Robert E. "Bob" Trow (February 6, 1926 – November 2, 1998) was an American

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmi ...

celebrity Celebrity is a condition of fame and broad public recognition of a person or group as a result of the attention given to them by mass media. An individual may attain a celebrity status from having great wealth, their participation in sports ...

actor An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The analogous Greek term is (), li ...

, and craftsman. Raised in the Beltzhoover neighborhood of

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, United States, Trow began his career in radio. He later became well known for his acting roles on

Mister Rogers' Neighborhood ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'' (sometimes shortened to ''Mister Rogers'') is an American half-hour educational children's television series that ran from 1968 to 2001, and was created and hosted by Fred Rogers. The series ''Misterogers'' deb ...

Bob Dog The Neighborhood of Make-Believe is the fictional kingdom inhabited by hand puppet characters on the children's television series ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'', which originally aired on PBS (and its predecessor NET) from 1968 to 2001, and its ...

Robert Troll The Neighborhood of Make-Believe is the fictional kingdom inhabited by hand puppet characters on the children's television series ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'', which originally aired on PBS (and its predecessor NET) from 1968 to 2001, and its ...

, and Harriet Elizabeth Cow, characters from the

Neighborhood of Make-Believe The Neighborhood of Make-Believe is the fictional kingdom inhabited by hand puppet characters on the children's television series ''Mister Rogers' Neighborhood'', which originally aired on PBS (and its predecessor NET) from 1968 to 2001, and its ...

. In the real-life segments of Mr. Rogers' show, he would also appear as himself, and he had a workshop which Mr. Rogers would visit on occasion to examine his latest creations and share them with his viewers. Trow built all of the set models used in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe segments as well as a number of specialty props, sketches and paintings. Trow was also an artist and sang in vocal groups in the Pittsburgh area. It was the performance of one of his vocal groups in the early 1950s that caught the attention of radio host Rege Cordic, who offered to manage Trow's group. Discovering Trow's ability to develop comedic material and portray diverse characters, Rege invited Trow to join him on

WWSW WWSW-FM (94.5 MHz) – branded 94.5 3WS – is a commercial FM radio station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It airs a classic hits radio format and is owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. For most of November and December, WWSW-FM switches to all- Chris ...

as a writer and voice actor. Trow created a number of character voices, including the beloved Brunhilda (350 pounds of loveliness), Milkman, Carmen Monoxide (the punster who would later run for president), Max Korfendigas (the drunken golf pro) and more who became a regular part of the long-running Cordic & Company morning show. The show moved across town to KDKA in 1954. When Cordic left for Los Angeles in 1965, Trow was added to the KDKA staff and did the morning show with Art Pallan, continuing the characters. Pallan and Trow lasted two and a half years on KDKA. After the show left the air, Trow did hundreds of radio and television commercials in the Pittsburgh area. In addition to performing, he also wrote many of the award-winning commercials he was involved in. He spent many years in advertising as Vice President and Creative Director for George Hill Company, where he developed memorable ad campaigns for Horne's Department Stores, Parkvale Savings, Willi's Ski Shops, Great American Federal, and many more. Trow was inducted into the Pittsburgh Advertising Hall of Fame "post humorously" (as he would say) in 1999. Trow died at his home in

New Alexandria, Pennsylvania New Alexandria is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 560 at the 2010 census. Settled in 1760 along the banks of the Historic Loyalhanna Creek, this community began as a wagon rest stop for travelers, ...

, in 1998 at age 72 of a

heart attack A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...

. His ashes are buried in Union Cemetery in New Alexandria, the grave marked by a headstone bearing his name, the date of his birth, the date of his death, and the epitaph "Rest assured."

References

External links

*
Cordic & Company tribute site
on Wayback Machine *Barbara Vancheri and Adrian McCoy (1998)
''Pittsburgh Post-Gazette'': Obituary of Bob Trow
Retrieved January 24, 2007. * 1926 births 1998 deaths American male television actors American radio personalities Male actors from Pittsburgh Apex Records artists 20th-century American male actors Burials in Pennsylvania {{US-tv-actor-1920s-stub