you’re crossing the bridge watch out you’ll hit a blank of snow. It wasn’t predicted it was a weird snowstorm, but I just remember him, great guy really great guy. I learned to love everyone there at channel 6. They’re like family.

[@acekelly1000]

Lisa Thomas-Laury was such and always will be a class act. Such a moving tribute.

[@flaccidego9468]

I thought she was a hot chick when I was just a little kid. I happened to come across this video now in my 40's and further confirmed that the fonz always had great taste in chicks

[@tyrese3745]

Well, forget it, pal. She's married (since '81) to Dr. Bill Laury w/ two sons.

[@lauramalizia9636]

I remember when she left work and she was attacked 😭. They showed a picture of her in the corner screen all bruised up..

[@terencebigt3825]

I grew up in Philly and Jim O’Brien made the news fun to watch for all Philadelphians. It’s been over 30 years since his passing but i still think of action news when life was a simpler time.

[@frankwhitson2191]

In the 70s, he said Bala Cynwood would see partly cloudy skys at 6 pm. At 11 pm he said a caller asked " What is this 6 INCHES of PARTLY CLOUDY doing in my DRIVEWAY" ????????? I bet you everyone in the place was rolling on the floor laughing there butts off!!!!!!! heard the tragic news while in GA. RIP Jim. He went by the name jungle Jim when he was on WFIL radio.

[@FuUtAmAaSA]

I grew up in South Jersey in the 70's and 80's Jim O'Brien is still missed. 😿😿😿

[@jad8123]

Lisa Thomas-Laury was beautiful.

[@voodookitchenmama]

Watching years later. They were like family to us all.

[@sjtom57]

Not sure why this came up as a recommended video but I'm glad it did. I left the Philly area years ago but remember fondly everyone back then at channel 6. They were like family.

[@colettenasielski7065]

Lisa Thomas Laury was so emontial

[@flaccidego9468]

I loved his smiley and grumpy faced clouds

[@ClassicRocker61]

the man that put Casa GRAN-de on the map

[@rwboa22]

Channel 6 kept those magnets until the mid-2000s, then switched to a large projection screen monitor. Now it's chroma key system.

[@BuzzFabs]

40 years, I still remember exactly where I was when I heard the news. My dad and I had taken a day trip from Media to Rehoboth for afternoon of surf and sun. We were in the car on the way home and heard the news on the radio. What an amazing broadcaster and tremendous loss. Now in my 50s, and living in Europe, I am crying while typing this. 💔💔

[@thomasbryant2601]

I remember this sorry sad 😥 day ☀️

[@FCat2020]

Amazing--I was in high school in Bryn Mawr and Jim O'Brien's death sent the entire area into mourning. Even watching this now in 2010 makes me tear up. The Action News team always seemed so close and fun-loving.

[@TralfazConstruction]

Well said. The entire area/region was in shock. Thirty-eight years ago this coming September. Everywhere you went there was someone with a Jim O'brien memory that they wanted to share. (writing this on April 13, 2021)

[@ColetteNasielski-p3r]

RIP Jim O’Brien going to miss you

[@Lyubov91]

I remember that weatherboard with the little magnetic images!

[@MsFrosteetoes]

I remember when this happened. It was sad then and still sad. He hosted a local show called Dialing For Dollars. The premise was to call a random phone number from the area and iif the person picked up before the 6th ring they won a cash prize. Another tidbit is that his daughter is actress Per i Gilpin from the show Frasier. You can see the resemblance.

[@lilflower25]

Who is Peri's mother?

[@terresadarragh6556]

I LOVE ALL OF THEM.BACK IN TIME.i could not wait to get up an watch all of that loving family .that they were.

[@lush89]

it's impossible to watch this and not get broken up...

[@ColetteNasielski-h7l]

Goodbye Jim going to miss you

[@queen_of_domination]

I remember this. This was very sad.

[@cathyleebormannfitzpatrick]

I remember this like yesterday. I was a young kid only at 12 years of age then. Such a sad time watching this on the news.

[@gsnfan]

We lost Jim 39 years ago today. His sudden death hit everybody in Philadelphia hard.

[@28mark]

I was 26 when I saw this broadcast. Felt so sorry for Lisa. She got through it though...such a class act.

[@tyrese3745]

That what made Lisa Thomas-Laury the better anchorwoman in the Delaware and Lehigh Valleys. She's been retired since last year after she served 38 of 'em.

[@lauramalizia9636]

@@tyrese3745 I remember when stories went around, that she was the better anchor and Chris Wagner was fired because she was a...*itch. Not just to Lisa, to everyone.

