VERO BEACH — Ominous storm clouds and torrential rain were no match for the friends of the late local radio personality Neal Stannard, who gathered at Waldo’s on Wednesday night to remember the 55-year-old afternoon news anchor who died suddenly Aug. 18.
The party at Waldo’s kicked off fund raising efforts for a scholarship to keep Stannard ‘s spirit alive, established by his colleagues at Treasure and Space Coast radio. The Neal Stannard Memorial Scholarship Fund will provide scholarships to Indian River County seniors who want to pursue study in acting and writing, both of which were passions for Stannard.
While afternoon storms are not unusual here in Vero Beach at this time of year, this one was remarkable because of the rainbow that appeared in the sky before the rain came.
Stannard was a colorful character known for his vibrant Hawaiian print shirts, his many roles in Vero Beach Theater Guild productions, most notably as the rabbi in “Fiddler on the Roof,” and his thoughtful talks at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship here in Vero Beach, and across the state. Stannard was also an aficionado of the cinema, who wrote a book, published in 2010, titled, “Now & Then The Movies Get it Right.”
His was the soothing voice on the radio, during the weeks following the back-to-back hurricanes in 2004. Voluntarily, he showed up at WTTB, with his cats and a case of beer, and worked the 12-hour overnight shift for 20 nights straight, calming locals through the trauma of living without modern conveniences and lulling listeners to sleep, in the hot, humid nights.
“Neal’s mind was as agile as an Olympic gymnast,” said Darby Dickerson, Treasure and Space Coast Radio traffic director. “He was the poster child for encouraging people to be themselves.”
Radio personality Marcia Littlejohn remembered Stannard fondly. “He was my board guy. He made my show for years and years. He would always correct my pronunciation,” she laughed.
“He was Switzerland,” said Donna Roberts-Mitchell, a friend of Stannard’s and a member of the Vero Beach Theater Guild. “He was totally unpolitical. Everyone loved him.”
Outside, the storm raged.
Inside, Ian Clark played the bagpipes, while revelers drank “Neal’s Voodoo Juice,” nibbled on goodies from the kitchen, and bought raffle tickets for Majestic Theater passes, Dolphins/Jets football tickets, beauty treatments at True Colors Salon, and gift certificates from Vero Bowl.
“Neal loved music and recently said to me, ‘S long as there’s music, no one ever dies,’” said Gloria Corsoro, who worked with Stannard at Treasure and Space Coast Radio.
“This is the first of many events to raise money for the scholarship fund,” said station manager Karen Franke. “We raised over $700 last night and have had other donations straight to the scholarship fund.”
To contribute to the scholarship fund, contact Franke at 772-567-0937.