[@storyofcory]

Watching this made me think of Ms. Joyce Garbaciak of WITI Channel 6 in Milwaukee, WI, after the mid-90's death of Vince Gibbens, who was Joyce's co-anchor. She did remarkably well talking about Gibbens' untimely death (he died in his sleep), but you could hear the "hitch" in her voice once or twice. I will always marvel at how well local news anchors keep it together when reporting on the death of one of their own.

[@Code1Lyoko]

@@lauramalizia9636 wait Chris was fired because of that I can’t find that on Google I tried searching up why doesn’t she work for action news anymore

[@outtaherephils]

@@Code1Lyoko From what I remember, she was kind of phased out when Monica Malpass came aboard in the late 80s. I think it was one of those deals where officially she left on her own terms but nobody was sorry to see her go

[@darkcloud2917]

I was only 13, living in Pennsauken, when he died but I remember it so clearly. I always thought Jim was kind of cute.

[@marksymbala1193]

Dark Cloud blo him

[@lauramalizia9636]

I was in kindergarten. I didn't think he was cute (yet 😉) but I know he was my favorite weatherman and for a 5-6 year old kid to clearly understand (and look forward to seeing) the weather after dinner with the awesome board, I agree he was a very good communicator.

[@MikeSmith-qs4ll]

All these years later and I still cry. Jim O'Brian was awesome. Action news has always been like a family then and now. They have always been the best. Rest in peace Jim.

[@TheBrooklynbodine]

Jim O'Brien was actress Peri Gilpin's dad.

[@fashionroyaltylover6722]

She had ne crying. I was 10 when this happend and I remember it like it was yesterday. The whole Delaware Valley was in mourning.

[@lauramalizia9636]

I was 5. Maybe actually 6.. September '83.. that was 1st grade. Thought I was in kindergarten, but yes! It's still crystal clear, just like when the challenger exploded less than 3 years later. I was still 8 when that happened. Memory is amazing. Possibly because I was younger Jim O'Brien's death seemed like an isolated tragedy, but by 3rd grade I remember the sequence of events better. The Chicago Bears beat the Patriots in the Superbowl, the challenger blew up 2 days later and Flyers hockey player Pelly Lindbergh was left brain dead as the result of being drunk/riding with a drunk driver.

[@anamthewanderer]

@@lauramalizia9636 I was eight. I cried my eyes out all day. My grandmother, also grieving, was a great comfort to me. Such different times. With fewer channels, television felt a little more communal. I think we all felt closer to the folks on local news because they were not only in our homes at noon, five, six, and eleven, but also in our communities. They weren't just doing a job, they allowed their personalities to shine through. For someone I never knew personally, and for someone I knew of so briefly (being only eight years old at his passing), I still think of him often.

[@Stefanie2530]

@@anamthewanderer I sobbed too, Anam. I was 10. It really was like losing a family member. I remember a nighttime special they did for Jim. I really started to lose it when Jim Gardner's voice got a bit shaky during it. It was awful when Gary passed away too. Even when sick, he always had a HUGE smile on his face during his broadcasts. I definitely got teary-eyed when Jim Gardner announced his retirement plans. That's going to be a VERY tough goodbye. Silly as it sounds, i found him very comforting in the days following 9/11.

[@colettenasielski7314]

I JUST WANT TO SAY AMEN JIM WAS A CRAZY GREAT GUY GOD BLESS HIM

[@TheDaddycatty]

wow its been almost thirty years since jim died . i remember that clearly but i had forgotten what they all looked like. loved channel six action news. i can still remember the theme music. today it is whnt news channel 19 with jerry hayes and greg screws and the team...i love it just as much as growing up watching laury and garner and o'brien way back then. interesting to see how far the news has come since those days.

[@jessyleppert2]

Even though Jim died before I was born, I break down and cry when I watch this

[@JAdoreSephora]

I am sitting here watching this and crying with her..Like this just happened....that was a shocker to me when I heard that news years ago...

[@joycelittle3401]

I loved jim obrien .

[@stevephil10]

Jim OBrien was the man...i was only 12 but he WAS Channel 6 at the time...awesome personailty...i remember my Ma crying...

[@markbowman6655]

I remembered the name and wasn't quite 10 years of age yet, living here in Central PA before cable, with a roof mounted directional antenna pulling in the station, I enjoyed Channel 6 for their Phila. Eagles/Phillies coverage.

[@colettenasielsk5458]

May Jim O'Brien Rest In Peace

[@lcozzarelli]

And Jim O'Brien was Peri Gilpin's father (Roz on Frasier)

[@colettenasielski7314]

Your right Lisa Jim was a crasy guy

[@colettenasielski1135]

RIP Jim 'Brien 1939-1983

[@nanlisa]

I was only 26 and in L.A. back then, and I was away from Philly for two months. It rained in L.A. on the last two days of that September there.

[@addiejones1912]

Thank you so much Sanford.

[@Shakeshack78]

Dave Roberts is David Boreanaz's father.

[@rwboa22]

Shakeshack78, Dave Roberts is the TV name for David Boreanaz, Sr., however before he came to WPVI, he was known as Dave Thomas up in Buffalo.

[@lauramalizia9636]

@@rwboa22 interesting. I gather he may have had to change to Roberts because of Dave Thomas (Wendy's restaurants)

[@catholicpriest1]

They sure have improved green screen technology over the last 30 years!

[@antoniaford5478]

The black slides at the end are so chilling.

[@tyrese3745]

Who could play the "Move Closer to Your World" theme at such a sad, painful time like that?

[@TGGaineyProductions]

Yeah it was best that they fade to black. Who wants to see the news team on set consoling one another in tears?

[@twst1]

wow, i can remember watching the evening news with my parents when this happened....

[@rowe76]

lil sad to still see tears in their eyes

[@colettenasielski5158]

Really good testamony

[@OldsVistaCruiser]

Dave Roberts will be missed, too. No, he didn't pass away! He announced his well-deserved retirement in November 2009. His final weathercast will be on December 11, 2009.

[@TralfazConstruction]

Now _that_ seems like it was only just last month. The years just fly right on by.

[@greggsheaffer2521]

RIP Jim O’Brien

[@jabaris]

god I remeber this I am 35 now in ohio but I remember this as a boy in philly

[@oldeenglishd45]

I hope someone memorializes me as well as that. I didn’t even know the guy, and I’m saddened.

[@philaman1972]

I remember his death as an 11 year old kid. Now we are going thru the same thing with Gary.

[@Danielle0785]

@JeffK1980 it's heartbreaking to see, but like Dave Roberts said, they're still human beings. Sometimes, you just can't help it no matter how hard you try. My mom said that news cast was the hardest of all of the coverage to watch because of her crying and I can only imagine.

[@ghghg4444]

Wow I can remember watching a televised NFL game when this scrolled along the bottom of the screen of his death and immediately switching channels to see if it was actually true. Jim was always funny and made actually looking at the weather fun as I've been a life long viewer of Action News 6abc for decades..

[@davemychajlyszyn6719]

Sad

[@PennsylvaniaHistoryBuff]

This made me like Lisa Thomas Laurie even more than I already did.

[@beckrbuy]

Holding hands on camera. God bless

[@buckbuck9225]

And yet not one actual tear

[@buckbuck9225]

@Club Soda ok

[@ColetteNasielski-p3r]

Go ahead Cry Lisa

[@hwyfan]

Chris Wagner is the Executive Director of Media Communications with the railroad company Conrail in Philadelphia.

[@tyrese3745]

I thought Conrail was defunct back in 1999.

[@straycatttt2766]

I was trying to remember her name, thanks.

[@tkso.philly3879]

Where's channel 48?I'm from Passyunk,I lived over the train tracks from channel48 .

[@colettenasielsk5458]

He will be missed

[@elgeneralxx]

Well i really dont know what this is or why its in my recommended

[@PhaedrusNYC]

It's funny- when this happened I was about six, and it was a good discussion starter, much like Mr. Hooper's death. But I didn't remember this (if I ever saw it), and I have to say- I never was fond of Lisa Thomas-Laury as a newswoman, and this actually moved me. The fact that she was professional enough to keep going impresses me.

[@Grundig305]

Thunder boom booms

[@colettenasielski9254]

Goodbye Jimbo

[@colettenasielski9254]

See you in heaven

[@msk7046]

@darylorr --Congrats! Jim meant a lot to me as well. As you may have, I grew up watching Jimbo. His "Accu-track," "Mean-motor-skooter abd a bad go-getter" remarks to warn us of an impending huge storm are some more terms Jim used. Do you have any clips from your weather segments to post? Continued success.

[@hazelkelly6370]

Jim was funny guy bad weater and good weater guy Action New,s 6 A.B,C, alls the best

[@gibby100]

whatever happened to Chris Wagner after she left WPVI?

[@JoshBolden91]

What happened to him? Im sorry I was drawn to this video by another one.

[@MrMichaelPS]

Ski diving accident!

[@samanthalake5011]

I love the 80s. Look at the background weather board. 😃

[@LEEMURJ]

Is it horrible to say it should have been don tollefson and not jim obrien?ok,,,,,,it's horrible. Just saying...good dude dead, horrible dude...alive and soon to be the girlfriend of some lucky inmate named tiny! Nothing like penitentiary love at its finest. He can be the sports anchor for the ass Olympics. I think that is a year round gig? Or is that a 5 to 44 year gig?